A Law Book for the Diaspora : Revision in the Study of the Covenant Code (38163) John Van Seters
Praise for A Law Book for the Diaspora "The effect of the book is to overturn more than a century of critical scholarship and call for a complete reassessment of the standard positions on the development of the Bible and the history of Israel. The argumentation is detailed, careful, and meticulous ; the scholarship is top-shelf, it builds a compelling and revolutionary case, the importance of which can hardly be overstated."
Steven L. Mckenzie, author of King David: a Biography "In his characteristically incisive manner, John Van Seters proposes that the book of the covenant is not the oldest legal collection in the Hebrew Bible but arose centuries later as 'a law for the diaspora '. His argument, developed through careful comparison with other legal texts, turn long-held notions on their head. Van Seters has once again challenged biblical scholars to rethink their fundamental assumptions." Douglas A. Knight, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Chair of the Graduate Department of Religion, Vanderbilt University.