ABSTRACT
Gradually the focus comes to Europe as far as International Relations (IR) is concerned, which reveals well-known milestones such as the symbolic but largely mythological Peace of Westphalia of 1648. In the Biblical tradition, the Old Testament represents a literature rich in political insights. The international relations of the children of Israel rested upon deep philosophical and religious foundations. The French philosopher Jean Bodin considered sovereignty to be a central concept in this field, which was characterised by unlimited power over citizens and subjects, unrestrained by law. In parallel, with Italy’s ‘anarchical society,’ to borrow Hedley Bull’s title, the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries witnessed early manifestations of international law as a discipline. Even though international law may be considered the ‘root discipline’ of IR, none of these savants of the law gave much time to concocting peace plans.
