On the other hand, Dr. Robert Gnuse, professor in the Religious Studies Department at Loyola University, says that historically, the rules on food and clothing found in the Book of Leviticus were meant exclusively for priests, just like the laws in the Hindu Code of Manu Smriti for Brahmin priests. That is, until the period of the Babylonian captivity. Someone from the priestly class in Babylon found a way to encourage the Jewish people living in exile to take on these laws in order to keep them together as a community, Gnuse theorizes.
This is also the view Mary Douglas took in her earlier works. Keeping these customs would have given the Jewish people a unique identity that separated them from the non-Jews they were living among in Babylon, Gnuse explains. Elizabeth Sloane May. Get email notification for articles from Elizabeth Sloane Follow.
The majority of critical scholars place the writing of Leviticus in the postexilic era c. This view is improbable, however, because the content of Leviticus does not fit such a late period: the worship of the second temple differed significantly from that enjoined in Leviticus, and Leviticus is presupposed or quoted by earlier books such as Deuteronomy, Amos, and, most obviously, Ezekiel.
Other arguments against the origin of Leviticus in Moses' time are also unconvincing. No book in the Old Testament presents a greater challenge to the modern reader than Leviticus, and imagination is required to picture the ceremonies and rites that form the bulk of the book.
However, it is important to try to understand the rituals in Leviticus for two reasons. First, rituals enshrine, express, and teach those values and ideas that a society holds most dear. By analyzing the ceremonies described in Leviticus, we can learn about what was most important to the Old Testament Israelites. Second, these same ideas are foundational for the New Testament writers. Particularly the concepts of sin, sacrifice, and atonement found in Leviticus are used in the New Testament to interpret the death of Christ.
The God of Leviticus, whose essential character is shown to be holy life, is shown in the Gospels to be present in Christ and His redemptive work. Precisely because the rituals of Leviticus are so central to Old Testament thinking, they are often obscure to us, because the writers did not need to explain them to their contemporaries. Every Israelite knew why a particular sacrifice was offered on a specific occasion and what a certain gesture meant.
For ourselves, every hint in the text must be grasped to understand these things, and a judicious reading between the lines is sometimes required. Leviticus is part of the covenant law given at Sinai. The ideas that inform the whole Sinaitic covenant, including God's sovereign grace in choosing Israel and His moral demands, are also presupposed here.
Certain themes are especially prominent in Leviticus. First, God is present with His people. Second, because God is holy, His people must also be holy Lev. Since man is sinful, he cannot dwell with the holy God. Contact between the sinner and the divine holiness may result in death.
Not a lot of story happens in Leviticus. The people stay camped at Mount Sinai throughout the book. God spells out His expectations for His priests and people so that the congregation can appropriately worship and dwell with Him. Parts of the Levitical law are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, such as distinctions between clean and unclean foods Mark —19 , but the call to holiness still stands—Peter even cites Leviticus when he encourages us to be holy in all our behavior 1 Peter — The whole Torah is a carefully, intentionally edited work.
Moses is traditionally credited as the human author of the Old-Testament book of Leviticus. This is because Leviticus is part of the Torah, which is known as the Law of Moses. However, Moses is the main human character in these books, and since Moses is the one receiving directives from God, the books are usually attributed to him. You can learn more about the traditional authors of the Bible here.
Key themes in Leviticus I like to find a passage in each book of the Bible that sums up what that book is all about. Zooming out: Leviticus in context Leviticus is right in the middle of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Learn more. Who Was Herod? This site uses cookies to analyze traffic and ensure you get the best experience. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website.
Leviticus 18—22 The Lord commands Israel to be holy. He gives laws that will help the people be sexually clean and avoid unholy practices. He also commands the priests to be holy and gives them specific laws that will help them remain ritually undefiled. Leviticus 23—27 The Lord establishes holy days and feasts for Israel to observe. The laws of the camp of Israel are set forth, directing that all people be treated fairly and justly and that proper restitution be given to injured parties.
The Lord establishes the Sabbath year and the year of jubilee.
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