middle mountain regions of Palestine and grows in other Mediterranean countries as well.

Laurel leaves were used by the ancient Greeks to form wreaths, which they placed on the heads of victors in the Pythian games and also extended to those holding certain offices as a symbol of distinction. Our English words “laureate” and “baccalaureate” are derived from these practices and uses of the laurel.

LAW

Law is defined as: “1. The principles and regulations emanating from a government and applicable to a people, whether in the form of legislation or of custom and policies recognized and enforced by judicial decision. 2. Any written or positive rule, or collection of rules, prescribed under the authority of the state or nation.”—American College Dictionary.

“A divine commandment or a revelation of the Will of God; collectively, the whole body of God’s commandments or revelations; the will of God, whether expressed in Scripture, implanted in instinct, or deduced by reason.”—Webster’s New International Dictionary.

The word “law,” in the Hebrew Scriptures, is translated primarily from toh·rahʹ, related to the verb hoh·rahʹ, meaning “to direct, teach, instruct in; to point, show the way.” In some cases it is translated from dath, “law, decree.” (Dan. 6:5, 8, 15) Other words translated in the Authorized Version as “law” are mish·patʹ, “judicial decision, ordinance, judgment,” and mits·wahʹ, “commandment, ordinance, precept.” In the Greek Scriptures the word noʹmos, from the verb neʹmo, “to deal out, distribute,” is translated “law.”

Jehovah God is designated as the Source of law, the Supreme Lawgiver (Isa. 33:22), the Sovereign, delegating authority (Ps. 73:28; Jer. 50:25; Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; Rev. 6:10) and without whose permission or allowance no authority can be exercised. (Rom. 13:1; Dan. 4:35; Acts 17:24-31) His throne is established on righteousness and judgment. (Ps. 97:1, 2) The stated will of God becomes law to his creatures.

LAW TO ANGELS

Angels, higher than man, are subject to the law and commandments of God. (Heb. 1:7, 14; Ps. 104:4) Jehovah even commanded and restricted his adversary Satan. (Job 1:12; 2:6) Michael the archangel recognized and respected Jehovah’s position as Supreme Judge when he said, in dispute with the Devil: “May Jehovah rebuke you,” (Jude 9; compare Zechariah 3:2.) The glorified Jesus Christ is shown as having all the angels placed under his authority by Jehovah God. (Heb. 1:6; 1 Pet. 3:22; Matt. 13:41; 25:31; Phil. 2:9-11) An angelic messenger was sent by Jesus’ command to John. (Rev. 1:1) At 1 Corinthians 6:3 the apostle Paul speaks of the spiritual brothers of Christ as designated to judge angels.

LAW OF DIVINE CREATION (sometimes called “law of nature”)

One of the definitions of law given in Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second Edition, is “the observed regularity in nature.” As Creator of all things in heaven and earth (Acts 4:24; Rev. 4:11), Jehovah has established laws governing all created things. Job 38:10 speaks of a “regulation” on the sea; 38:12, of ‘commanding the morning’; and 38:31-33 calls attention to star constellations and to “the statutes of the heavens.” The same chapter points to God as governing the light, snow, hail, clouds, rain, dew and lightning. Continuing to chapters 39-41, God’s care for the animal kingdom is shown and the birth, life cycles and habits of animals are attributed to regulations laid down by God, not to any evolutionary “adaptation.” In fact, in the very creating of life forms God incorporated the law that each was to bring forth “according to its kind,” making evolution impossible. (Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25) Man also brought forth sons “in his likeness, in his image.” (Gen. 5:3) At Psalm 139:13-16 the embryonic growth of a child in the womb is spoken of, its parts being written down “in [Jehovah’s] book” before any of them actually existed. Job 26:7 describes Jehovah as “hanging the earth upon nothing.” Scientists today attribute the earth’s position in space primarily to the interaction of the law of gravity and the law of centrifugal force.

LAW TO ADAM.

In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were commanded by God as to their duties (1) to fill the earth, (2) to subdue it, (3) to have in subjection all other living creatures of earth, sea and air. (Gen. 1:28) They were given laws as to their diet, granting them the seed-bearing vegetation and fruit as food. (Gen. 1:29; 2:16) However, Adam was given a command that prohibited eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad (Gen. 2:17); this was transmitted to Eve. (Gen. 3:2, 3) Adam is presented as a transgressor and a trespasser because he violated a stated law.—Rom. 5:14, 17; 4:15.

LAWS TO NOAH, AND PATRIARCHAL LAW

Noah was given commandments relative to the building of the ark and the saving of his family. (Gen. 6:22) After the Flood he was given laws allowing flesh to be added to man’s diet; declaring sacredness of life and, therefore, of blood, in which is the life; prohibiting the eating of blood; condemning murder and instituting capital punishment for this crime.—Gen. 9:3-6.

The patriarch was a family head and ruler. Jehovah is designated as the great Family Head or Patriarch, “the Father, to whom every family in heaven and on earth owes its name.” (Eph. 3:14, 15) Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are outstanding examples of patriarchs. These were especially dealt with by Jehovah. Abraham was given the command to circumcise all the males of his household as a sign of God’s covenant with him. (Gen. 17:11, 12) He observed Jehovah’s “commands,” “statutes” and “laws.” He knew Jehovah’s way to do righteousness and judgment and laid these commands on his household.—Gen. 26:4, 5; 18:19.

The laws that governed the patriarchs were also generally understood and partially reflected in the laws of the nations at that time, all of which nations sprang from the three sons of Noah, the patriarch. For example, the Pharaoh of Egypt knew that it was wrong to take another man’s wife (Gen. 12:14-20), as did the kings of the Philistines in the cases of Sarah and Rebekah.—Gen. 20:2-6; 26:7-11.

In the days of Moses the Israelites were in slavery to Egypt. They had voluntarily come into Egypt during Jacob’s lifetime, but were enslaved after Jacob’s son, the prime minister Joseph, had died. So, in effect, they were ‘sold’ into slavery for nothing. Jehovah, in harmony with the patriarchal law of redemption and of the priority of the firstborn son, told Pharaoh, by the mouth of Moses and Aaron: “Israel is my son, my first-born. And I say to you: Send my son away that he may serve me. But should you refuse to send him away, here I am killing your son, your first-born.” (Ex. 4:22, 23) No redemption price was necessary for this release, nor was any given to Egypt. And when the Israelites left their slave masters, the Egyptians, “Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that these granted what was asked; and they stripped the Egyptians.” (Ex. 3:21; 12:36) They had entered the land with the approval of the Pharaoh and as free people, not as captives of war to be enslaved. The enslavement had been unjust, so evidently Jehovah was seeing to it that they were now given wages for their labor.

The family was held responsible for violations of law by individual members. The patriarchal head was the responsible representative, blamed for wrongs