The body as property
Subtitle: physical disfigurement in biblical law
By: Sandra Jacobs
Series: Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies -- 582; T & T Clark library of biblical studies; Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies -- 582.; T & T Clark library of biblical studies
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 2014
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 260
ISBN-13: 9780567253934; 9780567010506; 9780567665133
Subjects: Slavery (Jewish law); Circumcision; Judaism; Ear piercing; Lex talionis (Jewish law); Property (Jewish law); Body marking
Other titles: Physical disfigurement in biblical law
Description: "The Body As Property indicates that physical disfigurement functioned in biblical law to verify legal property acquisition, when changes in the status of dependents were formalized. It is based on the reality the cuneiform script, in particular, was developed in Sumer and Mesopotamia for the purpose of record keeping: to provide legal proof of ownership where the inscription of a tablet evidenced the sale, or transfer, of property. Legitimate property acquisition was as important in biblical law, where physical disfigurements marked dependents, in a similar way that the veil or the head covering identified a wife or concubine in ancient Assyrian and Judean societies. This is primarily substantiated in the accounts of prescriptive disfigurements: namely circumcision and the piercing of a slave's ear, both of which were required only when a son, or slave, was acquired permanently. It is further argued that legal entitlement was relevant also to the punitive disfigurements recorded in Exodus 21:22-24, and Deuteronomy 25:11-12, where the physical violation of women was of concern solely as an infringement of male property rights."--Bloomsbury Publishing

The Body As Property indicates that physical disfigurement functioned in biblical law to verify legal property acquisition, when changes in the status of dependents were formalized. It is based on the reality the cuneiform script, in particular, was developed in Sumer and Mesopotamia for the purpose of record keeping: to provide legal proof of ownership where the inscription of a tablet evidenced the sale, or transfer, of property. Legitimate property acquisition was as important in biblical law, where physical disfigurements marked dependents, in a similar way that the veil or the head covering identified a wife or concubine in ancient Assyrian and Judean societies. This is primarily substantiated in the accounts of prescriptive disfigurements: namely circumcision and the piercing of a slave's ear, both of which were required only when a son, or slave, was acquired permanently. It is further argued that legal entitlement was relevant also to the punitive disfigurements recorded in Exodus 21:22-24, and Deuteronomy 25:11-12, where the physical violation of women was of concern solely as an infringement of male property rights
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 226-246) and indexes.

Current Copyright Fee: GBP17.50 0.
Table of contents: title: Introduction --; title: The priestly requirement of circumcision --; title: Talion in biblical law and narrative --; title: Legal acquisition : the slave and Israel's cult personnel --; title: Conclusions.