Willis : Hebrew Law 
27 
law, we are in a position to make some summaries, to draw 
some conclusions, and to note some comparisons with Anglo- 
American law. 
There were what might be called five periods in Hebrew his- 
tory and law. The first period roughly extended from 2000 
B.C. to 1400 B.C. ; the second, from 1400 B.C. to 750 B.C.; 
the third, from 750 B.C. to 600 B.C.; the fourth, from 600 
B.C. to the time of Jesus; and the fifth, the time of Jesus. In 
Anglo-American legal history, likewise, there have been five 
periods. To these Roscoe Pound has given the names : 
Archaic Period, Strict Period, Period of Equity, Period of 
Maturity, and Period of Socialization. In both Anglo-Amer- 
ican and Hebrew legal history the periods above named were 
preceded by a period of no law, — the period of vengeance and 
self-help. The first period in Hebrew legal history, which 
followed this period of no law, might be called the Pioneer Pe- 
riod. It corresponds to that period in Anglo-American legal 
history which Mr. Pound has called the Archaic Period. It 
was the period of the regulation of vengeance. The second 
period in Hebrew history might be called the Hebrew Dark 
Ages. It corresponds to the Strict Period in Anglo-American 
legal history. In this period vengeance ceased to be regulated 
and was supplanted by law, but Hebrew law, unlike the Eng- 
lish law, did not develop a true criminal law until a later pe- 
riod. The law in this period was characterized by formality. 
Remedies were emphasized. The third period in Hebrew his- 
tory might be called the Constitutional Period. It was the 
period when duties were given emphasis and some ameliora- 
tions were introduced into the law of the prior period. It was 
the period of the prophets. It corresponds with the period of 
equity in Anglo-American legal history, but in Hebrew history 
it did not mark such a revulsion against Strict Law as oc- 
curred in English history. In Hebrew history the pendulum 
of the law did not swing back and forth from one extreme to 
another as it has in Anglo-American history. The fourth 
period in Hebrew history might be called the Period of Re- 
construction or Maturity. It corresponds with the Period 
of Maturity in Anglo-American legal history. It is charac- 
terized somewhat by the formality of strict law. It empha- 
sizes rights. It is technical and verbose. The fifth period in 
Hebrew history is the Period of the Reforms of Jesus. This 
