Literary Legal Utopias: Alexander's Visit to Kasiah and Law at the End of Days

Shulamit Almog, University of Haifa, Israel

Abstract

The paper deals with with one possible Utopian model, according to which law is an important part of the speculative Utopian Myth. This model is illustrated by using two narratives, created centuries apart. Both stories, from Hebrew sources, refer, in some detail to imaginary societies. Both suggest unseverable links between Utopia and law. They carry relevance not only to general perceptions of law as a cultural phenomenon, but also to sub-issues within the legal sphere, such as sources of legal authority and adjudication.