Leviticus

Leviticus, book of

Leviticus, book of The third book in the OT; the name (from the Latin Vulgate) is due to its principal theme: the staff who served the Temple, descendants of Levi. It is a post-exilic compilation of about 500 BCE which incorporates the Holiness Code (chs. 17–26), which comes from an earlier date, and legal practices from the monarchical centuries (before the Exile). Lev. is a priestly work and the intention of the compilation was to provide a kind of blueprint for the new age of the Return from Exile. Laws were represented as the legacy of Moses (Lev. 16: 34), and the nation's sufferings were given a theological explanation as being punishment from God for failing to heed the covenant of Sinai (Lev. 26: 44–5), as prophets had warned. The important task at the time of the editors was to go on repeating the ancient laws to ensure the Jews' survival in the future; the Sabbath (Lev. 23: 3) and ceremonial purity (Lev. 11–15) are prescribed as giving distinctive customs to mark off Jews from the rest. Sacrifices were to be renewed as in the past (Lev. 4: 1–6: 7); these the Christian Church was to regard as superseded by the one sacrifice of Christ (Heb. 7: 11). Although the book Lev. is dominated by ritual prescriptions, these are combined with moral insights (Lev. 19: 17, 34) which express a message of equality that marks out Israelite society.

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W. R. F. BROWNING. "Leviticus, book of." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

W. R. F. BROWNING. "Leviticus, book of." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Leviticusbookof.html

W. R. F. BROWNING. "Leviticus, book of." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Leviticusbookof.html

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Leviticus

Leviticus , book of the Bible, 3d of the five books of the Law (the Pentateuch or Torah) ascribed by tradition to Moses. It is in essence a collection of liturgical legislation with special reference to regulations for the levitical priests, introduced in the canonical sequence immediately after the institution of public worship at the end of Exodus. All of Leviticus is ascribed to the so-called Priestly Source (P) of the Pentateuch. There are laws on various types of sacrifice; on the installation of the priests; on purity and impurity, including the dietary law. Also included are regulations on the jubilee year and on vows, as well as ritual and ethical codes—often termed the "Holiness Code" —not contained in Exodus. The only narrative incident of the book is the destruction of Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu. Leviticus probably reached its final canonical shape by about the year 400 BC The later religious establishment of the post-exilic Temple is read back into the Mosaic era. The book makes the point that God's demands extend into every facet of the life of the Israelites. He has graciously consented to dwell amongst his people and has provided the levitical priests as mediators.

Bibliography: See J. Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16 (1991).

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"Leviticus." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Leviticus." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Leviticu.html

"Leviticus." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Leviticu.html

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Leviticus

Leviticus. The third book of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. The Eng. title follows the Gk. and Lat. versions, the Heb. title Vayyiqra (‘and he called’) being the first word of the text. The book is essentially a manual for priests (the tannaim called it Torat Kohanim, ‘Guidance for Priests’). In Judaism, Leviticus is, traditionally, the first book to be taught to school-children (Lev. R. 7. 3).

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JOHN BOWKER. "Leviticus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Leviticus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Leviticus.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Leviticus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Leviticus.html

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Leviticus

Leviticus the third book of the Bible, containing details of law and ritual; in Judaism, the Levitical rules concerning conduct and temple rituals are derived from this book. The Levitical degrees are the degrees of consanguinity within which marriage is forbidden in Leviticus 18:6–18.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Leviticus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Leviticus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Leviticus.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Leviticus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Leviticus.html

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Leviticus, Book of

Leviticus, Book of. This OT Book consists almost wholly of legislation. Chapters 17–26 form a well-defined unity known as the ‘Holiness Code (q.v.). The rest of the Book is not earlier than the 6th cent. BC.

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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Leviticus, Book of." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Leviticus, Book of." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-LeviticusBookof.html

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Leviticus, Book of." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-LeviticusBookof.html

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Leviticus

Leviticus Third book of the Pentateuch or Torah. It is primarily a manual for the instruction of priests.

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"Leviticus." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Leviticus." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Leviticus.html

"Leviticus." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Leviticus.html

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Leviticus

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"Leviticus." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Leviticus." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Leviticus.html

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