Covenant
A binding relationship between God and a people in Jewish scripture, expressed through divine promises and human obligations.
Hebrew Bible: The collection of sacred writings that forms the primary scripture of Judaism. Its narratives and laws contain the central covenant accounts.
Noahic covenant: The biblical covenant in which God promises Noah that a flood will not again destroy all life. Its promise extends beyond Israel to all living creatures.
Treaty: A formal agreement between political entities that establishes mutual terms and obligations. Ancient treaty forms offer a comparison for covenant structure without making the two identical.
Ancient Near Eastern treaties: Formal agreements among ancient Near Eastern rulers, often setting out duties and sanctions. Their forms help contextualize biblical covenant language and treaty patterns.
Jewish people: An ethnoreligious people whose shared history, culture, and religious traditions developed across many communities. Covenant stories and obligations have helped shape collective Jewish identity.
Berit: The Hebrew word commonly translated as covenant, denoting a formal bond or agreement. The Hebrew term names the relationship and its obligations.
Abrahamic covenant: The biblical covenant in which God promises Abraham descendants, land, and a relationship with God. It establishes promises that become central to Israel's identity.
Circumcision in Judaism: The Jewish rite of circumcision, performed as a sign of the covenant with Abraham. Genesis associates this bodily sign with Abraham's covenant.
Genesis: The first book of the Hebrew Bible, narrating creation, ancestors, and the beginnings of Israel. Genesis recounts the Noahic and Abrahamic covenants.
Jewish law: The body of religious rules and interpretations governing Jewish practice and communal life. Covenantal obligations are articulated and interpreted through Jewish law.