Introduction to the Law
The first five books of the Bible are known as the Pentateuch, which is a combination of two Greek words, penta, meaning “five,” and teuchos, meaning “scroll.” It is also referred to as the Torah, which is a Hebrew word meaning “law.” On the pages of these books are written the Mosaic Laws (the laws God spoke to Moses and Moses passed on to the Israelite people). The Law is more than the Ten Commandments. There are more than six hundred laws that deal with all aspects of life, including permissible foods for consumption, offering sacrifices, working in the tabernacle, and dealing with lawbreakers.Today we have God’s commands in the Bible and thousands of laws created by federal, state, and local governments. In Israel’s national infancy, though, it was a theocracy. In a theocracy, God rules the nation; and God’s laws are the only laws. These laws bound all citizens, including Israel’s future kings.
In Jesus’ day, the Roman Empire ruled Israel. Even though the Israelites were subject to Roman law, they continued to observe the Mosaic Laws. The Pharisees were experts in knowing the laws of God. However, Pharisees weren’t like Sunday school teachers; they were more like lawyers.
The Torah is the primary document of the Jewish faith, as it contains not only these laws but also historic narratives and genealogies that document the beginnings of the religion. Traditional Jewish synagogues have copies of the Torah, handwritten on scrolls. These scrolls are kept in an ark, which is positioned in such a way that as you are facing the ark, you are facing Jerusalem. These scrolls are read only during certain worship services at the synagogue, and they never leave the building. The Torah in book form, called Chumash, which contains the original Hebrew and a modern language translation, is provided to members of the Jewish faith.
Learn More:
> Introduction to the Old Testament
> Introduction to Genesis
