Law & Justice in the Bible
University of Texas at Austin
Fall 2024
MWF / 10:00 – 10:50 / PAR 306
CTI 354L (29195) / JS 363-30 (38470) / MES 342-66 (39555) / RS 353K (41825)
Professor
§ Bruce Wells / Calhoun 414 / bruce.wells@austin.utexas.edu / 512-471-3463
§ Office hours (in-person): Wednesday, 11:00am – 12:30pm.
- It helps to use my calendar (calendly.com/bruce-wells) to schedule a 15-minute meeting
for office hours. I’m also happy to arrange another time to meet in person or over Zoom.
Textbooks
§ Morrow, William S. An Introduction to Biblical Law. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2017.
§ Collis, Steven T. Habits of a Peacemaker: 10 Habits to Change Our Potentially Toxic
Conversations into Healthy Dialogues. Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2024.
§ Excerpts from the following will be made available.
- Roth, Martha T. Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor. 2nd ed. Atlanta:
Scholars Press, 1997 (available for free through the library’s website).
- The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (available for free here). You may also
use your own English translation of the Bible.
§ “Law & Justice in the Bible” course packet.
Course Description
You will examine the legal traditions of the Hebrew Bible found in the Torah (Pentateuch) and what they
reveal about the practice of law and justice in ancient Israel and the biblical world. You will also explore
the law and legal systems of the broader ancient Near East. In addition, you will see how Christian
authors of the New Testament both promoted and critiqued the Jewish law of their day. You will look at
how these biblical traditions relate to particular theories of ethics and justice, and you will use the ideas
covered in the course to address specific ethical problems. You will engage with topics such as marriage,
family structures, litigation, debt, slavery, homicide, theft, false accusation, sexual behavior, contracts,
and other matters. Finally, you will learn skills and approaches for handling controversial topics and
difficult conversations. Ethical problems often lead to sharp disagreement over what to do, and you will
practice discussing both sides of an issue in a civil, respectful, and good-faith manner.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, you will be able to:
1. List the law codes of the Hebrew Bible and explain the background and basic nature of each.
2. Explain at least two major theories concerning the relationship of biblical law to other collections
of law in the ancient Near East.
3. Engage (orally and in writing) in civil discourse over particular ethical dilemmas and explain how
biblical traditions may or may not relate to those dilemmas.
4. Give examples of how modern scholars study biblical law and suggest how such study might
affect—positively or negatively—the modern quest for justice.
5. Give at least two reasons why the writings of the New Testament might reflect a more positive
understanding of Jewish law than previously thought.
Law & Justice in the Bible / page 2
Requirements, Assignments, and Grading
You will be graded out of 600 points possible for the semester.
Class Participation (75 points; 1/8 of course grade). You are expected to attend class and contribute
regularly to discussions in class. You should be prepared to answer questions about assigned readings and
to offer questions and comments of your own.
Quizzes (75 points; 1/8 of course grade). There will be five quizzes during the semester, each worth 15
points. Each quiz will cover assigned readings and material from in-class lectures and discussions since
the previous quiz. See the course schedule below for quiz dates.
Group Presentation (50 points; 1/12 of course grade). Each group will present on what could be
considered a controversial topic. Each will be expected to demonstrate how to speak about both sides of
the topic in a civil and respectful manner and to show how course material could be used to support both
sides. The presentations will take place in the second half of the semester. Students will select from topics
such as divorce, lying, slavery, extreme rhetoric, genetic engineering, mandatory minimums, animal rights,
privacy, abortion, etc.
Ethical Reasoning Papers (200 points; 1/3 of course grade). You will submit two essays (each worth 100
points) of 1200–1500 words (approx. 4–5 pages). Each essay will respond to a prompt that presents an
ethical dilemma that you are to address by using course-related material. Further instructions will be
distributed. See the course schedule below for due dates.
Midterm & Final Examinations (200 points; 1/3 of course grade). Both examinations are worth 100
points. Exams may consist of objective questions (e.g., multiple-choice questions) and/or essay questions.
Grading Scale
Your final course grade will be assigned based on the scale below, which shows percentage points and
corresponding letter grades.
93.34 – 99.99..............A 73.34 – 76.66..............C
90.00 – 93.33..............A- 70.00 – 73.33..............C-
86.67 – 89.99..............B+ 66.67 – 69.99..............D+
83.34 – 86.66..............B 60.00 – 66.66..............D
80.00 – 83.33..............B- 0 – 59.99.....................F
76.67 – 79.99..............C+
General descriptions of the grade ranges are as follows.
A excellent comprehension of material, insightful analysis, creative synthesis, frequent and
highly valuable contributions in class, clarity in spoken communication, no issues with
mechanics in written communication
B very good comprehension of material, solid analysis, good synthesis, frequent and
valuable contributions in class, clarity in spoken communication, no major issues with
mechanics in written communication
C adequate comprehension of material, some acceptable analysis, early stages of synthesis,
some interesting and valuable contributions in class, clarity in spoken communication,
few significant issues with mechanics in written communication
D difficulty in comprehension of material, little analysis, very little synthesis, infrequent
contributions in class, some difficulty with clarity in spoken communication, significant
problems with mechanics in written communication
Law & Justice in the Bible / page 3
Academic Honesty
The University of Texas Honor Code states: “The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are
learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the
university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward
peers and community.” Acts such as cheating, plagiarism, and unauthorized collusion are unacceptable.
Each will have significant repercussions for your grade in the course, and all instances of academic
dishonesty will be reported to the Office of the Dean of Students. For more information on academic
integrity, please consult https://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/conduct/academicintegrity.php.
Communication by E-mail
E-mail is an official mode of university communication. Changes to the syllabus and other important
announcements will be sent via e-mail. You are responsible for checking your e-mail for university and
course-related communications and for keeping the university up to date regarding your e-mail address.
UT Austin’s policies and instructions for updating your e-mail address are at http://utmail.utexas.edu/.
Services for Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability, or think you may have a disability, and need accommodations please
contact UT’s Disability and Access office (D&A). You may refer to D&A’s website for contact details
and more information: https://community.utexas.edu/disability/.
Other Resources
UT-Austin has numerous resources for students to provide assistance and support for your learning.
§ Sanger Learning Center: https://ugs.utexas.edu/slc/
§ Undergraduate Writing Center: http://uwc.utexas.edu/
§ Counseling & Mental Health Center: http://cmhc.utexas.edu/
§ Student Emergency Services: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/emergency/
Religious Observances
According to UT-Austin policy, students must notify their instructor of their pending absence at least
fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If students miss a class, an
examination, or an assignment due to observing a religious holy day, they will be given adequate time to
complete and submit any missed work.
Flags
Ethics. This course carries the Ethics flag. Ethics courses are designed to equip you with skills that are
necessary for making ethical decisions in your adult and professional life. You should therefore expect a
substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments involving ethical issues and the process of
applying ethical reasoning to real-life situations.
Global Cultures. This course carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are designed to
increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. You should therefore expect a
substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories
of at least one non-U.S. cultural group, past or present.
Mental Health
§ The phone # for the Counseling and Mental Health Center Crisis Line is 512-471-2255.
§ The Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line (BCCAL) is a fast and simple way to report
any issues or concerns you may with respect to a member of the university community. BCCAL
staff will triage calls and send them to appropriate departments. Please call 512-232-5050, or
submit your questions or concerns online.
Law & Justice in the Bible / page 4
Course Schedule
“Morrow” = An Introduction to Biblical Law. “Collis” = Habits of a Peacemaker. “Roth” = Law Collections.
For the Roth readings, the paragraph numbers that need to be read from each law collection are listed. Readings
from the Bible are listed by their book and chapter number(s). Other readings will be in the course pack, on the
web, or provided in class. The assignments are listed under the day when they are due.
Week 1
What Is the Hebrew Bible? / What Is Biblical Law?
§ Aug 28 Wednesday
– Read Morrow 3–22 (chapters 1–2)
– Be prepared to discuss: the different periods in Morrow’s timeline and the differences
between the sources that he refers to as D, P, and non-P
§ Aug 30 Friday
– Read Morrow 23–43 (chapters 3–4)
– Be prepared to discuss: the different approaches to the study of biblical law
Week 2
The Nature of Ancient Law / The Ten Commandments
§ Sept 2 – LABOR DAY Monday
§ Sept 4 Wednesday
– Read B. Wells, “The Nature of the Collections,” in The Cambridge Companion to Law in the
Hebrew Bible (Cambridge University Press, 2024), 55–75 (available through the library)
– Read Exodus 21:22–25; see what interpretations of this passage you can find (on the web, etc.)
– Be prepared to discuss: What are the different ways to understand this text? Can you find
anyone who uses it to support either the pro-choice or the pro-life position on abortion?
§ Sept 6 Friday
– Read Exodus 19–20, 32–34; Deuteronomy 5; Morrow 47–68 (chapters 5-6)
– Be prepared to discuss: What are the real Ten Commandments? What about the list in
Exodus 34? Should it count as a version of the Ten Commandments?
– Quiz #1 – due (in Canvas) before Monday at 9:30am
Week 3
The Covenant Code / Slavery in the Ancient Near East
§ Sept 9 Monday – Quiz #1 due by 9:30am
– Read Exodus 20:18–24:8
– Read Morrow 73–95 (chapters 7–8)
– Read Roth LL d–f; SLEx 1′–2′; LE 12–13, 36–37, 53–54; LH 120–125, 209–214, 250–252;
MAL A 21, 50–56; HL 17, 106–107
– Be prepared to discuss: What do you think are the closest parallels between the provisions in
Exodus 21–22 and the law collections in Roth?
Abbreviations for Law Collections in Roth:
HL = Hittite Laws
§ Sept 11 Wednesday LE = Laws of Eshnunna
– Read Exodus 21:2–11, vv. 20–21, and vv. 26–27 LH = Laws of Hammurabi
– Read Morrow 96–105 (chapter 9) LL = Laws of Lipit-Ishtar
LU = Laws of Ur-Namma
– Read the laws about slavery in Roth: LU 4–5, MAL = Middle Assyrian Laws
24–26; LE 22–23, 33–34, 49–52, 55–57; SLEx = Sumerian Laws Exercise Tablet
LH 113–119, 144–147, 213–223
– Be prepared to discuss: Which laws deal with chattel-slaves and which with debt-slaves?
Law & Justice in the Bible / page 5
§ Sept 13 Friday
– Read Leviticus 1–3; Morrow 109–129 (chapters 10–11)
– Be prepared to discuss: differences between P and H and the meaning of “graded holiness.”
Week 4
Priestly and Ritual Law / Purity and Pollution / The Holiness Code
§ Sept 16 Monday
– Read Leviticus 6–10; Morrow 130–147 (chapters 12–13)
– Read Yitzhaq Feder, “Expiating with Blood” (https://thetorah.com/expiating-with-blood/)
– Be prepared to discuss: What is meant by the “communication value” of biblical sacrifices?
§ Sept 18 Wednesday
– Read Leviticus 4–5, 11–12; Numbers 15, 35; Morrow 148–170 (chapters 14–15)
– Be prepared to discuss: What do you find to be surprising in the biblical texts that Morrow
discusses in today’s reading?
§ Sept 20 Friday
– Quiz #2 – due (in Canvas) before Monday at 9:30am
– Read Leviticus 18–20, 25; Deuteronomy 15
– Read Morrow 171–190 (chapters 16–17)
– Read Roth LH 154–158; HL 187–200
– Be prepared to discuss the key ethical issues (sexual behavior, property control, poverty, etc.)
that come up in these chapters from Leviticus
Week 5
Having Difficult Conversations (part 1)
§ Sept 23 Monday – Quiz #2 due by 9:30am
– Read Collis 1–39 (Intro, ch. 1, and part of ch. 2 – stop at heading “Armies of …” on p. 39)
– Answer the questions in the reading guide for this section in Collis.
§ Sept 25 Wednesday
– Read Collis 39–79 (the rest of ch. 2)
– Answer the questions in the reading guide for this section in Collis.
§ Sept 27 Friday
– Read Collis 80–123 (ch. 3)
– Answer the questions in the reading guide for this section in Collis.
Week 6
The Deuteronomic Code / Women in Biblical Law
§ Sept 30 Monday
– Read Deuteronomy 7, 13; Joshua 9–11; Judges 1–2
– Read Morrow 195–216 (chapters 18–19)
– Be prepared to discuss: ethical issues surrounding the command to destroy the Canaanites.
§ Oct 2 Wednesday
– Read Deuteronomy 12, 16–20; Morrow 217–238 (chapters 20–21)
– Read Roth LU 13–14, 28; LL 17, 33; LH 1–5, 9–13, 127–138
– Read Sandra Jacobs, “Deathblows to a Pregnant Woman – What Restitution Was Required?”
(www.thetorah.com/article/deathblows-to-a-pregnant-woman-what-restitution-was-required)
Law & Justice in the Bible / page 6
§ Oct 4 Friday
– Read Deuteronomy 21–25
– Read Morrow 239–248 (chapter 22); Roth MAL A ¶¶12–18, ¶¶55–56
– Read Cynthia Edenburg, “Ideology and Social Context of the Deuteronomic Women's Sex
Laws (Deuteronomy 22:13-29),” Journal of Biblical Literature 128 (2009): 43–60
– Be prepared to discuss: Why do you think virginity is seen as important in a variety of
cultures, both ancient and modern?
– Quiz #3 – due (in Canvas) before Monday at 9:30am
Week 7
Midterm Exam / “Problematic” Laws
§ Oct 7 Monday – Quiz #3 due by 9:30am
– Read Morrow 251–257 (Conclusion)
– Review for midterm exam
§ Oct 9 Wednesday
– Midterm Exam
§ Oct 11 Friday
– Read Cheryl B. Anderson, “Problematic Biblical Laws: The View from the ‘Other’ Side,” in
Ancient Laws and Contemporary Controversies: The Need for Inclusive Biblical
Interpretation (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), 31–58
– Be prepared to discuss: what Anderson believes is “problematic” about the biblical laws that
she discusses. If you had to take the other side, how would you try to counter her arguments?
Week 8
Major Ethical Theories
§ Oct 14 Monday
– Read Proverbs 22–24
– Read Rosalind Hursthouse, “Virtue Ethics,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 8 Dec
2016 (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/)
§ Oct 16 Wednesday
– Read Michael J. Sandel, “The Greatest Happiness Principle: Utilitarianism,” in Justice:
What’s the Right Thing to Do? (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2010), 31–57
– Be prepared to discuss: what you see as the advantages and disadvantages of utilitarianism.
Can you think of a situation in which you think it would be best to make an ethical decision
based on utilitarianism? Can you think of one when it wouldn’t be a good idea?
§ Oct 18 Friday
– Read Genesis 4; 1 Samuel 15; 2 Samuel 11–12
– Read L. P. Pojman, “Immanuel Kant’s Copernican Revolution,” in Who Are We? Theories of
Human Nature (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), 124–137
– Be prepared to discuss: how a utilitarian and a Kantian approach would handle the issues in
the assigned biblical texts differently
– Quiz #4 – due (in Canvas) before Wednesday at 9:30am
Law & Justice in the Bible / page 7
Week 9
Theories of Punishment / Punishing Sexual Offenses
§ Oct 21 Monday
- Read C. L. Ten, “Crime and Punishment,” in A Companion to Ethics, ed. P. Singer, 1st ed.
(Oxford: Blackwell, 1993), 366–372
- Read Martha T. Roth, “Gender and Law: A Case Study from Ancient Mesopotamia,” in
Gender and Law in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East, ed. V. H. Matthews et al.
(Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998), 173–184.
§ Oct 23 Wednesday – Quiz #4 due by 9:30am
- Dr. Jake Daniels coming to class to discuss Jewish Studies programs
- Come to class and be working on your paper due Monday
§ Oct 25 Friday
- Be prepared to discuss: what you are working on in your essay
Week 10
Having Difficult Conversations (part 2)
§ Oct 28 Monday
- Paper #1 due: See detailed instructions on Canvas.
- Read Collis 124–165 (ch. 4 and ch. 5)
- Answer the questions in the reading guide for this section in Collis.
§ Oct 30 Wednesday
- Read Collis 166–203 (ch. 6, ch. 7, and ch. 8)
- Answer the questions in the reading guide for this section in Collis.
§ Nov 1 Friday
- Read Collis 204–226 (ch. 9, ch. 10, and Epilogue)
- Answer the questions in the reading guide for this section in Collis.
Week 11
The New Testament and Biblical Law / Group Presentations
§ Nov 4 Monday
- Tyus coming to promote ASI and HSI
- Read Thomas Kazen, “Biblical Law and the New Testament” in The Cambridge Companion
to Law in the Hebrew Bible (Cambridge University Press, 2024), 261–282 (available through
the library)
§ Nov 6 Wednesday
- Read Richard B. Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary
Introduction to New Testament Ethics (HarperSanFrancisco, 1996), 1–15 (Introduction)
§ Nov 8 Friday – Group E
- Read 1 Corinthians 10–11; Galatians 5–6 (from the New Testament)
- Read Richard B. Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament, pp. 16–45 (chapter 1)
- Quiz #5 – due (in Canvas) before Monday at 9:30am
Law & Justice in the Bible / page 8
Week 12
The New Testament (continued) / Early Jewish Literature / Group Presentations
§ Nov 11 Monday – Quiz #5 due by 9:30am – Group G
- Read Richard B. Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament, pp. 46–59 (appendix to
chapter 1); and pp. 158–168 (chapter 7)
§ Nov 13 Wednesday – Group H
- Read Matthew 5–7 and Romans 9–11 (from the New Testament)
- Read E. P. Sanders, “When Is a Law a Law? The Case of Jesus and Paul,” in Religion and
Law: Biblical-Judaic and Islamic Perspectives, ed. E. B. Firmage et al. (Winona Lake, IN:
Eisenbrauns, 1990), 139–158
- Be prepared to discuss: Sanders’ claim that “Jesus was not known to have been on record as
being against the observance of any of the concrete commandments.” Why does Sanders say
this? Where is the one place that Sanders says Jesus goes beyond the Mosaic law?
§ Nov 15 Friday – Group A
- Read Steven Fraade, “Biblical Law and Rabbinic Literature,” in The Cambridge Companion
to Law in the Hebrew Bible (Cambridge University Press, 2024), 283–299.
Week 13
Divorce and Deception as Ethical Issues
§ Nov 18 Monday – Group B
- Read David Janzen, “The Meaning of Porneia in Matthew 5.32 and 19.9: An Approach from
the Study of Ancient Near Eastern Culture,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 80
(2000): 66–80
- Read Deborah L. Ellens, Women in the Sex Texts of Leviticus and Deuteronomy: A
Comparative Conceptual Analysis (T&T Clark, 2008), 235–248.
- Be prepared to discuss: the views on marriage that were held by important Jewish thinkers
(rabbis) during the time of Jesus. What exactly does Janzen think is at issue in Matthew 19:9?
§ Nov 20 Wednesday – Group D
- Read Exodus 1–2, 7–11
- Read Esther H. Schor, “Saviors and Liars: The Midwives of Exodus 1,” in From the
Margins: Women of the Hebrew Bible and Their Afterlives, ed. Peter S. Hawkins and
Lesleigh Cushing Stahlberg (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2009), 31–45
- Be prepared to discuss: why the biblical authors seem to think it was permissible for the two
Hebrew midwives and Moses to lie to the king of Egypt?
§ Nov 22 Friday
- Ethical Reasoning Paper #2: Are there times when it is ethical to be dishonest or deceptive?
Let’s say you have a major paper due in one of your courses. You wait to start the paper until
a week before it’s due, and now, because you have an extended commitment to help at a food
pantry that week, you will not have time to write a decent paper and finish it by the deadline.
Would it be permissible to tell your professor that you’re very sick in order to get an
extension? Would it be permissible to plagiarize the last part of the paper under these
circumstances? Use the material covered so far in class—from biblical sources and non-
biblical sources—to address this issue. Finally, offer some criteria for deciding when it is
permissible to be deceptive. Do you follow a particular theory?
Law & Justice in the Bible / page 9
Week 14
NO CLASS – Fall Break
Week 15
Types of Legal Discourse in the Hebrew Bible
§ Dec 2 Monday
- Read Christine Hayes, What’s Divine about Divine Law? Early Perspectives (Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 2015), 1–13 (Introduction and intro to Part 1)
§ Dec 4 Wednesday – Group C
- Read Christine Hayes, What’s Divine about Divine Law? Early Perspectives (Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 2015), 14–38 (first part of ch. 1)
§ Dec 6 Friday – Group F
- Read Christine Hayes, What’s Divine about Divine Law? Early Perspectives (Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 2015), 38–53 (final part of ch. 1)
Week 16
Review
§ Dec 9 Monday
- Review for final exam
Final Exam: Monday, December 16, 2024, 10:30–12:30 in our regular classroom
Summary of readings
- from the Morrow textbook: approx. 260 pages
- from the Roth textbook: approx. 50 pages
- from sources on difficult conversations: approx. 135 pages
- from other non-textbook sources: approx. 400 pages
- from the Bible: approx. 70 chapters
