Deuteronomy, Biblical Law, Max Weber, and the Reception of the Hebrew Bible in China: A Scholarly Interview with Prof. Eckart Otto

Eckart Otto and Željko Stanojević

Eckart Otto

Professor Emeritus
Faculty of Protestant Theology
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Munich, Germany

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9066-705X

Željko Stanojević

Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature
Belgrade, Serbia

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0717-6184

Date of publication: 02 August 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21753358

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Abstract

This scholarly publication examines Professor Eckart Otto’s major contributions to the study of Deuteronomy, the literary history of the Pentateuch, biblical and ancient Near Eastern law, Max Weber’s Ancient Judaism, and the reception of the Hebrew Bible in contemporary China. In conversation with Professor Željko Stanojević, Otto explains the principal aims and conclusions of his four-volume commentary on Deuteronomy, comprising more than 2,000 pages.

Particular attention is devoted to Otto’s understanding of Deuteronomy as a focal point in the literary development of the Pentateuch. Rather than beginning with Genesis and moving forward, his research reconstructs the formation of the Pentateuch by moving from Deuteronomy back toward Genesis. The discussion also explores his attempt to correlate synchronic and diachronic interpretation and to develop a historically informed synchronic reading of biblical texts.

The publication considers the historical character of the biblical text and the relationship between the Masoretic Text, the Qumran manuscripts, ancient translations, canonization, and the literary prehistory preserved within the final form of biblical books. Otto argues that the received text contains traces of theological, political, legal, and institutional debates that developed during earlier stages of its literary formation.

A substantial section addresses the development of biblical law from older ancient Near Eastern legal traditions. Otto discusses the distinctive biblical conception of God as lawgiver, the relationship between secular and religious law in the Covenant Code, the legal example of the goring ox, and the reception and transformation of Esarhaddon’s Succession Treaty in Deuteronomy. These examples demonstrate how biblical authors adopted existing legal traditions while fundamentally transforming the relationship between religion, political authority, kingship, and law.

The publication also examines the reception of the Hebrew Bible and Max Weber in China. Otto connects contemporary Chinese debates concerning Confucianism and Legalism with questions of ethics, law, state authority, political obedience, and the voluntary acceptance of legal norms. He explains the growing interest of Chinese scholars in Jewish legal traditions, the Mishnah, the Talmud, Maimonides, Weber’s comparative sociology of religion, and the historical ability of Jewish communities to preserve religious and legal identity without an independent state.

The interview concludes with Otto’s reflections on the future of Hebrew Bible and Pentateuchal research. He identifies the correlation of synchronic and diachronic interpretation, the integration of biblical exegesis with cultural history, and the unresolved literary relationship between the Pentateuch and the books from Joshua through Kings as central questions for future scholarship.

Keywords

Eckart Otto; Željko Stanojević; Deuteronomy; Pentateuch; Hebrew Bible; Old Testament; biblical law; ancient Near Eastern law; Covenant Code; goring ox; cuneiform law; Esarhaddon’s Succession Treaty; Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon; Assyria; Yahweh as lawgiver; synchronic interpretation; diachronic interpretation; literary history; Masoretic Text; Qumran manuscripts; ancient translations; canonization; Max Weber; Ancient Judaism; sociology of religion; China; Confucianism; Legalism; Jewish law; Mishnah; Talmud; Enneateuch; Deuteronomistic History

How to Cite This Work

Otto, E. and Stanojević, Ž. (2026). Deuteronomy, Biblical Law, Max Weber, and the Reception of the Hebrew Bible in China: A Scholarly Interview with Prof. Eckart Otto. Scholarly Interviews in Hebrew, Biblical, Religious, and Jewish Studies, no. 3. Belgrade: Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21753358

Description

This open-access scholarly publication forms part of the series Scholarly Interviews in Hebrew, Biblical, Religious, and Jewish Studies, published by the Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature in cooperation with the European Hebrew Journal.

The publication presents Professor Eckart Otto’s historically, legally, theologically, and culturally informed approach to Deuteronomy, the Pentateuch, biblical law, ancient Near Eastern legal traditions, Max Weber, and the modern reception of the Hebrew Bible.

The interview was conducted online by Professor Željko Stanojević on 20 July 2026 on behalf of the Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature and the European Hebrew Journal. The transcript was edited for clarity, readability, grammatical and syntactic accuracy, terminological consistency, factual clarification, and the correction of transcription errors. Factual and terminological corrections approved by the interviewee were incorporated where necessary. The final edited version was reviewed and approved by Professor Eckart Otto.

The publication is not a research article, is not part of the numbered issues of the European Hebrew Journal, and has not undergone external peer review. It is intended as a citable academic resource for researchers and students working in Deuteronomy, Pentateuchal studies, Hebrew Bible studies, biblical law, ancient Near Eastern law, literary criticism, textual criticism, cultural history, sociology of religion, Max Weber studies, Jewish Studies, and the reception of the Hebrew Bible in China.

The discussion provides direct access to Professor Otto’s reflections on the methodology and future of Pentateuchal research. It explains why the final form of a biblical book cannot be separated from its textual and literary history and why synchronic interpretation should remain historically informed.

Otto discusses the relationship between the biblical text as it has been received and the complex literary processes that preceded its final form. The Masoretic Text, Qumran manuscripts, ancient translations, and the history of canonization are considered as parts of the broader historical development of the Hebrew Bible.

The publication also places biblical legal traditions within the legal and political world of the ancient Near East. It examines the reception of earlier legal material within the Hebrew Bible and the development of a distinctive model in which God, rather than the king, becomes the principal lawgiver.

This transformation made religious authority capable of functioning as a critical and potentially subversive voice in relation to political power. Otto identifies this development as one of the Hebrew Bible’s most important contributions to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The discussion of the Covenant Code explains how secular legal traditions and social-ethical religious demands were combined. The biblical concern for the poor, which is also expressed in prophetic texts, received the highest possible authority by being presented as divine law.

The example of the goring ox demonstrates the transmission of legal traditions from cuneiform law into Canaanite and Israelite legal culture. Material originally used in legal education and secular jurisprudence was subsequently incorporated into biblical law and attributed to divine authority.

The interview further examines Deuteronomy’s reception of Esarhaddon’s Succession Treaty. The Assyrian demand for absolute loyalty to the king and crown prince was transformed so that Yahweh, rather than the human ruler, became the object of unconditional loyalty.

The sections concerning China broaden the study beyond the original historical contexts of the Hebrew Bible. They demonstrate how Deuteronomy, Jewish law, Max Weber, Confucianism, and Legalism continue to inform contemporary discussions of ethics, state authority, voluntary obedience, social cohesion, particularism, and universalism.

Otto explains why Chinese scholars have become interested in Jewish legal tradition and in the ability of Jewish communities to preserve religious and social identity for approximately two thousand years without an independent state.

The discussion also considers the renewed Chinese interest in Max Weber’s comparative studies of religion. Weber’s analyses of Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Ancient Judaism provide a framework for examining the relationship between religion, ethics, economic behaviour, political authority, and social organisation.

Professor Otto identifies three important directions for future Hebrew Bible scholarship: a renewed understanding of Deuteronomy’s position within the Hebrew Bible, the correlation of synchronic and diachronic interpretation, and the integration of biblical exegesis with cultural and reception history.

The unresolved relationship between the Pentateuch and the books from Joshua through Kings remains an especially important research problem. Otto argues that future scholarship must reconsider the wider literary context extending from Genesis to Second Kings and investigate the theological and redactional perspectives that may have connected these texts.

Related Works

Otto, E. (2023). ‘Negative Theology as an Expression of God’s Freedom in the Torah of the Book of Deuteronomy and Wisdom Literature of the Hebrew Bible’, Verbum Vitae, 41(3), pp. 483–497. https://doi.org/10.31743/vv.16386

Otto, E. (2021). ‘The Suffering Moses in the Pentateuch and Psalms’, Old Testament Essays, 34(1), pp. 240–253. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2021/v34n1a13

Otto, E. (2017). Deuteronomium 12–34. Zweiter Teilband: 23,16–34,12. Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Alten Testament. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder.

Otto, E. (2016). Deuteronomium 12–34. Erster Teilband: 12,1–23,15. Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Alten Testament. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder.

Otto, E. (2012a). Deuteronomium 1–11. Erster Teilband: 1,1–4,43. Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Alten Testament. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder.

Otto, E. (2012b). Deuteronomium 1–11. Zweiter Teilband: 4,44–11,32. Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Alten Testament. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder.

Otto, E. (2009). Die Tora: Studien zum Pentateuch. Gesammelte Schriften. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für Altorientalische und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte 9. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

Otto, E. (2008). Altorientalische und biblische Rechtsgeschichte: Gesammelte Studien. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für Altorientalische und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte 8. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

Weber, M. (2008). Die Wirtschaftsethik der Weltreligionen. Das antike Judentum. Schriften und Reden 1911–1920. Max Weber-Studienausgabe I/21. Edited by E. Otto in collaboration with J. Offermann. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.

Achenbach, R., Arneth, M. and Otto, E. (2007). Tora in der Hebräischen Bibel: Studien zur Redaktionsgeschichte und synchronen Logik diachroner Transformationen. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für Altorientalische und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte 7. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

Otto, E. (2007). Das Gesetz des Mose: Die Literatur- und Rechtsgeschichte der Mosebücher. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft.

Weber, M. (2005a). Die Wirtschaftsethik der Weltreligionen. Das antike Judentum. Schriften und Reden 1911–1920. Max Weber-Gesamtausgabe I/21,1. Edited by E. Otto in collaboration with J. Offermann. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.

Weber, M. (2005b). Die Wirtschaftsethik der Weltreligionen. Das antike Judentum. Schriften und Reden 1911–1920. Max Weber-Gesamtausgabe I/21,2. Edited by E. Otto, M. Löbbe, M. Habersack and P. Ulmer in collaboration with J. Offermann. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.

Otto, E. (2002). Max Webers Studien des Antiken Judentums: Historische Grundlegung einer Theorie der Moderne. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.

Otto, E. (2000). Das Deuteronomium im Pentateuch und Hexateuch: Studien zur Literaturgeschichte von Pentateuch und Hexateuch im Lichte des Deuteronomiumrahmens. Forschungen zum Alten Testament 30. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.

Otto, E. (1996). Kontinuum und Proprium: Studien zur Sozial- und Rechtsgeschichte des Alten Orients und des Alten Testaments. Orientalia Biblica et Christiana 8. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

Otto, E. (1994). Theologische Ethik des Alten Testaments. Theologische Wissenschaft 3/2. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

Otto, E. (1991). Körperverletzungen in den Keilschriftrechten und im Alten Testament: Studien zum Rechtstransfer im Alten Orient. Alter Orient und Altes Testament 226. Kevelaer: Butzon & Bercker; Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag.

Otto, E. (1989). Rechtsgeschichte der Redaktionen im Kodex Ešnunna und im „Bundesbuch“: Eine redaktionsgeschichtliche und rechtsvergleichende Studie zu altbabylonischen und altisraelitischen Rechtsüberlieferungen. Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 85. Freiburg, Switzerland: Universitätsverlag; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Otto, E. (1988). Wandel der Rechtsbegründungen in der Gesellschaftsgeschichte des antiken Israel: Eine Rechtsgeschichte des „Bundesbuches“ Exodus XX 22–XXIII 13. Studia Biblica 3. Leiden: Brill.

Otto, E. (1982). ‘Hat Max Webers Religionssoziologie des antiken Judentums Bedeutung für eine Theologie des Alten Testaments?’, Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 94, pp. 187–203.

Stanojević, Ž. (2026). ‘Editorial Foreword to Volume 1, Issue 1’, European Hebrew Journal, 1(1).

Additional Keywords

Eckart Otto interview; Professor Eckart Otto; Željko Stanojević interview; Deuteronomy commentary; four-volume commentary on Deuteronomy; literary history of the Pentateuch; formation of the Pentateuch; Deuteronomy and Genesis; Deuteronomy and the Hexateuch; Pentateuchal redaction; synchronic and diachronic interpretation; historically informed synchronic interpretation; final form of the biblical text; textual history of the Hebrew Bible; Qumran and the Masoretic Text; ancient biblical translations; canonization of the Hebrew Bible; theology and literary history; political debates in biblical texts; legal debates in the Hebrew Bible; God as lawgiver; Yahweh as lawgiver; religion and political authority; religion and the state; biblical legal history; ancient Near Eastern legal traditions; cuneiform legal traditions; goring ox law; Covenant Code; secular and religious law; social ethics in the Hebrew Bible; solidarity with the poor; Amos, Micah, and Isaiah; Assyrian royal ideology; Esarhaddon’s Succession Treaty; Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon; Deuteronomy and Assyria; Manasseh and Assyria; transformation of ancient Near Eastern law; Max Weber’s Ancient Judaism; Max Weber-Gesamtausgabe; Economic Ethics of the World Religions; Protestant ethic; Weber and Confucianism; Weber and Taoism; Weber and Hinduism; Weber and Buddhism; Weber reception in China; Hebrew Bible studies in China; Jewish Studies in China; Confucianism and Legalism; Chinese political philosophy; law and ethics in China; voluntary obedience to law; Jewish legal tradition; Maimonides in China; Mishnah and Talmud; Jewish identity without a state; particularism and universalism; prophetic universalism; cultural history of the Hebrew Bible; sociology of religion; Enneateuch; Genesis to Second Kings; Pentateuch and Joshua; Pentateuch and Deuteronomistic History; future of Pentateuchal research; Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature; European Hebrew Journal; Scholarly Interviews in Hebrew, Biblical, Religious, and Jewish Studies