This paper examines the socio-cultural context in which the biblical eye-for-an-eye-law - that can be understood as a principle of mercy - developed and was applied. Ancient Israel had already undergone the Neolithic Revolution and was grounded in the patriarchal social order that emerged from it. Male landowners held power over women, children, enslaved individuals, and animals. The principle of mercy aimed to mitigate the harsh realities of this societal structure, affecting both humans and animals. There are striking parallels between the treatment of slaves and animals, with both benefiting from legislative regulations and protections in ancient Israel. However, just as the Bible did not abolish the institution of slavery, it also did not depart from the agricultural structures that subordinated animals to human control and exploitation. The question then arises: what does the Bible have to say about our responsibility towards animals today, given that the current agro-industrial exploitation of animals represents an escalation of the structures established in the Neolithic era? Should we not strive to overcome the Neolithic order, characterized by some as the "greatest mistake in human history" (C. van Schaik/K. Michel), to make room for a new form of coexistence between human and non-human animals? The Bible also offers approaches that point towards a new order. When animals are included in the divine covenant and attributed divine holiness, as with the regulations concerning clean and unclean animals, this can provide support for biblically-minded individuals today to look beyond long-standing structures towards a promise whose fulfillment the entire creation eagerly awaits.