Ten Commandments | Description, History, Text, & Facts - Britannica

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History and importance

Dating the Ten Commandments involves an interpretation of their purpose. Some scholars propose a date between the 16th and 13th centuries bce because Exodus and Deuteronomy connect the Ten Commandments with Moses and the Sinai Covenant between Yahweh and Israel. For those who regard the Ten Commandments as an epitome of prophetic teachings, the date would be sometime after Amos and Hosea (after 750 bce). If the Ten Commandments are simply a summary of the legal and priestly traditions of Israel, they belong to an even later period.

The Ten Commandments contain little that was new to the ancient world and reflect a morality common to the ancient Middle East. They are a description of the conditions accepted by the community of Israel in its relationship to Yahweh. The differences found in Exodus and Deuteronomy indicate that the process of transmission from generation to generation brought with it modifications.

Also called: Decalogue (Greek: deka logoi [“10 words”]) (Show more) Key People: Moses (Show more) Related Topics: Hebraic law (Show more) See all related content

The Ten Commandments had no particular importance in Christian tradition until the 13th century, when they were incorporated into a manual of instruction for those coming to confess their sins. With the rise of Protestant churches, new manuals of instruction in the faith were made available and the Ten Commandments were incorporated into catechisms as a fundamental part of religious training, especially of the young.

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