LEVITICUS

Lester L. Grabbe

Sheffield Academic Press

Copyright © 1993, 1997 Sheffield Academic Press

Published by Sheffield Academic Press Ltd
Mansion House
19 Kingfield Road
Sheffield S11 19AS
England

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 1-85075-440-3

Contents

Abbreviations

Select List of Commentaries

1. Introduction

Leviticus and the ‘Priestly Source’

Growth of Leviticus

New Approaches and Methods

Structure and Contents

Relationship of Leviticus to the Actual Temple Cult

Law in Israel and the Ancient Near East

2. The Sacrificial System

Main Types of Sacrifice in Leviticus

Interpreting the Israelite Sacrificial System

Towards a General Theory of Sacrifice

3. Clean and Unclean, Purity and Pollution

The Leviticus Account

Rationale for Purity Laws

Insights from Anthropology

Summary

4. Priests and Levites

The Sanctuary

The Concept of the Holy

Priestly Duties

Priestly Dues

Levites

Anointing and Consecration of the Priests

The Deaths of Nadab and Abihu

Priestly Theology

5. ‘You shall be Holy as I am Holy’: The Holiness Code

Leviticus 17:1–16: The Shedding of Blood and its Treatment

Leviticus 18:1–30: Forbidden Sexual Relations

Leviticus 19:1–20:27: Miscellaneous Laws

Leviticus 21:1–24: Laws on the Priesthood

Leviticus 22:1–33: Regulations about the Sacred Gifts

Leviticus 23:1–44: The Festivals

Leviticus 24:1–9: Lampstand and Bread of Presence

Leviticus 24:10–23: Blasphemy

Leviticus 25:1–55: The Sabbatical and Jubilee Years

Leviticus 26:1–46: Concluding Blessings and Cursings

Leviticus 27:1–34: An Appendix on Vows and Tithes

6. Sacred Time: The Cultic Calendar

The Calendar

The Sabbath

The Annual Festivals

Sabbatical Year and Jubilee

Other Festivals?

7. The Continuing Relevance of Leviticus

Index of Authors

Abbreviations

AB Anchor Bible

AnBib Analecta biblica

BA Biblical Archaeologist

BBB Bonner biblische Beiträge

BJS Braun Judaic Studies Bib Biblica

BKAT Biblischer Kommentar: Altes Testament

CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly

E—I Eretz Israel

FRLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments

HAT Handbuch zum Alten Testament

HSM Harvard Semitic Monographs

HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual

IDBSup Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Supplementary Volume

JBL Journal of Biblical Literature

JCS Journal of Cuneiform Studies

JNES Journal of Near Eastern Studies

JQR Jewish Quarterly Review

JSJ Journal for the Study of Judaism

JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

LCL Loeb Classical Library

NICOT New International Commentary on the Old Testament

OTL Old Testament Library

OTS Oudtestamentische Studiën

RB Revue biblique

SBL Society of Biblical Literature

SC Sources Chrétiennes

SJLA Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity

VT Vetus Testamentun

VTSup Vetus Testamentum, Supplements

WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament

ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft