Právněhistorické studie / Legal History Studies (Charles University journal; below referred to as PHS or Journal) is a scientific journal listed in the international prestigious database SCOPUS. The journal is published by Charles University in Prague under the guarantee of the Department of Legal History of the Faculty of Law of Charles University. It is published by the Karolinum Press. The journal focuses on the field of legal history and related topics.
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PRÁVNĚHISTORICKÉ STUDIE, Vol 55 No 3 (2025), 55–69
ArticleZmluvy s bohmi: zmluva ako základ vzťahu medzi človekom a božstvom
[Pacts with the Gods: The Pact as the Basis of the Relationship Between Man and Deity]
Valéria Terézia Dančiaková
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/2464689X.2025.33
published online: 10. 12. 2025
abstract
Contract as a base for the relationship between a man and a god in the ancient world is a well-known principle, especially at the centre of Christian theology. However, the concept of a cult as a contract can also be seen in the cultic practices of ancient Rome, which are often portrayed as contradictory to biblical understanding of the concept. Here we would like to introduce the contractual character of the Roma cult as secured by the state to ensure pax deorum, following the treatment of biblical terms for contracts, namely, Hebrew תיִרְּב (berít) and Greek διαθήκη, along with the textual context of their use. In the last part, we would like to introduce terms πίστις and ομολογώ used in biblical texts in a religious sense as legal terms that are employed in legal ancient sources. The aim is to promote an interdisciplinary discussion on biblical texts, enhancing the possible link between law and cult, and leading to a reinterpretation of these texts within this framework.
keywords: contract; cult; Bible; Roman law
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Zmluvy s bohmi: zmluva ako základ vzťahu medzi človekom a božstvom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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ISSN: 0079-4929
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