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Deuteronomy 6:4–5, known as “the Shema,” reflects the covenantal language of the ancient Near East, where loyalty and devotion were pledged to a sovereign as part of treaty obligations. This covenantal declaration became central in Jewish prayer and identity, and it continued to be echoed and reinterpreted in both Jewish and Christian literature.
Note: Dates shown in this timeline are approximate and based on scholarly estimates.
Back to Tag672 BCE
The Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon §24
Ancient Near East
259 You shall not give Assurbanipal, the great crown prince designate, son of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, your lord, a deadly drug to eat or to drink, nor anoint him with it, nor practice witchcraft against him, nor make gods and goddesses angry with him. 266 You shall love Assurbanipal, the great crown prince designate, son of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, your lord, like yourselves. 269 You shall not slander his brothers, his mother's sons, before Assurbanipal, the great crown prince designate, nor speak anything evil about them, nor lift your hands against their houses or commit a crime against them, nor take anything away from the gift which their father has given them, or the acquisitions which they themselves have made.
750–400 BCE
Deuteronomy 6:4
Hebrew Bible
2 and that you may so revere the Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments that I am giving you—you, your children, and your grandchildren—all your lives, to prolong your days. 3 Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to do this so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in number—as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to you, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey. 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. 6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind,
750–400 BCE
Deuteronomy 6:5
Hebrew Bible
3 Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to do this so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in number—as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to you, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey. 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. 6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7 and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.
600–501 BCE
2 Kings 23:25
Hebrew Bible
23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, such a Passover of the Lord was observed in Jerusalem. 24 Josiah also got rid of the ritual pits used to conjure up spirits, the magicians, personal idols, disgusting images, and all the detestable idols that had appeared in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. In this way he carried out the terms of the law recorded on the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the Lord’s temple. 25 No king before or after repented before the Lord as he did, with his whole heart, soul, and being in accordance with the whole law of Moses. 26 Yet the Lord’s great anger against Judah did not subside; he was still infuriated by all the things Manasseh had done. 27 The Lord announced, “I will also spurn Judah, just as I spurned Israel. I will reject this city that I chose—both Jerusalem and the temple, about which I said, ‘I will live there.’”
225–175 BCE
Tobit 1:12
Deuterocanon
10 After the carrying away captive to Assyria when I was carried away captive, I came to Nineveh, and all my kindred and those that were of my kindred did eat of the bread of the Gentiles. 11 But I kept myself from eating of the bread of the Gentiles; 12 and, when I remembered my God with all my soul, the 13 Most High gave me grace and favour in the sight of Shalmaneser and used to buy for him all things for his use, 14 and go into Media and buy for him from there, until he died. And I left purses in trust with Gabael the brother of Gabri in the land of Media, ten talents of silver.
225–175 BCE
Tobit 2:2
Deuterocanon
2 And the table was set for me, and abundant food was set for me, and I said to Tobias my son, Go, my boy, and whatever poor man you shall find of our kindred of the Ninevite captives, who is mindful of God with his whole heart, bring him and he shall eat together with me; and lo, I wait for you, my boy, until you come. 3 And Tobias went to seek some poor man of our kindred and returned and said, Father. And I said to him, Here am I, my child. And he answered and said, Father, behold, one of our nation has been murdered and cast out in the marketplace, and he has but now been strangled.
225–175 BCE
Tobit 13:6
Deuterocanon
5 He will chastise you for your iniquities, And will show mercy to you all. 6 When you turn to him out of all the nations Wherever you shall be scattered, With your whole heart and with your whole soul, to do truth before him, Then he will turn to you, and will no longer hide his face from you. And now see what he has done with you, And give him thanks with your whole mouth, And bless the Lord of righteousness, And exalt the everlasting King. I, in the land of my captivity, give him thanks, And show his strength and majesty to nations of sinners.) Turn, you sinners, and do righteousness before him. Who can tell if he will accept you and have mercy on you?
225–175 BCE
Tobit 14:7
Deuterocanon
6 And all the nations which are in the whole earth, all shall turn and fear God truly, and all shall leave their idols, who err after their false error. 7 And they shall bless the everlasting God in righteousness. All the children of Israel that are delivered in those days, remembering God in truth, shall be gathered together and come to Jerusalem and shall dwell for ever in the land of Abraham with security, and it shall be given over to them; and they that love God in truth shall rejoice, and they that do sin and unrighteousness shall cease from all the earth. 8 And now, children, I charge you, serve God in truth and do what is pleasing in his sight; and upon your children it shall be enjoined to do alms, and that they be mindful of God and bless his name at every season in truth and with all their strength.
195–180 BCE
Sirach 7:29
Deuterocanon
27 Honor your father with your whole heart, and don’t forget the birth pangs of your mother. 28 Remember that you were born of them. What will you repay them for the things that they have done for you? 29 Fear the Lord with all your soul; and revere his priests. 30 With all your strength love him who made you. Don’t forsake his ministers. 31 Fear the Lord and honor the priest. Give him his portion, even as it is commanded you: the first fruits, the trespass offering, the gift of the shoulders, the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first fruits of holy things.
55–57 CE
1 Corinthians 8:6
New Testament
4 With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that “an idol in this world is nothing,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 If after all there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we live, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live. 7 But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled. 8 Now food will not bring us close to God. We are no worse if we do not eat and no better if we do.