Copyright 2007 by Gary E. Schnittjer

Transcription

1 If you read people passages from the divine books that are good and clear, they will hear them with great joy.... But provide someone a reading from Leviticus, and at once the listener will gag and push it away as if were some bizarre food. He came, after all, to learn how to honor God, to take in the teachings that concern justice and piety. But instead he is now hearing about the ritual of burnt sacrifices! Origen Quoted in Ephraim Radner, Leviticus as Christian Scripture, 107, in Stanley D. Walters, ed., Go Figure!: Figuration in Biblical Interpretation (Pickwick, 2008). Copyright 2007 by Gary E. Schnittjer

2 I asked him [my son] what he was reading. I m starting Leviticus, he told me one day. He was eleven at the time. I found myself saying to him, without even thinking, You might want to skim the thing you know, just a little here and there, and move on to the next book. I didn t want him discouraged so early on in his discipline, which after all, is meant to edify, not drag down into boredom. His response, however, was quick and decisive: I must read every word, he said nobly. It s the Bible! But to what end? I found myself wondering. Quoted in Ephraim Radner, Leviticus as Christian Scripture, 107, in Stanley D. Walters, ed., Go Figure!: Figuration in Biblical Interpretation (Pickwick, 2008). Copyright 2007 by Gary E. Schnittjer

3 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS Worship (1-16) A The Sacrifices (1-7) B The Consecration of the Priests (8-10) C Clean and Unclean (11-15) D Day of Atonement (16) Holiness (17-27) E Blood and Worship (17) F Regulations for People (18-20) G Regulations for Priests (21-22) H The Religious Calendar (23) I More Regulations for Priests & People (24) J Regulations for the Land (25) K Blessings and Curses (26) L Regulations for Tithes and Vows (27) Copyright 2007 by Gary E. Schnittjer

4 Framing Effects in Leviticus 1-16 Sacrifice (1-7) Consecration of the Priests (8-10) Death of Nadab and Abihu (10:1-2) Clean and Unclean (11-15) Death of Nadab and Abihu (16:1) Day of Atonement (16) (Blood [17]) Copyright 2007 by Gary E. Schnittjer

5 Framing Effects in Leviticus Worship Regulations Blood (17) Regulations concerning the People (18-20) Forbidden Relations/Molech (18) Be Holy (19) Molech/Forbidden Relations (20) Regulations for Priests (21-22) The Holy Calendar (23) Miscellaneous Regulations (priestly regulations and case law for people) (24) Sabbath Year and Jubilee Year (25) Blessings and Curses (26) Worship Regulations Vows and Tithes (Jubilee vv ) (27) Copyright 2007 by Gary E. Schnittjer

6 THE GRADUATED HOLINESS OF MOUNT SINAI AND THE DWELLING THE MOUNTAIN the Presence descended in smoke (Exod 19:9, 11, 16, 18, 20; 20:21) the summit Moses alone (19:22, 24; 24:2, 12-13, 15) partway up the priests and elders (24:1-2, 9-11) the foot of the mountain the people and the altar (24:4-5) THE DWELLING the Presence descended in smoke (Exod 40:34-35) holy of holies the highpriest alone (Lev 16) holy place the priests (Exod 28) the courtyard the people and the altar (27:1-8)

7 THREE PARTS TO ANIMAL SACRIFICE Middle (Lev 3:9-11, 14-17, etc.) holy, belongs to God, fat enclosing the innermost organs, that is, the secret seat of life (kidneys and lobe of liver); cf. Jer 17:10 (plur of hy"l.ki) The middle divides: Bottom Top head and rest of the body approachable by people and priest, in the case of well-being offering most holy, belongs to God, legs (or hind legs) reproductive organs and entrails

8 GRADUATED HOLINESS OF ANIMAL SACRIFICE IN RELATION TO MOUNT SINAI AND THE DWELLING THE MOUNTAIN THE DWELLING ANIMAL SACRIFICE the summit Moses alone partway up the priests and elders the foot of the mountain the people and the altar holy of holies the highpriest alone holy place the priests the courtyard the people and the altar entrails, intestines, reproductive organs, and legs (or hind legs), washed and placed on top middle zone of dense fat covering the kidneys and liver lobe the seat of life belonging to God head and body, access to meat as food for priests and people

9 antithesis one 5:21-26, murder/angry, see Exod 20:13 (a) Worship is predicated upon a right standing before God, see 1 Sam 15:22-23; Amos 5:10-15, 21-24; Isa 1:11-17; Mic 6:6-8; Jer 6:20-21; 7:1-15; Pss 15; 24 (b) Why is worship predicated upon a right standing in social relations? see Ps 51:1-4; Gen 39:9; Ps 51:16-19 (c) What does someone s problem with us have to do with worship? see 5:23-24; the reparation offering ( guilt offering ) in Lev 6:1ff.; Num 15:30-31; Lev 19:20-22

10 THE BEGINNING OF... THE FAILURE The Garden the fall (Gen 3) The Noahic Covenant Noah s fall (Gen 9) Post-flood Civilization The Abrahamic Covenant the tower at Babel (Gen 11) Abram left land of promise for Egypt and lied about Sarah (Gen 12) The Mosaic Covenant the golden calf (Exod 32) The Aaronic Priesthood the strange fire of Nadab and Abihu TIME AND LENGTH OF NARRATIVE ELAPSED time unspecified/first six verses after creation of human couple time enough to cultivate a vineyard and make wine/one verse time unspecified/one chapter time unspecified/ten verses within forty days/six chapter interlude time unspecified/one verse after the consecration ceremonies

11 The Progression from External to Internal in Leviticus Chapters Clean-unclean regulations regarding... things outside things that touch things from a person things on a person things that come from inside a person animals touching dead bodies childbirth skin disease discharges, male and female

12 The Classification of Animals for Yahweh Worshippers CLEAN UNCLEAN suitable for sacrifice suitable for eating holy, that is, clean and unblemished clean inedible inedible and untouchable unclean, that is, polluting to eat dead, that is, polluting to touch regardless of class

13 CLEAN- UNCLEAN referred to persons, animals, things, and places. A Comparison of Clean-Unclean, Holy-Common, and Righteous-Sinful HOLY- COMMON in the categorical sense of a set apart status, which was not lost by an unclean state, referred to persons, animals, things, places, and times. HOLY- COMMON in the relative sense of the ability to approach God in worship referred to persons. RIGHTEOUS- SINFUL can only refer to persons, that is, those who are morally responsible.

14 THE DAY OF ATONEMENT (Lev 16) A Review of the death of Nadab and Abihu (1) B Instructions for the highpriest s preparation (2-10) C Linear description of wiping away impurity from... 1 the holy of holies (11-15) 2 the holy place (16-17) 3 the courtyard (18-19) 4 the community by means of the scapegoat (20-22) D Closing rituals (23-28) E A lasting ordinance (29-34)

15 COMMANDMENT COLLECTIONS IN THE TORAH Book of the Covenant Exod Prologue 20:22-26 [20:19-23] Holiness Code Lev Torah Code Deut Commands Land Duties 23: :9-10, ; 24:19-22; 26 Sacred Calendar 23: :1-7 Bless/Curse (23:20-33)

16 From: Levine, JPS Comm: Lev

17 From: Levine, JPS Comm: Lev

18 THE CONTENTS AND FRAMING OF LEVITICUS 19 1 The command (1-2) 2 The requirements (3-36a) a concerning parents (3) b concerning idols (4) c concerning offerings (5-8) d concerning the harvest (9-10) e concerning neighbors (11-18) f concerning mixing (19) g concerning female slaves (20-22) h concerning uncircumcised fruit (23-25) i concerning pagan practices (26-28) j concerning prostitution (29) k concerning sabbath (30) l concerning spiritism (31) m concerning elders (32) n concerning aliens (33-34) o concerning honesty (35-36a) 3 The reason (36b-37)

19 LEVITICUS 19 IS DOUBLE FRAMED Outer: by the declaration of Yahweh s right to Israel s devotion, Yahweh said to Moses, Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: Be holy because I, Yahweh your God, am holy.... I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am Yahweh (19:1-2, 36b- 37). Inner: by the use of several of the Ten Commandments, namely, 5, 4, 1, and 2 in 19:3-4 and commands 4, 5, 2, and 1 in 19: Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my sabbaths. I am Yahweh your God. Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God.... Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am Yahweh. Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God. Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am Yahweh (19:3-4, 30-32)

20 LEVITICUS Restriction for Physical Deformities and Injuries Context: Lev 21:16-22:16 deals with who may perform priestly responsibilities and who may partake of donations 21:16-24 bodily defects that disqualify; 22:1-9 temporary impurity; 22:10-16 privileges relative to donations 1 The twelve blemishes that disqualify persons from priestly service (21:18-20) and animals from being a sacrifice (22:22-24) are arranged in groups of four, two, and six, and six, two, and four, blemishes, respectively See Levine, Five are directly parallel between priest and animal, with some other similarities in the roots of the like of the others, see Milgrom, 2: Four genital blemishes of the animal are listed in terms of severity, see Milgrom 2: 1879.

21 LEV 21:18-20 LEV 22:21-24 For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, [4] one who is blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, [2] or one who has a broken foot or a broken hand, [6] or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or a man with a blemish in his eyes or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. Twelve Deformities of Person and Animal that Disqualify a sacrifice of well-being must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. [6] Anything blind, or injured, or maimed, or having a discharge or an itch or scabs these you shall not offer to the Lord or put any of them on the altar as offerings by fire to the Lord. [2] An ox or a lamb that has a limb too long or too short you may present for a freewill offering; but it will not be accepted for a vow. [4] Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not offer to the Lord

22 The Graduated Judgments of Leviticus Chapter 26 verses verses verses verses Exile verses 27-39

23 Biblical Terminology for the Two Orientations of Humanity Insensitive and Disabled toward God stubborn hard heart stiff-neck rebellious uncircumcised heart (fat heart) uncircumcised ears grumble heart of stone Changed by God humble faith love confess turn (repent) circumcised heart (ears) obedience heart of flesh