In the book of Leviticus, impurity was one of the main topics throughout the book. Lemos states that, “, the book of Leviticus has served as a theological battleground for scholars of varying religious persuasions” (Lemos). The book of Leviticus offers some insight into what being holy really means. Throughout Leviticus, Israel stayed around the area of Mount Sinai while God appears in the Tent of Meeting. From there God dictated to Moses his specifications regarding the Jewish ceremonial laws which involved a large amount of impurity laws and rules. It explains that it requires constant action on the part of Israel and the Israelites. Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible and the 3rd out of five books of the Torah. According to the
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It also gives a good background on the Lord's command to Moses that he blessed the tabernacle and priesthood. Mary Douglas states, “Those species are unclean which are imperfect members of their class, or whose class itself confounds the general scheme of the world” (Douglas). Douglas sees the purity laws in a different way that a comprehensive system where one's body is engraved with ideas about the society and the world one lives in. The Israelites live in a world that is much different then ours and followed God truer than people do today. If God told them to say “pure”, then there is a much higher chance that would happen then and in today’s society and world that we live in. The emphasis on physical purity and impurity is very tricky to understand in the Old Testament. In a sort of way, it shows that God created himself to guide Israel and the Israelites by occupying the tabernacle. This is where God shows his “physical presence”. This was precisely the focus of the priestly laws and rules and the main focus point of how the Book of Leviticus. The physical purity laws connect to the physical "presence” of God in the tabernacle and he God spoke to the
It also gives a good background on the Lord's command to Moses that he blessed the tabernacle and priesthood. Mary Douglas states, “Those species are unclean which are imperfect members of their class, or whose class itself confounds the general scheme of the world” (Douglas). Douglas sees the purity laws in a different way that a comprehensive system where one's body is engraved with ideas about the society and the world one lives in. The Israelites live in a world that is much different then ours and followed God truer than people do today. If God told them to say “pure”, then there is a much higher chance that would happen then and in today’s society and world that we live in. The emphasis on physical purity and impurity is very tricky to understand in the Old Testament. In a sort of way, it shows that God created himself to guide Israel and the Israelites by occupying the tabernacle. This is where God shows his “physical presence”. This was precisely the focus of the priestly laws and rules and the main focus point of how the Book of Leviticus. The physical purity laws connect to the physical "presence” of God in the tabernacle and he God spoke to the