42 Laws of maat vs Ten commandments

[desmondingram23]

Hey, I came across "the 42 laws of maat" not to long ago and obviously I don't believe Moses copied or stole the ten commandments from "the 42 laws of maat " So my question is what would be the best apologetic response to someone who believes the ten commandments were stolen?

[Jac3510]

A proper apologetic response would demand a lot more information from the objector/conspiracy theorist. You have a LONG way to go before discovering a highly advanced civilization with "negative confessions" covering such basic ideas as "I haven't killed anyone" to the leader of a highly sophisticated religious and legal system "stealing" a select number of those ideas (e.g., "Don't kill people") and somehow from there to concluding that God didn't tell this leader not to say that.

I mean, really, the connection is so tenuous, you really can't say much more without trying to make an argument on their behalf. And that's something that we really ought never to do -- don't do their work for them. It's way, way, way too easy to throw out some historical fact and then make a general and unsubstantiated claim that this fact somehow disproves some religious claim.

In other words, the proper response is, "So what?"

[desmondingram23]

I totally agree due to the fact that it's a issue of morality. which to me affirms moral law of a moral law giver which we know that the God of Israel is the one who created and formed that in the heart of every man. Also I find it interesting that the "negative confessions" are not trustworthy nor anything to speak of due to the very first confession "I have not sin" If sin is not in the heart of every Egyptian at that time then why even create a system like that? we see at the very heart of that system it falls flat on it's face and it crumbles. Does that make sense?

[bbyrd009]

the last 5 of the Decalogue are acknowledged to have been passed on by Hammurabi, and are even older than him, iow.

[B. W.]

Hey, I came across "the 42 laws of maat" not to long ago and obviously I don't believe Moses copied or stole the ten commandments from "the 42 laws of maat " So my question is what would be the best apologetic response to someone who believes the ten commandments were stolen?

What one forgets is that Adam and Eve - Abel, Cain, Seth, and Enosh's generations knew who God is. From the time of Cain began a slow drifting away from the knowledge of God and according the best Jewish scholars of their own ancient history these scholars come to the conclusions that during Enosh's generation (Gen 4:26) that the reason Enosh taught on the name of the Lord was that folks were straying away from knowing God, creating Idols, and began worshiping falling angels who were giving secret ways and knowledge in exchange for something. The link below sheds some light on the era of Enosh to support what I said.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_c ... -Enosh.htm

The devil and his minions indeed know scripture and twist it as proven in Luke 4:1-14. These beings will influence people to turn away from knowing who God really is and God's desire for humanity. They did so through the fall in the Garden of Eden following the human family tree ever since as Paul mentions in Rom 5:12.

This is not what is counted in such debates, that Adam and Eve once walked with God, knew Him as did the earliest family line. That came first - Not the teaching of Maat or Hammurabi's code, or even Buddha's saying. Those folks are not as old as Enosh. Adam/Eve, Seth and Enosh came way before Egyptians, Babylonians, Canaanites, Greeks, Romans, Celt's...best and noblest writings we have recorded in archaeology.

Understanding how the devil does his best to twist the truth to have folks doubt the bible and God, I find it no surprise that such arguments are popular today to say the bible borrowed from ancient paganism without considering that people strayed away from the knowledge of God to suit their own ends. Thus, the devil continues to cast doubt on God's name/character so that people justify themselves not to call upon the Name of the YHWH today.

So, I have to ask, desmondingram23, is that your intent? I hope not...

Let me say that Satan before he fell walked before God as Ez 28:12-19 mentions and understood things we do not such as that God is a God of truth. Being the God of truth he cannot lie and as such Satan did know something limited about the Lamb of God Slain Before the Foundation of the world, Rev 13:8 NKJV. It is reasonable and logical to deduce this.

Satan then did his best to thwart that by creating a false narrative for humanity to follow by idol worship and the worship of demons and fallen angels sent to mimic the truth about what and who this lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world to cast doubt on this.

Thus, by the time of Enosh or spelled as Enos in Greek text, this endeavor was in full swing. That (Enosh) epoch of human History, according to the best scholars marked the time this deception began in earnest. Genesis Chapter Six is devoted to the outcome of this falling away from God's Name and what God did to stop it.

It would be up to those presenting the case that the bible plagiarized ancient paganism, laws, customs to prove that these were not instead derived by being borrowed from God's truth he desired for humanity and then twisted away from that truth as is the nature of Satan and his minions.

Satan uses truth to turn truth against itself. He seeks to prove God a lair and thus exalt his throne above God's. He does so by pitting God's character traits, words, promises, gifts, against each other. Has God said... Has God really said... no different than the ten commandments were stolen... Hammurabi had at least 5 of the ten C's... etc and etc on and on it goes.

Like Jac said, So What...
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[bbyrd009]

i don't mean to discredit the Bible with that, just that for whatever reason, our Commandments dealing with each other predate Torah. Doesn't mean that they didn't come from God though.

[pauldupont]

The Ten Commandments and the 42 laws of Maat may share similarities, but they are also distinct in significant ways. For example, while both sets of laws prohibit theft and murder, the Ten Commandments also prohibit coveting, honoring one's parents, and worshipping other gods.
It is possible that both the Ten Commandments and the 42 laws of Maat were influenced by earlier, shared traditions. Many ancient cultures developed laws and ethical codes, and it is likely that some of these laws were similar across cultures. bluey
The Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, according to the Bible. While it is possible that the laws were influenced by earlier traditions, it is also possible that God revealed them directly to Moses.
Ultimately, it is difficult to know for certain how the Ten Commandments were developed and whether they were influenced by earlier laws.