Originality of Biblical Morals

5 entries.

RowObjection
1 The Golden Rule ('Do unto others as you would have them do unto you') is not a unique biblical insight. Confucius stated a near-identical ma…Argument page →
3locator: medium confidence The Ten Commandments are traditionally dated to roughly 1490 BCE, but the oldest physical manuscript that can actually be verified is the Na…Argument page →
5–9 The substantive content of the Ten Commandments — prohibitions of murder, theft, adultery, and false witness, and the command to honor one's…Argument page →
4–10 The Egyptian Book of the Dead contains 'negative confessions' declaring innocence of theft, murder, and adultery ('I have not stolen,' 'I ha…Argument page →
11–13 The lex talionis principle ('eye for an eye') and the broader tradition of written legal codes long predate the Ten Commandments: the Laws o…Argument page →