以色列与耶和华之约的起源:亚述盟约亮光下的《申命记》

Origin of Israel's Covenant with Yahweh:Deuteronomy in the Light of Assyrian Treaties

本文着重论述了希伯来圣经中所表达的以色列与耶和华之约的关系,分析其由来与表现形式,认为以色列与耶和华之约的关系形成于较晚时期,是申命学派与祭司典作者所编修的产物。此外,在古代西亚浩瀚的文明中,本文呈现《申命记》中的约同宗主盟约,尤其是新亚述盟约之间有密切的历史关联。这种关联不仅是结构性的,而且,在语言风格与观念表达上,二者也有诸多平行。在亚述盟约的亮光下,我们发现爱与责任构成维系盟约之关系的重要内容。没有证据可以表明以色列与耶和华之间的立约关系之形成早于公元前8世纪,相反,前7世纪的亚述盟约所建立的宗主与附庸之主从关系,成为《申命记》中以色列与耶和华之约关系形成的重要来源。

The thesis mainly explores Israel's covenant relationship with Yahweh in the Hebrew Bible, analyses its origin and presentation, and concludes that covenant is a late biblical concept arising from the legalizing redactions of the Deuteronomist and Priestly writers. In the ancient civilization of Western Asia, the paper presents the closely historical connections between Israel's covenant with Yahweh in Deuteronomy and suzerainty treaties, especially Neo -Assyrian Treaties, and numerous parallels are found between the covenant in Deuteronomy and these treaties in structure, language and expression. A unilateral obligation either imposed or accepted by Israel constitutes the most important element of maintaining the covenant relationship with Yahweh. There is no evidence that Israel's relationship with God is construed as a covenant any earlier than the eighth century BCE, on the contrary, Neo-Assyrian Treaties of the seventh century are one of significant sources for the Israel's - covenant relationship with Yahweh in Deuteronomy.