expression of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. The function of a sacrificial system in the context of a covenantal relationship is another unique feature of the Israelite system in the ancient world. While in the pagan world the sacrifices were something the gods needed, in Israel the sacrifices were something the people needed. This is especially borne out by the uniqueness of the atonement offerings among the Israelites. Although some general analogies have been proposed, pagan sacrifices