Thus Eichrodt’s theology represents one of the most impressive attempts to understand the OT as a whole not only from a center but from the unifying concept “covenant.” It appears that the discoveries of the legal background of the Mosaic covenant as particularly stimulated by G. E. Mendenhall5 further undergird Eichrodt’s emphasis. The ensuing discussion, however, has somewhat dampened the early enthusiasm.6 Now G. Fohrer even thinks that the covenant between Yahweh and Israel played no role at