Leviticus as LiteratureThis first full-scale account of Leviticus by a world renowned anthropologist presents the biblical work as a literary masterpiece. Seen in an anthropological perspective Leviticus has a mystical structure which plots the book into three parts corresponding to the three parts of the desert tabernacle, both corresponding to the parts of Mount Sinai. This completely new reading transforms the interpretation of the purity laws. The pig and other forbidden animals are not abhorrent, they command the same respect due to all God's creatures. Boldly challenging several traditions of Bible criticism, Mary Douglas claims that Leviticus is not the narrow doctrine of a crabbed professional priesthood but a powerful intellectual statement about a religion which emphasizes God's justice and compassion. |
Contents
Two Styles of Thought | 13 |
Two Styles of Writing | 41 |
Mountain Tabernacle Body in Leviticus 17 | 66 |
The Totally Reformed Religion | 87 |
Oracles Support Divine Justice | 109 |
Land Animals Pure and Impure | 134 |
Other Living Beings | 152 |
Atonement for Sick Bodies | 176 |
The Two Screens | 195 |
Inside the HouseBook of God | 218 |
Inside the Holy of Holies | 241 |
References | 253 |
| 265 | |
| 271 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aaron abominable altar analogies ancient atonement Bible biblical birds blood body bring burnt offering carcass chapter clean commanded consecrated context covenant creatures cult cursed dead death defilement demons Deut Deuteronomy divination doctrine earth Egypt entrails example Exod Exodus explain fertility fire forbidden Genesis gives goat God's guilt offering Hebrew Herodotus holy holy of holies honour human idea impurity interpretation Israel Jacob Milgrom Jerusalem John Sawyer justice killing kind land animals leprosy Levine Levitical Leviticus writer literary living logic Lord meaning meat microcosm Milgrom Moses Mount Sinai narrative Numbers oracle outer court parallel Pentateuch person Phinehas priests principle protect punishment religion rite ritual rules sacrifice sanctuary says shrine sins skin slaughter social story structure style suet suet fat swarming tabernacle teaching teeming temple tent of meeting things thought tion tradition translated Ugaritic unclean unclean animals University Press Urim and Thummim word