Question:  Dear Greg,

            Is there any truth to the teaching that Hammurabi influenced Moses and Old Testament law in the Bible?

            The authenticity of the Bible is questioned by liberal theologians who seem to love throwing stuff like this at us.

            A book by A. Powell Davies titled “The Ten Commandments” seems to have one purpose: to discredit the Old Testament.  Any rebuttals to this line of reasoning would be greatly appreciated.  I live in India and appreciate your ministry.

            Paul

Answer:  Dear Paul,

            This, of course, is a huge question.  It seems that the material to which you have reference is trying to “prove” that since the Bible used similar themes as other written materials at the same time or even earlier than the writing of the specific biblical material in question that the Bible is therefore less than authentic in some way.

            Such a view fails to take into account the manner in which God inspired the Bible.  He used many different people over a span of many years to convey his propositional truth, his revelation of himself to us in written form.  In so doing God accommodated himself to us—that is, he used our language and spoke to us through our reality.  Therefore, he inspired the Bible in linguistic forms and symbols that would be understood as opposed to those that would not be.

            Similarities with Hammurabi no more disprove the Bible than the fact that Jesus used parables in his teaching disproves his deity and uniqueness.  Parables were a linguistic genre that were fairly well known, and while most scholars say that no one used them as Jesus did, nonetheless parables were not unknown before the incarnation of the Eternal Son of God.

            In many cases the solution to those who would discredit the Bible is simply answered by taking apart the logic of what they are saying.  This does not mean that we might convert those who believe the Bible to be nothing more than the words of human beings—but it does mean that we do not have to allow their incoherent arguments to pass uncontested.

            Thanks for allowing us to be of service.  We pray God will bless you and be with you.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht