Leviticus – Book 3 (27 chapters)
This is a handbook for the priestly traditions of the Levites. The Levites are believed to one of the 12 tribes of Israel and descended from Jacob’s son Levi.
In this book we extend the meaning of the term ‘extremism’ to include a body of needlessly harsh injunctions and taboos imposed on a people in the conduct of their normal lives.
Lev chap 1-7 lays down bizarre rules for various categories of sacrifices, of the sort one would expect from the gods of primitive tribes. The Lord is not prepared to accept just any sacrifice – it must conform to a string of conditions. These God issues though the tribal leader, Moses.
Offerings are classified as burnt, grain, fellowship and to expiate sin or guilt. We take some examples [some passages have been clipped to avoid repetition]:
(Lev 1.10-17): If it is a burnt offering from either sheep or goat, it must be a male without defect. It is to be slaughtered at the north side of the altar and the priests shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides. It is to be cut into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. The inner parts and legs must be washed with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar… its aroma is pleasing to the Lord.
If the offering is a bird, it must be a dove or young pigeon. The priest must bring it to the altar, wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. He is to remove the crop with its contents and throw it to the east side of the later where the ashes are. He shall tear it open by he wings, not severing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood on the altar… its aroma is pleasing to the Lord.
(Lev 2.2-11 For a grain offering, the priest must take a handful of fine flour and oil and “burn this on the altar… an aroma pleasing to the Lord”. The precise ritual may vary slightly, depending on whether the grain is baked in an oven, prepared on a griddle or cooked in a pan. But “every grain offering must be made without yeast or honey…”
(Lev 3.7-17) For a fellowship offering, the sheep or goat must be without defect. The priest lays his hand on the head and slaughters it in front of the ‘Tent of Meeting’, “The priest’s sons shall sprinkle its blood against all sides of the altar; the sacrifice (is to consist of) its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the spine… both kidneys with fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver…All the fat is the Lord’s. You must not eat any fat or any blood. This is lasting rule for the generations to come.”
There are similar rules laid down for sacrifices made by those who have sinned or is guilty (whether the priest himself, community leader or member or the whole community). The sins include breaking the Lord’s commands, deception, stealing, cheating, lying, swearing. The animals to be sacrificed for the sin offering are a young bull, a goat, lamb, two young doves or pigeons. In the case of theft, Lev 6.5-6 states: He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value and give it to the owner on the day he presents the guilt offering.
Lev 7.26-27 clearly stipulates: And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut of from the people.
It is worth noting that this rule is observed by the Jehovah’s Witnesses (who refuse blood transfusions) but other Christian denominations have quietly dropped this command.
It is tempting to laugh off the various injunctions as superstitious nonsense but, embarrassingly, the Book of Leviticus remains one of the sacred books for both Jews and Christians.
The Catholic Church catechism (para 121) solemnly states:
"The Old Testament is an indispensable part of Sacred Scripture. Its books are divinely inspired..."
(Lev 11.1-8)The Lord issued the following instructions to the Israelites on food:
“You may eat animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.
“The camel, coney and rabbit chew the cud but do not have a split hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. The pig has a split hoof completely divided but does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat the meat or touch the carcass.”
(Lev 11.9-33) “Of all creatures living in the seas and streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales.
“You must not eat the following birds: the eagle, vulture, red and black kites, raven, owl, gull, hawk, osprey, stork, heron, bat.
“You are to detest all flying insects that walk on all fours; but you may eat those that have jointed legs for hopping: the locust, katydid, cricket, grasshopper.
“The following animals that move on the ground are unclean for you: weasel, rat, lizard, gecko, skink, chameleon. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening. When one of them dies and falls on an article in use whether wood, cloth, hide or sack or water, will be unclean till evening.
Purification after childbirth
(Lev 12.1-5) The Lord said to Moses:
”A woman who gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for 7 days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. On the 8th day, the boy must be circumcised. Then the woman must wait 33 days to be purified… she must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary.“If she gives birth to a daughter, she will be unclean for 14 days. Then she must wait 66 days to be purified.”
We shall pass over the rules in Chapter 13 & 14 on skin diseases and mildew and move on the next chapter.
Regulations on bodily discharges
(Lev 15.5-25) “Whoever touches a man with a discharge or his bed or anything he sits on must wash his clothes and bathe with water and he will be unclean till evening.. the clay pot that the man touches must be broken and any wooden article must be rinsed with water. When his discharge has ceased, the man must wait 7 days to be cleansed; he must wash his clothes and bathe himself and on the 8th day offer two young doves to the priest.
“When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and any clothing or leather that the semen has touched. When a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, oth must bathe and they will be unclean till the evening.
“When a woman has her period, her impurity will last 7days and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. Anything she lies or sits on during her period will be unclean… If a man lies with her and her monthly flow touches him, he will be unclean for 7 days.”
No consuming blood
Lev 17 repeats the strictures on blood issued earlier in chapters 3 and 7.(Lev 17.13-14) I say to the Israelites:
“None of you not an alien among you may eat blood. When an animal or bird is hunted, you must drain out the blood and cover it with earth. You must not eat the blood of any creature because its life is in its blood. Anyone who eats it must be cut off (from the community).”
Sex Regulations
(Lev 18.6) “Do not have sexual relations with close relatives.”
(Lev 18.19-23) “Do not approach a woman during her period… Do not defile yourself by having sex with your neighbour’s wife… It is detestable to lie with a man as one lies with a woman; [so the Bible forbids gay relationships] …Do not have sex with an animal…”
Another version of the commandments [Book 2 Exodus has the more familiar 10.]
(Lev 19.11-18) “Do not lie, deceive each other, swear falsely in my name; do not defraud your neighbour, or hold back the wages of a hired hand; do not curse the deaf or block the path of the blind; do not pervert the course of justice; do not be partial to the poor or curry favour with the great; do not slander or endanger your neighbour’s life; do not hate your brother in your heart; do not seek revenge or bear a grudge but love your neighbour as yourself.”
Other assorted regulations
(Lev 19:19) “Do not mate different kinds of animals; do not plant your field with two kinds of seeds; do not wear clothing woven from two kinds of material.”
(Lev 19:20) “A man must not sleep with a slave girl promised to another man…
(Lev 19:27) “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard”
(Lev 19:29-36) “Do not turn your daughter into a prostitute… Do not turn to mediums or spiritists… the alien among you must be treated as one of your native born… Use honest measures for length, weight or quatity…”
Punishments for sins
(Lev20.9-13) “If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death… If a man commits adultery with another’s wife, both must be put to death… if a man sleeps with his mother or daughter-in-law or with another man, both must be put to death…”(Lev20.15-21) “If a man has sex with an animal, he must be put to death and the animal killed… if a man has sex with a woman during her period, both of them must be cut off from their people… If a man sleeps with his aunt or marries his sister-in-law, they will be childless…”
Rules for priests
(Lev 21.5-13) ) “Priest must not shave their heads or the edges of their beards… If a priest’s daughter becomes a prostitute, she disgraces her father and must be burned in the fire… The priest must marry a virgin, not a widow or divorced woman…
(Lev 21.18-20) “A man aspiring to be priest must have no (physical) defect – he must not be blind, lame, crippled or have an eye defect, festering sores or damaged testicles.”
The Lord’s vengeance for disobedience
(Lev 26. 14-33)
“If you will not listen and obey all these commands, then I will bring sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life… you will be defeated by your enemies and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.
“If after this you will still not listen, I will punish you seven times over. I will break your pride… your soil will not yield its crops nor the tress bear fruit… I will multiply your afflictions seven times over… I will send wild animals against you; they will take your children, destroy your cattle and reduce your numbers…
“When you withdraw into the cities, I will send a plague among you and you will turn over to your enemies… If in spite of this, you do not listen, you will eat the flesh of your children… I will destroy your high places and pile your dead bodies over your idols. I will abhor you and turn your cities into ruins… I will lay waste the land… and scatter you among the nations… As for those of you who are left, the sound of a wind-blown leaf will put them to flight…”
What are we to make of such a vengeful God or have these commands and threats been set out by a group with a political agenda and attributed to God?
We shall see.