{"id":7326,"date":"2023-04-14T18:36:03","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T22:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/?p=7326"},"modified":"2025-11-13T14:41:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T20:41:40","slug":"119-inventing-god-and-law-theocracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/?p=7326","title":{"rendered":"119. Inventing God and Law: Theocracy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1543\" src=\"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pt02pg107-Yahweh-Part-M.webp\" alt=\"After returning from captivity, the people of Judah dropped the whole idea of kings, and made Yahweh their sovereign. What did that mean?\" class=\"wp-image-9928\" style=\"width:1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pt02pg107-Yahweh-Part-M.webp 1200w, https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pt02pg107-Yahweh-Part-M-768x988.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1543\" src=\"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pt02pg107-Yahweh-Part-M2.webp\" alt=\"By means of the Covenant Code, the elites of Judah imbued their god Yahweh with the political authority of a mortal king!\" class=\"wp-image-9930\" style=\"width:1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pt02pg107-Yahweh-Part-M2.webp 1200w, https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pt02pg107-Yahweh-Part-M2-768x988.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><div class=\"bg-margin-for-link\"><input type='hidden' bg_collapse_expand='6a8e876340f409042485867' value='6a8e876340f409042485867'><input type='hidden' id='bg-show-more-text-6a8e876340f409042485867' value='View Transcript'><input type='hidden' id='bg-show-less-text-6a8e876340f409042485867' value='Close Transcript'><div id='bg-showmore-hidden-6a8e876340f409042485867' ><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Constitutional Law<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Part 2: \u201cWhat Were They Thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Digression: \u201cA History of Government in 6 Revolutions: From the Paleolithic to Philadelphia\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">119. Inventing God and Law: Theocracy<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">TITLE: Part M: Theocracy<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 1: The high priest in Jerusalem, wearing his ceremonial breastplate, hat, and robes, mumbles an incantation while placing a golden crown on a new king\u2019s head.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">FEZ GUY (offscreen):<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The Persians did let us <strong>try<\/strong> kings again.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">-=-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 2: The new king, wearing his golden crown, is crazed with power.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">FEZ GUY (offscreen):<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">But, you know?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NEW KING:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">BWA HA HA HAAA!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The power is mine!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">All mine!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">-=-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 3: The high priest slaps the crown off the new king\u2019s head, making him go bug-eyed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">FEZ GUY:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">It just didn\u2019t take.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Besides, isn\u2019t <strong>Yahweh<\/strong> supposed to be our sovereign?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">-=-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 4: Sis and Joe, as talking heads, with a backdrop of an eastern fairy-tale castle in a mountainous land.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">SIS:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Hold up.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">What does that even <strong>mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">JOE:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">I\u2019m glad you asked.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>SOVEREIGNTY<\/strong> means <strong>ultimate<\/strong> political authority.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A <strong>sovereign<\/strong> is that person or entity in which <strong>all<\/strong> of a society\u2019s political authority is vested. Every power of every government institution, of every government official, is <strong>delegated<\/strong> from the sovereign.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This is important: There is <strong>no higher power<\/strong> that you can appeal to, to limit or constrain or overrule a legitimate sovereign\u2019s exercise of political power.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u201cUltimate\u201d really means <strong>ultimate!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">(More on this later, I promise)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">-=-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 5: The high priest, in full regalia, raises an \u201caha!\u201d finger. Three other officials look skeptical.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NARRATION:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This presented the priestly elites with a conundrum: How to get regular folks to really and truly <strong>accept<\/strong> that a heavenly deity was\u2014really and truly\u2014their <strong>political<\/strong> ruler on Earth?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">HIGH PRIEST:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">I have it!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Remember that <strong>law code<\/strong> we had to copy out back in Babylonian scribe school?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">OFFICIAL 1:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Eh?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">You don\u2019t mean\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">OFFICIAL 2:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>Hammurabi?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">OFFICIAL 3:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Ugh, don\u2019t remind me. The first year, they scared us to death\u2026 the second year, they worked us to death\u2026 then the third year, they bored us to death.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">*Old law student refrain.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">-=-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 6: Repeat of panel 7 from page 104, with the two Mesopotamians reading a law code stele. Next to it is a repeat of panel 6 from page 106, with Yahweh seated on his throne.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NARRATION:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Thus the <strong>Covenant Code,<\/strong> with which we began this discussion!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">As the Mesopotamian law codes had symbolically imbued a <strong>king\u2019s<\/strong> authority with the legitimacy of the gods\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u2026so now the Covenant Code imbued the Yehudites\u2019 <strong>god<\/strong> with the legitimate political authority of a <strong>king!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">-=-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 7: A stick figure man and woman stand beside an empty throne. The man looks at a bright light shining where a king would normally be, and the woman makes a sassy gesture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NARRATION:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The result?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A kingdom <strong>without<\/strong> a king!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">MAN:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Not one we can <strong>see<\/strong> or <strong>hear,<\/strong> anyway.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">WOMAN:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Or petition\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Or persuade\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">-=-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 8: Three bright lights rise from the bottom left to the top right, in rhythm with the text.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NARRATION:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This was a radical new reality. To regain their <strong>identity,<\/strong> the Yehudites had made a covenant\u2014and a Covenant Code\u2014which had then transformed their <strong>god<\/strong> into something humankind had never before imagined:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A god that was <strong>singular\u2026 supreme\u2026<\/strong> and <strong>sovereign!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NARRATION (below \u201csingular\u201d):<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">No father,<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">no consort,<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">no pantheon.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NARRATION (below \u201csupreme\u201d):<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">There was no greater deity in all the spirit world.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NARRATION (below \u201csovereign\u201d):<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Their god\u2014that is, <strong>nobody on Earth<\/strong> possessed ultimate political authority.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">-=-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 9: The Persian emperor, in a golden headdress and purple robes, stands before bas-relief figures of four-winged celestial beings.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NARRATION:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">What did the Persian emperors think of this?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">EMPEROR:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Meh.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">So long as they pay their taxes and stay out of trouble, who cares what they believe?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">-=-<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Panel 9: Turban Guy looks askance at Fez Guy, who makes a confident gesture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">NARRATION:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">True, gods and government had always gone together\u2014both created at the same time, to solve the same social need for cooperation, and by the same human necessity of narrative.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">But thus far, it had naturally been <strong>people<\/strong> who issued commands and made the rules.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">What now, when the commands and rules could only come from a\u2014let\u2019s face it\u2014<strong>fictional<\/strong> character? From a being you couldn\u2019t see, couldn\u2019t hear, and above all couldn\u2019t <strong>question?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">TURBAN GUY:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">And who doesn\u2019t seem to be making any <strong>new<\/strong> rules, either.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">FEZ GUY:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Oh yeah?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">That\u2019s what <strong>you<\/strong> think.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><\/div><\/div><a id='bg-showmore-action-6a8e876340f409042485867' class='bg-showmore-plg-link bg-arrow '  style=\" color:#9ca7a5;;\" href='#'>View Transcript<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[48,35,63,60,1,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-brief-history-of-government","category-constitutional-law","category-inventing-the-law","category-the-institution-revolution","category-uncategorized","category-what-were-they-thinking"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 5.0.0.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After returning from captivity, the people of Judah dropped the whole idea of kings, and made Yahweh their sovereign. What did that mean?\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nathan\"\/>\n\t<meta name=\"msvalidate.01\" content=\"CB184FE4CADC154F7ED629ED6A403A0A\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/?p=7326\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO (AIOSEO) 5.0.0.1\" \/>\n\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"aioseo-schema\">\n\t\t\t{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?p=7326#article\",\"name\":\"119. Inventing God and Law: Theocracy | The Illustrated Guide to Law\",\"headline\":\"119. Inventing God and Law: Theocracy\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?author=1#author\"},\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/pt02pg107-Yahweh-Part-M.webp\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?p=7326\\\/#articleImage\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":1543},\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-14T18:36:03-05:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-13T14:41:40-06:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"commentCount\":8,\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?p=7326#webpage\"},\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?p=7326#webpage\"},\"articleSection\":\"A Brief History of Government, Constitutional Law, Inventing the Law, The Institution Revolution, Uncategorized, What Were They Thinking?\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?p=7326#breadcrumblist\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide#listItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?page_id=6175#listItem\",\"name\":\"Posts\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?page_id=6175#listItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Posts\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?page_id=6175\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=1#listItem\",\"name\":\"Uncategorized\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide#listItem\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=1#listItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Uncategorized\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=1\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=35#listItem\",\"name\":\"Constitutional Law\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?page_id=6175#listItem\",\"name\":\"Posts\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=35#listItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Constitutional Law\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=35\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=46#listItem\",\"name\":\"What Were They Thinking?\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=1#listItem\",\"name\":\"Uncategorized\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=46#listItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"What Were They Thinking?\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=46\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=48#listItem\",\"name\":\"A Brief History of Government\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=35#listItem\",\"name\":\"Constitutional Law\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=48#listItem\",\"position\":6,\"name\":\"A Brief History of Government\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=48\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=60#listItem\",\"name\":\"The Institution Revolution\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=46#listItem\",\"name\":\"What Were They Thinking?\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=60#listItem\",\"position\":7,\"name\":\"The Institution Revolution\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=60\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=63#listItem\",\"name\":\"Inventing the Law\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=48#listItem\",\"name\":\"A Brief History of Government\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=63#listItem\",\"position\":8,\"name\":\"Inventing the Law\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?cat=63\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lawcomic.net\\\/guide\\\/?p=7326#listItem\",\"name\":\"119. 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