(Leviticus 21:1 - 22:33)
Jehovah told Moses to give the following instructions to the priests: "A priest must not make himself ritually impure by touching the dead body of a relative. Exceptions are made for family members, a father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or a spinster sister whom he supports because she has no husband. However, he should not make himself ritually impure on account of someone who is only a relative by marriage.
"Priests should not shave their heads, shape the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their flesh. They must set themselves apart as holy for their god and not profane his name. They are the ones who make the sacrifices of food to Jehovah, sustenance for their god, and they, therefore, must remain holy.
"Because they are holy to their god, priests must not marry a woman who has defiled herself by being sexually promiscuous or who has been divorced from her husband. Treat the priests as holy because they furnish the food for your god. Consider them holy, for I, Jehovah am holy. It is I who makes you holy. If the daughter of a priest defiles herself by being promiscuous, she has defiled her father's holiness and should be burned to death.
"The High Priest, the leader among his fellow priests, the one who has had the anointing oil poured over his head and who has been consecrated to don the sacred vestments, must not, during mourning, leave his hair disheveled or wear tattered clothing. He should not make himself ritually impure by attending to a dead body, even if it be that of his mother or father. He should not leave the Tabernacle compound for this purpose (and, therefore, defile it), for he has been made holy by the anointing oil of his god. Thus says Jehovah.
“The High Priest may marry only a virgin and never a woman who has been widowed or divorced, or one who has defiled herself by being promiscuous. The virgin he marries should be from his own tribe, so that his offspring will not be disrespected by it. Thus says Jehovah, who has sanctified him."
Jehovah also instructed Moses to tell Aaron, "None of your successors down through the generations may present food sacrifices to Jehovah if he has any kind of defect. No one who has a defect should approach the altar, that is, someone who is blind or lame, who has a disfigured face or a deformed limb, a broken arm or leg, who is a hunchback or a dwarf, who has an eye disease, skin sores or scabs, or has damaged testicles. No successor of Aaron the priest who is to present food offerings to Jehovah should have any defect. If he has a defect, then he must not come near the food offerings to his god. He may, however, eat the sacrificed food, even the most holy offerings. Yet, because of his defect, he may not enter the Inner Sanctum or approach the altar, for that would profane my holy places. Thus says Jehovah, who makes them holy."
Moses conveyed these instructions to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel.
Jehovah also told Moses to instruct Aaron and his sons, "Take care in handling the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me so as not to profane my holy name. Thus says Jehovah.
“Tell them that if any of your successors down through the generations touches these sacred offerings that the Israelites have consecrated to me while he is ritually impure, that person should be removed from the priesthood. Thus says Jehovah. None of Aaron' successors who is infected with tzaraath or has any bodily discharge that renders him ritually impure should eat of the sacred offerings until he has been declared ritually pure. Also, if he becomes ritually impure by touching a dead body or by having an emission of semen, or by touching bugs or vermin that might make him impure, or by being exposed to a person who has, for any reason, become ritually impure, then that person will be ritually impure until evening. He may not eat from the sacred offering until he has taken a bath. After sunset he will be ritually pure again and may eat from the sacred offerings, for this is his food. But he must not eat anything that has been found dead or has been killed by wild animals, and so become ritually impure because of it. Thus says Jehovah.
"The priests are to officiate in such a way that they do not violate my instructions. They will be killed if they are guilty of treating them with contempt. Thus says Jehovah, who has made them holy.
"No one not belonging to the priest's family may partake of the sacred offerings. Even guests or hired workers in the priest's household may not do so. However, slaves purchased by the priest or slaves born in the priest's household may eat his food. If the daughter of a priest marries someone other than a priest then she may no longer eat from the sacred offerings. But if she becomes a widow or is divorced and has no son to support her and returns to live in her father's home as she did when she was young, then she may eat her father's food again. Otherwise, no one outside the priest's household is allowed to eat it.
"If a man unintentional eats a sacred offering, he must make restitution to the priests for it, plus an additional 20%. The priests should not allow the sacred offerings presented to Jehovah by the people of Israel to be defiled by being eaten by unauthorized persons, bringing guilt upon them and requiring them to pay compensation. Thus says Jehovah, who makes them holy."
Jehovah told Moses to speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites and toinstruct them, "If any of you, whether an Israelite or a resident alien, makes a sacrifice of a burnt offering to Jehovah, either to fulfill a vow or voluntarily, to be accepted the sacrifice must be of a male animal without defect, a bull, a ram, or a billy goat. Don't offer an animal that has any defect, because it won't be accepted on your behalf. When anyone brings from the herd or the flock a peace offering, whether to fulfill a vow or voluntarily, the animal offered for sacrifice must be perfect; it must have no defect of any kind. You must not offer an animal that is blind, crippled, or injured, or which has warts, sores, or scabs. Such animal must never be offered as a burnt sacrifice to Jehovah. You may, however, as a voluntary offering, present cattle or sheep that are deformed or stunted, but not in fulfillment of a vow. If an animal has been castrated or has damaged testicles, you should not offer it to Jehovah. You must never do this in your own country and you must not accept such animals from a foreigner to offer as a sacrifice to your god. Such animals will not be accepted on your behalf, since they are defective and deformed."
Jehovah told Moses, "When a calf, a lamb, or a kid is born it should remain with its mother for seven days. By the eighth day it will acceptable as a food sacrifice for Jehovah. However, whether it be an animal from the herd or the flock, an animal and its mother should not be slaughtered on the same day.
"When you make a thanksgiving offering to Jehovah, be sure that the sacrifice is properly conducted so that it will accepted on your behalf. You must eat all of it on the day it is made and not leave any till morning. Thus says Jehovah.
"Honor all my commandments and follow them. Do not profane my holy name so that I may be regarded as holy among the Israelites. I am the god that makes you holy. I brought you out of Egypt so that I might be your god. Thus says Jehovah.
Notes
1. This excerpt from the priest's rule book is illuminating in several ways. Firstly, there is a reiteration of the concepts of ritually purity which were, one would have thought, already exhaustively elucidated. The High Priest must observe higher standards than the ordinary priest, that is, he must never allow himself to become ritually pure. For instance, unlike a common priest, he is forbidden to attend the dead body of his father, because to do so would made him ritually impure.
2. Illness and injury, defect and deformity not only subtract from the worthiness or ritual purity of a priest they render an animal ineligible for sacrifice in most cases. While it is understandable that Jehovah wants the best and that his people should want to give him the best, there is a suggestion here that physical imperfection is connected to or caused by moral failings. The impression is given that in Hebrew society the disabled were looked upon with disfavor and discriminated against. Indeed, many Christian societies believed that disabilities are punishments from God.
3. It is interesting that a priest's slave could partake of the sacred food of his master when guests or hired workers were not allowed to do so. At least the slave had some perks, even if he was only considered property.
4. Another interesting point is that priests are to marry only within their own tribe (Levi). If they do not do so the children will disgrace the tribe simply because they are partly of some other extraction. And the “mixed race” children would apparently not be accepted by the tribe. Racial purity seemed to have been as important to Jehovah as it was to the Nazis.
5. Priests of Jehovah are not allowed to shave their heads or shape their beards, this being to distinguish them from Egyptian and Canaanite priests. There is probably no other reason for such a grooming code. As is seen throughout the books of Old Testament, Jehovah is ever intent upon separating himself from other gods and establishing ceremonies and customs of worship that will set his people apart from their neighbors. He has a bone to pick with his fellow gods. He resents them and is in competition with them and does all he can to show them up. He strives to create a system of worship and a priesthood that will be superior to those of these rival gods.
6. An animal and his its mother should not be slaughtered on the same day - a respectful piece of etiquette to be sure, perhaps a sop to ancient animal rights advocates. It’s nice the Israelites placed some limits on the wanton killing of animals for religious purposes.
6. Jehovah here claims legitimacy as Israel's god based on his releasing the Israelites from their bondage and bringing them out of Egypt (into the desert!), and not referring to his earlier relations with Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, etc. (Probably because that Jehovah was a different chap altogether!) The statement is very suggestive. It's as if he was not a god before that time, but merely claimed the position after he had, in his eyes, earned it. Jehovah is rather like a white man who goes to live with a primitive tribe and, after wowing the people by performing some wonders made possible by the knowledge he has and the technology he has access to, sets himself up as a god and lays down laws for his worship.
Showing posts with label sacrifices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sacrifices. Show all posts
Friday, September 19, 2014
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Unlawful Sacrifices and the Consumption of Blood
(Leviticus 17:1 - 17:16)
Jehovah told Moses to tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites this: "It is the commandment of Jehovah that any Israelite who sacrifices a bull or a cow, a lamb, or a goat in the camp -- or outside it, instead of bringing it to entrance to the Sanctum and offering it as a sacrifice on Jehovah's altar before the Sanctum, shall be guilty of a crime; he has shed blood and must be banished from the community. The purpose of this order is so that the Israelites who are now making sacrifices in open fields, will bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance to the Sanctum, where he can present them as peace offerings to Jehovah. It is there the priest can sprinkle the blood against the Sacrificial Altar before the Sanctum and burn the fat so that it may create an aroma pleasing to Jehovah. The people must stop prostituting themselves by making sacrifices to goat gods! This is a permanent order that will stand for the people throughout the generations.
"Also stress to the people that anyone, Israelite or a foreign resident, who makes a burnt offering or peace offering -- but does not bring it to the Sacrificial Altar before the entrance to the Sanctum so that it may be presented to Jehovah -- should be banished.
"And if a native Israelite or foreign resident consumes any blood, I will be opposed to that person and reject him as a member of the congregation. The essence of the life force resides in the blood. I have demanded that blood be shed upon the altar for the sake of atonement. Indeed it is the blood, in place of a life, that achieves atonement. Therefore, I demand of the people of Israel that no Israelite or foreign resident consume blood. And any Israelite or foreign resident who hunts and kills an animal or bird (one approved for eating) must drain out the blood and cover it with dirt. The life force of every creature resides in the blood. That is why I tell the people of Israel, 'You must never consume blood, for it is the life force of every creature," and that is why whoever consumes blood must be banished from the community.
"And if a native Israelite or foreign resident eats the meat of an animal that has died naturally or has beenkilled by animal predators, he must bath and wash his clothes. He will remain ritually impure until evening, but will thereafter be pure. However, if he does not bathe or wash his clothes, he will be subject to divine punishment."
Notes
1. The prohibition against individual, unsupervised sacrifices is, like many laws here, supposedly set down by Jehovah, a means to enforce uniformity in worship and to ensure for the priesthood a monopoly in the control of religious practice. Exclusivity in dealing with the divine is a prerogative the religious establishment has always jealously defended, whether it be of ancient Israel, Egypt, or medieval Europe. Priests of the church, synagogue, or temple function as intermediaries, middle men between human worshipers and the deity. They do not appreciate and often do not tolerate competition; free-lance practitioners are made unwelcome, so much so that they have often been put to death. The notion that a layman may seek or find divine communion without the intercession of the priesthood has always been rejected by religious authorities for reasons that are patently self serving. Priests always make it very clear that the god recognizes them as his only agents on earth. Thus the lone Israelite devoutly making a sacrifice to Jehovah in a field is viewed the same as would be a heretic during the time of the Inquisition.
2. A complaint is voiced about the Israelites making sacrifices to what seems best translated as "goat gods." There is obviously a back story here the authors vouchsafe no information about. All along, though, we find the Israelites seeking to worship gods other than Jehovah. Considering all the things that Jehovah has done for them, one wonders why.
3. The prohibition against the consumption of blood is explained here in a rare recourse to the metaphysical. Blood is believed to possess the life force. (Almost all translations use simply "life," but I contend "life force" is what is meant.) Perhaps they thought it housed the soul. (The function of the blood was not understood by ancient man, but everyone would know that a person bleeds when wounded and dies if he loses too much blood.) It is, therefore, the mystical qualities of blood that make it essential for sacrifices and for atonement. It is likely that other ancient and primitive peoples who practiced blood sacrifices believed similarly.
4. It is unclear if it is morally objectionable to eat a rare steak or not. How it is possible to eat meat without some blood being present in it?
5. It is mandatory to bathe and wash your clothes after eating an animal that dies on its own or was killed by another animal. (We apparently aren't done with ritual purity.) This might be difficult for the priests to enforce, though some dire, but unspecified punishment is inflicted upon those who do not obey the edict. One might conclude that those who violate the laws of ritual purification would be much more cleanly than the average Israelite, having to bathe and wash their clothes so frequently.
Jehovah told Moses to tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites this: "It is the commandment of Jehovah that any Israelite who sacrifices a bull or a cow, a lamb, or a goat in the camp -- or outside it, instead of bringing it to entrance to the Sanctum and offering it as a sacrifice on Jehovah's altar before the Sanctum, shall be guilty of a crime; he has shed blood and must be banished from the community. The purpose of this order is so that the Israelites who are now making sacrifices in open fields, will bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance to the Sanctum, where he can present them as peace offerings to Jehovah. It is there the priest can sprinkle the blood against the Sacrificial Altar before the Sanctum and burn the fat so that it may create an aroma pleasing to Jehovah. The people must stop prostituting themselves by making sacrifices to goat gods! This is a permanent order that will stand for the people throughout the generations.
"Also stress to the people that anyone, Israelite or a foreign resident, who makes a burnt offering or peace offering -- but does not bring it to the Sacrificial Altar before the entrance to the Sanctum so that it may be presented to Jehovah -- should be banished.
"And if a native Israelite or foreign resident consumes any blood, I will be opposed to that person and reject him as a member of the congregation. The essence of the life force resides in the blood. I have demanded that blood be shed upon the altar for the sake of atonement. Indeed it is the blood, in place of a life, that achieves atonement. Therefore, I demand of the people of Israel that no Israelite or foreign resident consume blood. And any Israelite or foreign resident who hunts and kills an animal or bird (one approved for eating) must drain out the blood and cover it with dirt. The life force of every creature resides in the blood. That is why I tell the people of Israel, 'You must never consume blood, for it is the life force of every creature," and that is why whoever consumes blood must be banished from the community.
"And if a native Israelite or foreign resident eats the meat of an animal that has died naturally or has beenkilled by animal predators, he must bath and wash his clothes. He will remain ritually impure until evening, but will thereafter be pure. However, if he does not bathe or wash his clothes, he will be subject to divine punishment."
Notes
1. The prohibition against individual, unsupervised sacrifices is, like many laws here, supposedly set down by Jehovah, a means to enforce uniformity in worship and to ensure for the priesthood a monopoly in the control of religious practice. Exclusivity in dealing with the divine is a prerogative the religious establishment has always jealously defended, whether it be of ancient Israel, Egypt, or medieval Europe. Priests of the church, synagogue, or temple function as intermediaries, middle men between human worshipers and the deity. They do not appreciate and often do not tolerate competition; free-lance practitioners are made unwelcome, so much so that they have often been put to death. The notion that a layman may seek or find divine communion without the intercession of the priesthood has always been rejected by religious authorities for reasons that are patently self serving. Priests always make it very clear that the god recognizes them as his only agents on earth. Thus the lone Israelite devoutly making a sacrifice to Jehovah in a field is viewed the same as would be a heretic during the time of the Inquisition.
2. A complaint is voiced about the Israelites making sacrifices to what seems best translated as "goat gods." There is obviously a back story here the authors vouchsafe no information about. All along, though, we find the Israelites seeking to worship gods other than Jehovah. Considering all the things that Jehovah has done for them, one wonders why.
3. The prohibition against the consumption of blood is explained here in a rare recourse to the metaphysical. Blood is believed to possess the life force. (Almost all translations use simply "life," but I contend "life force" is what is meant.) Perhaps they thought it housed the soul. (The function of the blood was not understood by ancient man, but everyone would know that a person bleeds when wounded and dies if he loses too much blood.) It is, therefore, the mystical qualities of blood that make it essential for sacrifices and for atonement. It is likely that other ancient and primitive peoples who practiced blood sacrifices believed similarly.
4. It is unclear if it is morally objectionable to eat a rare steak or not. How it is possible to eat meat without some blood being present in it?
5. It is mandatory to bathe and wash your clothes after eating an animal that dies on its own or was killed by another animal. (We apparently aren't done with ritual purity.) This might be difficult for the priests to enforce, though some dire, but unspecified punishment is inflicted upon those who do not obey the edict. One might conclude that those who violate the laws of ritual purification would be much more cleanly than the average Israelite, having to bathe and wash their clothes so frequently.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Inaugural Sacrifices
(Leviticus 9:1 - 9:24)
On the eighth day Moses called together Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He instructed Aaron, "Take a male calf for a sin offering and a ram for the burnt offering-- both without defect -- and sacrifice them to Jehovah. Tell the people of Israel, 'Select a male goat for a sin offering and for the burnt offering, a calf and lamb, both yearlings and without defects. And, for the peace offering, bring a bull and a ram, for the grain offering, flour moistened with cooking oil. These will be sacrifices to Jehovah -- for today he is going to make an appearance before you!'"
The people presented these sacrifices at the entrance to the Tabernacle, per Moses' instructions. The whole community came forward and congregated in front of the Sanctum. Moses told them, "This is what Jehovah demands of you that he may, in all his glory, appear before you." Moses instructed Aaron, "Approach the Sacrificial Altar and make your sin offering and the burnt offering, in order to make atonement for yourself and for the people. Then, make the sacrifices that were brought by the people, so that you may achieve atonement for them, in accordance with Jehovah's instructions."
Aaron thus approached the altar and slaughtered the calf of his own sin offering. Aaron's sons offered him the blood of sacrificed calf. Aaron dipped his finger in the blood and dabbed it on the horns of the altar. The rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. On top of the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver of the sin offering, as Moses was instructed by Jehovah. (The meat and the hide of the calf were burned outside of camp.)
Then Aaron slaughtered the ram of the burnt offering. His sons offered him its blood and he dashed it against all the sides of the altar. Then they offered him the cut-up pieces of the burnt offering, including the head, and he burned them on top of the altar. The internal organs and the legs he also burned on the altar with the rest of the offering, but only after they were washed in water.
Next, Aaron presented the people's offerings. The goat that was to be the people's sin offering he slaughtered and sacrificed it as he had done with his own sin offering. Then he made the burnt offering and did so according to proper procedure. He presented as well the grain offering, taking a handful of it and sprinkling it upon the altar, on top of the morning's customary burnt offering. He slaughtered the bull and the ram of the peace offering. His sons offered him the blood, which Aaron dashed on all sides of the altar. The fat of each of the sacrificed animals, the fat of the broad tail and the fat surrounding it, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver were placed on top of the breasts and burned. The breasts and right thighs (the priests’ share) Aaron elevated above the altar and presented to Jehovah, as Moses had instructed.
Afterwards, Aaron raised his hands over the people and gave them his blessing. Completing the sin offerings, the burnt offerings, and the peace offerings, he stepped away from the altar. Moses and Aaron entered the Sanctum and blessed the people when they came out. Then, all the people witnessed the glorious presence of Jehovah. With his appearance, the fire flared up upon the altar and consumed the burnt offering and the fat that was on top of it. Everyone saw this, and when they did, they shouted for joy and fell to the ground in worship.
Notes
1. Jehovah's insistence on the sacrifice as the primary means of worship is emphasized here. Important, too, is the proper procedure for the sacrifice. The modern mind wonders why all this attention to superfluous detail. Adherence to ritual makes the bloody slaughter of some animal a matter of importance, lends it dignity, gravity, and solemnity. Doing things in a certain prescribed manner can make even an offensive, heinous, or ostensibly immoral act seem right and proper. Executions, even today, must be carried out with set procedures, or else they will seem acts of murder. In more traditional times men used to commit adultery following certain rules and conventions that lent, in their minds, quasi-legitimacy to their lustful liaisons.
2. The redundant descriptions of sacrifices are recorded in order to reassure the people that all the priestly rituals originate with Jehovah and are done on direct orders from him and, therefore, must be followed without question and must never be changed. The truth is that they were probably established by the priests and evolved during many years, centuries even -- but no worshiper must suspect that. Their rightness and legitimacy rests upon their being the absolute will of God Almighty and ancient, unalterable practice.
3. After the sacrifices have been made, Moses and Aaron enter the Sanctum. It must be remembered that the Sacrificial Altar is positioned in the Tabernacle courtyard just outside the entrance to the Sanctum. Inside the curtained Sanctum is the menorah, the table for the showbread, the Incense Altar, and the curtained Inner Sanctum, where rests the Sacred Chest of Records (or Ark of the Covenant) housing, among other things, the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments are inscribed and specimens of manna. What Moses and Aaron did after they entered the Sanctum is not revealed. Did they have contact with Jehovah, who is supposed to come down to earth and sit upon the Judgment Seat, the lid to the Sacred Chest of Records? Did he materialize? Or did his voice speak to them? Regardless of what occurred, when they appeared again, Moses and Aaron blessed the people. Jehovah then manifested himself before the people. How, is unclear, save that as a result of his presence the fire on the altar flared up. This apparently impressed the people sufficiently that they cried out in joy and fell to the ground in worship. Did Jehovah actually make a personal, physical appearance? Or did something spectacular occur? Did the fire come out of Jehovah’s body, as some translations suggest? It seems more likely that all the people saw was the flaring fire -- pretty lame, pretty underwhelming, one would think, but then again the masses are often moved to wonder by small things presented in the proper setting in the proper way. The people were told to expect an appearance from Jehovah. They were put in a credulous frame of mind. A fire flaring up might be more than enough to convince them of a godly visitation. Imagining the scenario, one unfortunately feels as if the whole thing is a conjurer's trick -- the witch doctor pretends to have an audience with the god, blesses the people in his name, then, to impress the ignorant and unsuspecting, surreptitiously tosses something into the fire to make it flare up, a miracle eliciting a worshipful awe, but not really a very sophisticated trick. (Of course, the fire may have been the work of Jehovah, or, the fall-back possibility, the incident is fictitious.)
On the eighth day Moses called together Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He instructed Aaron, "Take a male calf for a sin offering and a ram for the burnt offering-- both without defect -- and sacrifice them to Jehovah. Tell the people of Israel, 'Select a male goat for a sin offering and for the burnt offering, a calf and lamb, both yearlings and without defects. And, for the peace offering, bring a bull and a ram, for the grain offering, flour moistened with cooking oil. These will be sacrifices to Jehovah -- for today he is going to make an appearance before you!'"
The people presented these sacrifices at the entrance to the Tabernacle, per Moses' instructions. The whole community came forward and congregated in front of the Sanctum. Moses told them, "This is what Jehovah demands of you that he may, in all his glory, appear before you." Moses instructed Aaron, "Approach the Sacrificial Altar and make your sin offering and the burnt offering, in order to make atonement for yourself and for the people. Then, make the sacrifices that were brought by the people, so that you may achieve atonement for them, in accordance with Jehovah's instructions."
Aaron thus approached the altar and slaughtered the calf of his own sin offering. Aaron's sons offered him the blood of sacrificed calf. Aaron dipped his finger in the blood and dabbed it on the horns of the altar. The rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. On top of the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver of the sin offering, as Moses was instructed by Jehovah. (The meat and the hide of the calf were burned outside of camp.)
Then Aaron slaughtered the ram of the burnt offering. His sons offered him its blood and he dashed it against all the sides of the altar. Then they offered him the cut-up pieces of the burnt offering, including the head, and he burned them on top of the altar. The internal organs and the legs he also burned on the altar with the rest of the offering, but only after they were washed in water.
Next, Aaron presented the people's offerings. The goat that was to be the people's sin offering he slaughtered and sacrificed it as he had done with his own sin offering. Then he made the burnt offering and did so according to proper procedure. He presented as well the grain offering, taking a handful of it and sprinkling it upon the altar, on top of the morning's customary burnt offering. He slaughtered the bull and the ram of the peace offering. His sons offered him the blood, which Aaron dashed on all sides of the altar. The fat of each of the sacrificed animals, the fat of the broad tail and the fat surrounding it, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver were placed on top of the breasts and burned. The breasts and right thighs (the priests’ share) Aaron elevated above the altar and presented to Jehovah, as Moses had instructed.
Afterwards, Aaron raised his hands over the people and gave them his blessing. Completing the sin offerings, the burnt offerings, and the peace offerings, he stepped away from the altar. Moses and Aaron entered the Sanctum and blessed the people when they came out. Then, all the people witnessed the glorious presence of Jehovah. With his appearance, the fire flared up upon the altar and consumed the burnt offering and the fat that was on top of it. Everyone saw this, and when they did, they shouted for joy and fell to the ground in worship.
Notes
1. Jehovah's insistence on the sacrifice as the primary means of worship is emphasized here. Important, too, is the proper procedure for the sacrifice. The modern mind wonders why all this attention to superfluous detail. Adherence to ritual makes the bloody slaughter of some animal a matter of importance, lends it dignity, gravity, and solemnity. Doing things in a certain prescribed manner can make even an offensive, heinous, or ostensibly immoral act seem right and proper. Executions, even today, must be carried out with set procedures, or else they will seem acts of murder. In more traditional times men used to commit adultery following certain rules and conventions that lent, in their minds, quasi-legitimacy to their lustful liaisons.
2. The redundant descriptions of sacrifices are recorded in order to reassure the people that all the priestly rituals originate with Jehovah and are done on direct orders from him and, therefore, must be followed without question and must never be changed. The truth is that they were probably established by the priests and evolved during many years, centuries even -- but no worshiper must suspect that. Their rightness and legitimacy rests upon their being the absolute will of God Almighty and ancient, unalterable practice.
3. After the sacrifices have been made, Moses and Aaron enter the Sanctum. It must be remembered that the Sacrificial Altar is positioned in the Tabernacle courtyard just outside the entrance to the Sanctum. Inside the curtained Sanctum is the menorah, the table for the showbread, the Incense Altar, and the curtained Inner Sanctum, where rests the Sacred Chest of Records (or Ark of the Covenant) housing, among other things, the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments are inscribed and specimens of manna. What Moses and Aaron did after they entered the Sanctum is not revealed. Did they have contact with Jehovah, who is supposed to come down to earth and sit upon the Judgment Seat, the lid to the Sacred Chest of Records? Did he materialize? Or did his voice speak to them? Regardless of what occurred, when they appeared again, Moses and Aaron blessed the people. Jehovah then manifested himself before the people. How, is unclear, save that as a result of his presence the fire on the altar flared up. This apparently impressed the people sufficiently that they cried out in joy and fell to the ground in worship. Did Jehovah actually make a personal, physical appearance? Or did something spectacular occur? Did the fire come out of Jehovah’s body, as some translations suggest? It seems more likely that all the people saw was the flaring fire -- pretty lame, pretty underwhelming, one would think, but then again the masses are often moved to wonder by small things presented in the proper setting in the proper way. The people were told to expect an appearance from Jehovah. They were put in a credulous frame of mind. A fire flaring up might be more than enough to convince them of a godly visitation. Imagining the scenario, one unfortunately feels as if the whole thing is a conjurer's trick -- the witch doctor pretends to have an audience with the god, blesses the people in his name, then, to impress the ignorant and unsuspecting, surreptitiously tosses something into the fire to make it flare up, a miracle eliciting a worshipful awe, but not really a very sophisticated trick. (Of course, the fire may have been the work of Jehovah, or, the fall-back possibility, the incident is fictitious.)
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Ordination of Priests
(Leviticus 8:1 - 8:36)
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Bring Aaron and his sons, the vestments of the priesthood, the Anointing Oil, the bull to be sacrificed for the sin offering, the two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread to the entrance of the Tabernacle and assemble the entire people there."
Moses did as Jehovah had commanded him. When the congregation had assembled at the entrance to the Tabernacle, he addressed them, "This is what Jehovah has commanded us to do!" --- He presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. He garbed Aaron in the tunic and tied the sash around his waist. He put the robe on him and the sacred vest, securing it with its decorated sash. He fitted the chest piece on him and inserted into its pocket the Urim and the Thimmim. On Aaron's head he placed the turban and on the front of it attached the holy gold medallion, all according to Jehovah's instructions.
With the Anointing Oil Moses consecrated the Tabernacle by sprinkling the oil over everything in it. He sprinkled oil upon the Sacrificial Altar seven times, anointing it, its utensils, as well as the wash basin and its stand. He poured oil over Aaron's head and by that anointment consecrated him as holy. Next, Moses presented Aaron's sons. He garbed them in tunics, tied sashes round them, and placed the caps of priesthood upon their heads, all according to the instructions of Jehovah.
Moses presented the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons held it by the head while Moses slaughtered the animal. Moses took some of its blood and with his finger dabbed it on the four horned corners of the Sacrificial Altar to purify it. The rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. By means of this ritual he consecrated the altar and made it holy. Moses took the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat around them and burned it all on the altar. But the bull itself with its hide, meat, and intestines he incinerated outside the camp, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering. While Aaron and his sons held it by the neck, Moses slaughtered it. Moses took the ram's blood and splattered it on all sides of the altar. He cut up the ram and burned on the altar the head, the cut-up pieces of flesh, and the fat. He washed the internal organs and the lower part of the legs in water and burned the entire ram on the altar. This food offering, prepared in accordance with Jehovah's instructions, created an aroma that was very pleasing to him.
Next, Moses presented for sacrifice the second ram, the ram for the ordination. While Aaron and his sons held it by the neck, Moses slaughtered it. Moses dabbed some of the ram's blood on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. Moses brought Aaron's sons forward and similarly dabbed blood on the lobes of their right ear, the thumbs of their right hand, and the big toes of their right foot. Then he splashed the rest of blood against the sides of the altar. Moses took the ram's fat, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat surrounding them, and the right thigh. On top of them he placed a thin cake of unleavened bread, a cake of bread mixed with oil, and a wafer with oil spread on it. (These were taken from the basket of unleavened breads that was on display before the Sanctum.) He placed these into the hands of Aaron and his sons who elevated them and waved them as an offering to Jehovah. Moses took back the offerings and burned them on the altar on top of the former burnt offering. This comprised the ordination offering, a food offering with an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah. Moses took the breast of the sacrificed ram as his share of the ordination offering, and waved it before the altar, as Jehovah instructed. Then Moses took some of the Anointing Oil and blood from the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and on his vestments, and on his sons and their vestments, and thereby consecrated Aaron and his sons and their vestments.
Moses instructed Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat just inside the entrance to the Tabernacle and eat it there along with the bread that was in the basket made up for the ordination. This will conform to my instruction, 'Aaron and his sons may eat it.' Any left-over meat or bread must be burned. You must not leave the Tabernacle compound for seven days, the duration of the ordination ceremony. Everything we have done this day, we have done so that you may be purified and achieve atonement in the eyes of Jehovah. But you must, on pain of death, remain within the confines of the Tabernacle both day and night during those seven days in order to fulfill the requirements set down by Jehovah, for this is what I have been commanded."
And so Aaron and his sons did all that Jehovah had demanded of them through Moses.
Notes
1. The term "entrance to the Tabernacle" is probably used in two ways here. The entire populace is gathered at the "entrance to the Tabernacle;" this surely means outside the Tabernacle, but in front of the entrance. Even if the Israelite community consisted of only a few thousand individuals, as one suspects would be true, then it would be impossible for all of them to be massed inside the Tabernacle courtyard. (The enclosure was only 150 by 75 feet, and yielded an interior space of 11,250 square feet, but, excluding the Sanctum, which was 45 x 15 feet (675 square feet), it would be only 10,575 square feet. Given that each man occupies 4 square feet, then only 2,644 persons could have been packed into the Tabernacle courtyard, but, from a practical standpoint, far fewer. It is conceivable that a few thousand persons could have gathered outside the Tabernacle. However, if the Israelite community consisted of millions of people, as is asserted in Exodus, it is inconceivable that all of them could have gathered at the Tabernacle’s entrance -- or, for that matter, gathered anywhere.) Later, the text refers to the requirement that priests must remain at the "entrance to the Tabernacle," for seven days during their period of ordination. One would assume that this means inside the Tabernacle courtyard. This no doubt means that they were to be confined to the Tabernacle during their ordination. I have reflected this is my translation.
2. The qualifications for priesthood, aside from being descent from Aaron, seems to rest upon adhering to certain ordained rituals. (You can’t be a priest unless you get that big toe dabbed with ram’s blood!) There is no mention, at least as yet, of good personal character being a requisite.
3. In most societies the high priest places himself as an intermediary, a middle man, between the god and the people. In Christian society this function is assumed by the church. (Woe be to mystics like Joan of Arc who seem to bypass the church and commune directly with the divine.) Here, Moses is an intermediary between Jehovah and the high priest, Aaron, who serves his god with sacrifices and the people by furnishing the means by which they can achieve atonement for their sins. Jehovah tells Moses what to do and Moses tells Aaron. Aaron, unlike most high priests, does not communicate directly with the god he serves.
4. The fine linen garments made for the priests are stained with blood and oil during the ordination ceremony. Did the Israelites have great skill in removing stains from clothes? (One worries that the Jehovan priests must have run up really big laundry bills.)
5. One wonders how Jehovah thought up all this stuff, the rigamarole with the blood of sacrificed animals, the oil, and so forth, but it all seems to be a part of common practice with primitive religions. It would be interesting to investigate how these procedures, the sacrifices, the ordination of the priests, compare to the rituals of other religions of the time, those practiced by the Egyptians, Babylonians, Canaanites, etc. It is doubtful that there is anything unique in these early Jehovan practices, save for one thing, that Jehovah prohibited his worship through idols or images of any kind. The reason for this anomaly is never made clear. (One may imagine that Jehovah is like a camera-shy celebrity who doesn't want his picture in the papers, the man behind the curtain who never emerges to reveal himself, but manifests his will through his chosen agent. Or, one may see him as an extraterrestrial being who wishes to exert his will upon earth men and exact their submission, while remaining aloof, invisible even, but working through his human contactee, Moses.)
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Bring Aaron and his sons, the vestments of the priesthood, the Anointing Oil, the bull to be sacrificed for the sin offering, the two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread to the entrance of the Tabernacle and assemble the entire people there."
Moses did as Jehovah had commanded him. When the congregation had assembled at the entrance to the Tabernacle, he addressed them, "This is what Jehovah has commanded us to do!" --- He presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. He garbed Aaron in the tunic and tied the sash around his waist. He put the robe on him and the sacred vest, securing it with its decorated sash. He fitted the chest piece on him and inserted into its pocket the Urim and the Thimmim. On Aaron's head he placed the turban and on the front of it attached the holy gold medallion, all according to Jehovah's instructions.
With the Anointing Oil Moses consecrated the Tabernacle by sprinkling the oil over everything in it. He sprinkled oil upon the Sacrificial Altar seven times, anointing it, its utensils, as well as the wash basin and its stand. He poured oil over Aaron's head and by that anointment consecrated him as holy. Next, Moses presented Aaron's sons. He garbed them in tunics, tied sashes round them, and placed the caps of priesthood upon their heads, all according to the instructions of Jehovah.
Moses presented the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons held it by the head while Moses slaughtered the animal. Moses took some of its blood and with his finger dabbed it on the four horned corners of the Sacrificial Altar to purify it. The rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. By means of this ritual he consecrated the altar and made it holy. Moses took the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat around them and burned it all on the altar. But the bull itself with its hide, meat, and intestines he incinerated outside the camp, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering. While Aaron and his sons held it by the neck, Moses slaughtered it. Moses took the ram's blood and splattered it on all sides of the altar. He cut up the ram and burned on the altar the head, the cut-up pieces of flesh, and the fat. He washed the internal organs and the lower part of the legs in water and burned the entire ram on the altar. This food offering, prepared in accordance with Jehovah's instructions, created an aroma that was very pleasing to him.
Next, Moses presented for sacrifice the second ram, the ram for the ordination. While Aaron and his sons held it by the neck, Moses slaughtered it. Moses dabbed some of the ram's blood on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. Moses brought Aaron's sons forward and similarly dabbed blood on the lobes of their right ear, the thumbs of their right hand, and the big toes of their right foot. Then he splashed the rest of blood against the sides of the altar. Moses took the ram's fat, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat surrounding them, and the right thigh. On top of them he placed a thin cake of unleavened bread, a cake of bread mixed with oil, and a wafer with oil spread on it. (These were taken from the basket of unleavened breads that was on display before the Sanctum.) He placed these into the hands of Aaron and his sons who elevated them and waved them as an offering to Jehovah. Moses took back the offerings and burned them on the altar on top of the former burnt offering. This comprised the ordination offering, a food offering with an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah. Moses took the breast of the sacrificed ram as his share of the ordination offering, and waved it before the altar, as Jehovah instructed. Then Moses took some of the Anointing Oil and blood from the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and on his vestments, and on his sons and their vestments, and thereby consecrated Aaron and his sons and their vestments.
Moses instructed Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat just inside the entrance to the Tabernacle and eat it there along with the bread that was in the basket made up for the ordination. This will conform to my instruction, 'Aaron and his sons may eat it.' Any left-over meat or bread must be burned. You must not leave the Tabernacle compound for seven days, the duration of the ordination ceremony. Everything we have done this day, we have done so that you may be purified and achieve atonement in the eyes of Jehovah. But you must, on pain of death, remain within the confines of the Tabernacle both day and night during those seven days in order to fulfill the requirements set down by Jehovah, for this is what I have been commanded."
And so Aaron and his sons did all that Jehovah had demanded of them through Moses.
Notes
1. The term "entrance to the Tabernacle" is probably used in two ways here. The entire populace is gathered at the "entrance to the Tabernacle;" this surely means outside the Tabernacle, but in front of the entrance. Even if the Israelite community consisted of only a few thousand individuals, as one suspects would be true, then it would be impossible for all of them to be massed inside the Tabernacle courtyard. (The enclosure was only 150 by 75 feet, and yielded an interior space of 11,250 square feet, but, excluding the Sanctum, which was 45 x 15 feet (675 square feet), it would be only 10,575 square feet. Given that each man occupies 4 square feet, then only 2,644 persons could have been packed into the Tabernacle courtyard, but, from a practical standpoint, far fewer. It is conceivable that a few thousand persons could have gathered outside the Tabernacle. However, if the Israelite community consisted of millions of people, as is asserted in Exodus, it is inconceivable that all of them could have gathered at the Tabernacle’s entrance -- or, for that matter, gathered anywhere.) Later, the text refers to the requirement that priests must remain at the "entrance to the Tabernacle," for seven days during their period of ordination. One would assume that this means inside the Tabernacle courtyard. This no doubt means that they were to be confined to the Tabernacle during their ordination. I have reflected this is my translation.
2. The qualifications for priesthood, aside from being descent from Aaron, seems to rest upon adhering to certain ordained rituals. (You can’t be a priest unless you get that big toe dabbed with ram’s blood!) There is no mention, at least as yet, of good personal character being a requisite.
3. In most societies the high priest places himself as an intermediary, a middle man, between the god and the people. In Christian society this function is assumed by the church. (Woe be to mystics like Joan of Arc who seem to bypass the church and commune directly with the divine.) Here, Moses is an intermediary between Jehovah and the high priest, Aaron, who serves his god with sacrifices and the people by furnishing the means by which they can achieve atonement for their sins. Jehovah tells Moses what to do and Moses tells Aaron. Aaron, unlike most high priests, does not communicate directly with the god he serves.
4. The fine linen garments made for the priests are stained with blood and oil during the ordination ceremony. Did the Israelites have great skill in removing stains from clothes? (One worries that the Jehovan priests must have run up really big laundry bills.)
5. One wonders how Jehovah thought up all this stuff, the rigamarole with the blood of sacrificed animals, the oil, and so forth, but it all seems to be a part of common practice with primitive religions. It would be interesting to investigate how these procedures, the sacrifices, the ordination of the priests, compare to the rituals of other religions of the time, those practiced by the Egyptians, Babylonians, Canaanites, etc. It is doubtful that there is anything unique in these early Jehovan practices, save for one thing, that Jehovah prohibited his worship through idols or images of any kind. The reason for this anomaly is never made clear. (One may imagine that Jehovah is like a camera-shy celebrity who doesn't want his picture in the papers, the man behind the curtain who never emerges to reveal himself, but manifests his will through his chosen agent. Or, one may see him as an extraterrestrial being who wishes to exert his will upon earth men and exact their submission, while remaining aloof, invisible even, but working through his human contactee, Moses.)
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Further Instructions Concerning Sacrifices
Leviticus (6:8 - 7:38)
Jehovah then availed upon Moses to convey to Aaron and his sons these instructions: "This the procedure for conducting the burnt offering: The burnt offering should remain upon the Sacrificial Altar all night, and the fire should be kept burning till morning. At that time, the priest, robed in the sacred linen garments (and linen undergarments) of the priesthood, should clean the ashes of the burnt offering from the top of the altar and deposit them to the side of the altar. Then, after he has divested himself of his priestly garments and changed into everyday clothes, the priest should carry the ashes to a place outside the camp that is ritually pure. The altar fire must always be tended so that it will never go out. Every morning the officiating priest should put more wood on the fire and prepare the burnt offering upon the altar. Then, the fat of the sacrificial animal is to be burnt as a peace offering. (And remember: the altar fire must be kept burning at all times and must not be allowed to go out.)
"This is the procedure for conducting the cereal offering: Aaron and his sons are to present this offering to Jehovah in front of the Sacrificial Altar. The officiating priest should take a handful of the finest flour moistened with oil and seasoned with frankincense and burn a token portion of it upon the altar. It will create an aroma most pleasing to Jehovah. The priests, Aaron and his sons, may eat what remains of the flour, but it must be baked into unleavened cakes and eaten in the Sanctum or in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. (Remember: it must not be prepared with yeast.) I have allowed the priests this, their share of the sacrifice, as a reward for their services to me, for it is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. Any male descendant of Aaron is entitled to partake of it; that will remain their perpetual right down through the generations. But it must not be touched by anyone or anything that is not holy.
"On the day that Aaron and his sons are anointed as priests, they must present to Jehovah an ordination offering of a one tenth of an ephah of the finest flour, sacrificing half of it in the morning, half in the evening. The flour should be prepared as cakes, well soaked in oil and cooked on a griddle. The cakes should be broken into pieces and presented as a sacrifice to Jehovah; it will create an aroma very pleasing to him. In every generation, Aaron's successor must perform this same sacrifice. This cereal offering will, by everlasting law, belong to Jehovah and, therefore, must be entirely burned on the altar; none of it should be eaten.
"This is the procedure for conducting the sin offering: The animal to be sacrificed as a sin offering should be slaughtered before the Sanctum where burnt offerings are made. This is a sacred ritual. The priest who makes this offering should partake of it in the Sanctum or in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. It must not be touched by anyone or anything that is not holy. If blood from the sacrificed animal splatters on someone's clothes, the stained garment must be washed in a sacred place. If an earthen pot is used to boil the sacrificial meat, then it must afterwards be broken. If the pot is of bronze, then it should be scoured and thoroughly rinsed with water. As it is holy, the meat of the sacrificed animal may be eaten by any male member of the priest's family. However, the sin offering may not be eaten if its blood was used in an atonement ritual in the Sanctum. In such case, the entire carcass must be incinerated on the altar.
"This is the procedure for conducting the guilt offering, a very holy ritual: The animal to be sacrificed as a guilt offering should be slaughtered before the Sanctum where burnt offerings are made. Its blood should be splattered on all sides of the altar. All the fat should be presented as a sacrifice, as well as the broad tail, the fat surrounding the internal organs, the two kidneys and the fat around them in the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. They should be burned by the priest as a sacrifice to Jehovah. This is the guilt offering. Any male member of the priest's family may eat the flesh of the sacrificed animal, but must do so in the confines of the Tabernacle, for it is holy.
"The same rules apply to both the guilt and the sin offering. The sacrificial animals belong the priest who is making atonement with Jehovah through them. And so the priest who makes a burnt offering will own the hide of the sacrificed animal. Any cereal offering, whether baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle, belongs to the officiating priest. Uncooked cereal offerings, whether dry or soaked in oil, however, belong equally to all the Tabernacle priests, (who are descendants of Aaron).
"This is the procedure for conducting peace offerings that one may make to Jehovah: If you are making an offering of thanksgiving, the customary animal sacrifice must be accompanied by offerings of unleavened bread -- thin cakes of flour mixed with cooking oil, wafers upon which oil is spread, and cakes of the finest flour soaked in oil, all made without yeast. Loaves of unleavened bread must accompany the peace offering of thanksgiving. A sample of each type of bread should be offered as a sacrifice to Jehovah. It will then belong to the officiating priest, the one who will splatter the blood of the peace offering against the altar.
“Meat from the thanksgiving offering must be eaten on the day of the sacrifice; nothing should remain by the morning of the next day. If, however, the sacrifice is a votive or voluntary offering, then, while the meat may be consumed on the day of the offering, left-overs may be eaten on the following day. Whatever remains, though, should be thoroughly burned on the third day. If any meat from the peace offering is eaten on the third day, then the person making the offering will be rejected by Jehovah: he will receive no credit for his sacrifice, the meat will become ritually impure, and anyone who eats it will be guilty of a sin.
"Meat that has come into contact with anything ritually impure should not be eaten, but must be burned. As for meat that has not been made impure, anyone ritually pure may eat it. But anyone who is not ritually pure that eats the meat from the peace offering meant for Jehovah, that person should be ostracized by the community. Anyone who touches something impure, whether it be human waste, or an impure animal or insect and then eats the meat of the peace offering meant for Jehovah, should also be ostracized.
"Also instruct the people of Israel that they must never eat fat, whether it comes from cattle, sheep, or goats. The fat of animals killed or predated by wild animals should not be eaten, though it can be used in other ways. Anyone who eats fat from an animal sacrificed as a burnt offering to Jehovah, should be ostracized by the community. Even at home (wherever it may be) you should never consume blood of any sort, whether from birds or animals, and anyone who does so should be ostracized.
"And tell them that when they present a peace offering to Jehovah, they should bring part of it themselves as a sacrifice to Jehovah. With their own hands they should make an offering of food to Jehovah, bringing the fat and the breast, which they should lift up and wave as an offering before the altar of Jehovah. The fat will be burned upon the altar, while the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. You should give the right thigh to the priests as a contribution. It must always be given to the officiating priest who presents as a sacrifice the blood and fat of the peace offering. The breast, the waved offering, and the right thigh of the sacrifice are always to be set aside for Aaron and his priestly descendants. The right of the priests to claim a part of the sacrifice has been established at the time that they were chosen to serve Jehovah. On the day they were anointed, Jehovah demanded that the priests always be given these portions of the sacrifices and it should remain so down through the ages."
These were the instructions for the burnt offering, the cereal offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, as well as the ordination offering and the peace offering, that Jehovah conveyed to Moses on Mount Sinai when he commanded the Israelites to make sacrifices to him in the desert of Sinai.
Notes
1. Apparently an important rule is that the fire beneath the Sacrificial Altar should always be tended so that it may never go out. It is a very widespread custom, from all parts of the globe and among many religions and cults, that sacred flames must never be extinguished, symbolizing as they do eternal devotion. The altar fire may also be said to embody the spirit of the deity that consumes the burnt sacrifice.
2. The prerogatives of Aaron, his family, and descendants, the sole claimants to the office of Jehovan high priest, are emphasized and forcefully reiterated. One suspects that the priesthood was defensive in justifying these prerogatives, no doubt against criticism and challenge. By asserting that these prerogatives are demands and commands of their god, the priests have the final word in the argument. The rituals detailed in the Torah promote the interests of the priestly class and one gains the impression that much of the text is self-serving propaganda of the priest/authors.
3. Worshipers of Jehovah can give nothing to their god save earthly food. It is all a people on a primitive level of civilization could give. Food was sustenance, and offering it to others represented generosity and hospitality. (It would be in a later time that food would suggest gluttony and indulgence.) In Christianity, the sacrifice is replaced by prayers of thanksgiving and praise, a commitment to good works, and, one supposes, the erection of magnificent houses of worship.
4. The prohibition against eating fat is curious, but arises from the custom that the fat of sacrificial animals belongs to Jehovah. It is well established that lean meat is more healthy than fatty meat, but a certain amount of fat exists in all meat. How strictly enforced the prohibition against the consumption of animal fat could be is a matter of conjecture.
5. One tenth of an ephah is equivalent to two quarts or two pounds.
6. Peace offerings may be of three types, thanksgiving, for blessings received from Jehovah, votive, in fulfillment of an oath to Jehovah, or voluntary, offerings made from choice and not because of any specific obligation.
7. One who is guilty of offenses such as eating fat or blood, or eating sacrificial meat when ritually impure is, literally, to be “cut off (karet or karath in Hebrew) from his people.” But what does this mean? What is the specific punishment referred to? The term seems to have been used in somewhat different ways throughout the biblical text, so it’s impossible to come to a definite conclusion as to the precise meaning. Some translations cop out and leave the wording as is, totally unclear to the reader. Karet can mean anything from a forcible separation from the body of the religious community to a divine sentence of premature death, extirpation of the family line, and eternal damnation. It has also been suggested that it means as well the denial of an afterlife (but at this point in the Bible there has been no specific reference to any kind of afterlife, except vague ones about joining one’s ancestors). Although karet is asserted to be a punishment inflicted only by Jehovah and not by men, in this context it seems likely that the religious authorities, acting in the place of Jehovah, would exact some punishment upon violators. That punishment would most likely have been ostracism or banishment. Therefore, I have concluded the best translation here is ostracized by the community, although I have previously used banished from the community in other contexts. Perhaps I am incorrectly softening the text, but it seems preposterous that even the ancient Hebrews would think that someone should die and be eternally damned merely because he was caught munching on a piece of fat, or insist on stringing somebody up because his steak was too rare.
Jehovah then availed upon Moses to convey to Aaron and his sons these instructions: "This the procedure for conducting the burnt offering: The burnt offering should remain upon the Sacrificial Altar all night, and the fire should be kept burning till morning. At that time, the priest, robed in the sacred linen garments (and linen undergarments) of the priesthood, should clean the ashes of the burnt offering from the top of the altar and deposit them to the side of the altar. Then, after he has divested himself of his priestly garments and changed into everyday clothes, the priest should carry the ashes to a place outside the camp that is ritually pure. The altar fire must always be tended so that it will never go out. Every morning the officiating priest should put more wood on the fire and prepare the burnt offering upon the altar. Then, the fat of the sacrificial animal is to be burnt as a peace offering. (And remember: the altar fire must be kept burning at all times and must not be allowed to go out.)
"This is the procedure for conducting the cereal offering: Aaron and his sons are to present this offering to Jehovah in front of the Sacrificial Altar. The officiating priest should take a handful of the finest flour moistened with oil and seasoned with frankincense and burn a token portion of it upon the altar. It will create an aroma most pleasing to Jehovah. The priests, Aaron and his sons, may eat what remains of the flour, but it must be baked into unleavened cakes and eaten in the Sanctum or in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. (Remember: it must not be prepared with yeast.) I have allowed the priests this, their share of the sacrifice, as a reward for their services to me, for it is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. Any male descendant of Aaron is entitled to partake of it; that will remain their perpetual right down through the generations. But it must not be touched by anyone or anything that is not holy.
"On the day that Aaron and his sons are anointed as priests, they must present to Jehovah an ordination offering of a one tenth of an ephah of the finest flour, sacrificing half of it in the morning, half in the evening. The flour should be prepared as cakes, well soaked in oil and cooked on a griddle. The cakes should be broken into pieces and presented as a sacrifice to Jehovah; it will create an aroma very pleasing to him. In every generation, Aaron's successor must perform this same sacrifice. This cereal offering will, by everlasting law, belong to Jehovah and, therefore, must be entirely burned on the altar; none of it should be eaten.
"This is the procedure for conducting the sin offering: The animal to be sacrificed as a sin offering should be slaughtered before the Sanctum where burnt offerings are made. This is a sacred ritual. The priest who makes this offering should partake of it in the Sanctum or in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. It must not be touched by anyone or anything that is not holy. If blood from the sacrificed animal splatters on someone's clothes, the stained garment must be washed in a sacred place. If an earthen pot is used to boil the sacrificial meat, then it must afterwards be broken. If the pot is of bronze, then it should be scoured and thoroughly rinsed with water. As it is holy, the meat of the sacrificed animal may be eaten by any male member of the priest's family. However, the sin offering may not be eaten if its blood was used in an atonement ritual in the Sanctum. In such case, the entire carcass must be incinerated on the altar.
"This is the procedure for conducting the guilt offering, a very holy ritual: The animal to be sacrificed as a guilt offering should be slaughtered before the Sanctum where burnt offerings are made. Its blood should be splattered on all sides of the altar. All the fat should be presented as a sacrifice, as well as the broad tail, the fat surrounding the internal organs, the two kidneys and the fat around them in the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. They should be burned by the priest as a sacrifice to Jehovah. This is the guilt offering. Any male member of the priest's family may eat the flesh of the sacrificed animal, but must do so in the confines of the Tabernacle, for it is holy.
"The same rules apply to both the guilt and the sin offering. The sacrificial animals belong the priest who is making atonement with Jehovah through them. And so the priest who makes a burnt offering will own the hide of the sacrificed animal. Any cereal offering, whether baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle, belongs to the officiating priest. Uncooked cereal offerings, whether dry or soaked in oil, however, belong equally to all the Tabernacle priests, (who are descendants of Aaron).
"This is the procedure for conducting peace offerings that one may make to Jehovah: If you are making an offering of thanksgiving, the customary animal sacrifice must be accompanied by offerings of unleavened bread -- thin cakes of flour mixed with cooking oil, wafers upon which oil is spread, and cakes of the finest flour soaked in oil, all made without yeast. Loaves of unleavened bread must accompany the peace offering of thanksgiving. A sample of each type of bread should be offered as a sacrifice to Jehovah. It will then belong to the officiating priest, the one who will splatter the blood of the peace offering against the altar.
“Meat from the thanksgiving offering must be eaten on the day of the sacrifice; nothing should remain by the morning of the next day. If, however, the sacrifice is a votive or voluntary offering, then, while the meat may be consumed on the day of the offering, left-overs may be eaten on the following day. Whatever remains, though, should be thoroughly burned on the third day. If any meat from the peace offering is eaten on the third day, then the person making the offering will be rejected by Jehovah: he will receive no credit for his sacrifice, the meat will become ritually impure, and anyone who eats it will be guilty of a sin.
"Meat that has come into contact with anything ritually impure should not be eaten, but must be burned. As for meat that has not been made impure, anyone ritually pure may eat it. But anyone who is not ritually pure that eats the meat from the peace offering meant for Jehovah, that person should be ostracized by the community. Anyone who touches something impure, whether it be human waste, or an impure animal or insect and then eats the meat of the peace offering meant for Jehovah, should also be ostracized.
"Also instruct the people of Israel that they must never eat fat, whether it comes from cattle, sheep, or goats. The fat of animals killed or predated by wild animals should not be eaten, though it can be used in other ways. Anyone who eats fat from an animal sacrificed as a burnt offering to Jehovah, should be ostracized by the community. Even at home (wherever it may be) you should never consume blood of any sort, whether from birds or animals, and anyone who does so should be ostracized.
"And tell them that when they present a peace offering to Jehovah, they should bring part of it themselves as a sacrifice to Jehovah. With their own hands they should make an offering of food to Jehovah, bringing the fat and the breast, which they should lift up and wave as an offering before the altar of Jehovah. The fat will be burned upon the altar, while the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. You should give the right thigh to the priests as a contribution. It must always be given to the officiating priest who presents as a sacrifice the blood and fat of the peace offering. The breast, the waved offering, and the right thigh of the sacrifice are always to be set aside for Aaron and his priestly descendants. The right of the priests to claim a part of the sacrifice has been established at the time that they were chosen to serve Jehovah. On the day they were anointed, Jehovah demanded that the priests always be given these portions of the sacrifices and it should remain so down through the ages."
These were the instructions for the burnt offering, the cereal offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, as well as the ordination offering and the peace offering, that Jehovah conveyed to Moses on Mount Sinai when he commanded the Israelites to make sacrifices to him in the desert of Sinai.
Notes
1. Apparently an important rule is that the fire beneath the Sacrificial Altar should always be tended so that it may never go out. It is a very widespread custom, from all parts of the globe and among many religions and cults, that sacred flames must never be extinguished, symbolizing as they do eternal devotion. The altar fire may also be said to embody the spirit of the deity that consumes the burnt sacrifice.
2. The prerogatives of Aaron, his family, and descendants, the sole claimants to the office of Jehovan high priest, are emphasized and forcefully reiterated. One suspects that the priesthood was defensive in justifying these prerogatives, no doubt against criticism and challenge. By asserting that these prerogatives are demands and commands of their god, the priests have the final word in the argument. The rituals detailed in the Torah promote the interests of the priestly class and one gains the impression that much of the text is self-serving propaganda of the priest/authors.
3. Worshipers of Jehovah can give nothing to their god save earthly food. It is all a people on a primitive level of civilization could give. Food was sustenance, and offering it to others represented generosity and hospitality. (It would be in a later time that food would suggest gluttony and indulgence.) In Christianity, the sacrifice is replaced by prayers of thanksgiving and praise, a commitment to good works, and, one supposes, the erection of magnificent houses of worship.
4. The prohibition against eating fat is curious, but arises from the custom that the fat of sacrificial animals belongs to Jehovah. It is well established that lean meat is more healthy than fatty meat, but a certain amount of fat exists in all meat. How strictly enforced the prohibition against the consumption of animal fat could be is a matter of conjecture.
5. One tenth of an ephah is equivalent to two quarts or two pounds.
6. Peace offerings may be of three types, thanksgiving, for blessings received from Jehovah, votive, in fulfillment of an oath to Jehovah, or voluntary, offerings made from choice and not because of any specific obligation.
7. One who is guilty of offenses such as eating fat or blood, or eating sacrificial meat when ritually impure is, literally, to be “cut off (karet or karath in Hebrew) from his people.” But what does this mean? What is the specific punishment referred to? The term seems to have been used in somewhat different ways throughout the biblical text, so it’s impossible to come to a definite conclusion as to the precise meaning. Some translations cop out and leave the wording as is, totally unclear to the reader. Karet can mean anything from a forcible separation from the body of the religious community to a divine sentence of premature death, extirpation of the family line, and eternal damnation. It has also been suggested that it means as well the denial of an afterlife (but at this point in the Bible there has been no specific reference to any kind of afterlife, except vague ones about joining one’s ancestors). Although karet is asserted to be a punishment inflicted only by Jehovah and not by men, in this context it seems likely that the religious authorities, acting in the place of Jehovah, would exact some punishment upon violators. That punishment would most likely have been ostracism or banishment. Therefore, I have concluded the best translation here is ostracized by the community, although I have previously used banished from the community in other contexts. Perhaps I am incorrectly softening the text, but it seems preposterous that even the ancient Hebrews would think that someone should die and be eternally damned merely because he was caught munching on a piece of fat, or insist on stringing somebody up because his steak was too rare.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Sin Offerings
(Leviticus 4:1 - 4:35)
Jehovah said this to Moses, "Tell the Israelites that whenever someone unintentionally commits an act that Jehovah has forbidden, it should be dealt with in this manner:
"If it is the high priest who has transgressed (therefore bringing guilt upon the whole community), he must make a sin offering to atone for his sinful act. This offering to Jehovah should be a bull from the herd, an animal that is without defect. He should bring the bull to the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay hold of its head and slaughter it in front of the Sanctum. The high priest should take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the Sanctum. He should dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the curtains of the Inner Sanctum. The priest should dab some of the bull's blood upon the horns of the Incense Altar that stands before the Inner Sanctum and pour out the rest of it at the base of the Sacrificial Altar, which is positioned before the entrance to the Sanctum. Next, the priest should remove the fat from the carcass of the sin offering, that is, all the fat surrounding the internal organs, as well as the two kidneys and the fat around them on the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. (This should be done in the same manner as with the bull of the peace offering.) The priest should then burn these upon the Sacrificial Altar. However, the rest of the bull, its hide, meat, legs, head, intestines, as well as the remainder of the internal organs, must be taken to a clean area outside the Tabernacle, to the place where ashes are dumped, there to be burned upon a wood fire.
"If the entire community has transgressed by unintentionally committing an act that Jehovah has forbidden and is unaware of the act, it should, when the transgression becomes known and the guilt realized, present before the Tabernacle a sin offering in the form of a young bull. The tribal elders should lay their hands upon the bull's head, and it should be slaughtered in front of the Sanctum. The high priest will take some of the blood of the slaughtered bull into the Sanctum. He should dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the curtains of the Inner Sanctum. The priest should then dab some of the bull's blood upon the horns of the Incense Altar that stands before the Inner Sanctum and pour out the rest of it at the base of the Sacrificial Altar, which is positioned before the entrance to the Sanctum. He should remove all the fat from the carcass and burn it on the Sacrificial Altar. All should be done with this bull as with the former sin offering. The priest will make atonement for the people, and they will be forgiven. The remains of the bull should be carried away from camp and disposed of by burning as was done with the aforementioned bull. This will be the communal sin offering.
"When it is a leader who is guilty of transgression, of unintentionally committing an act forbidden by his god Jehovah, he should, when the transgression becomes known and the guilt realized, present a male goat without defect as a sin offering. He should hold the goat by the head and slaughter it in front of the Sanctum where burnt offerings are customarily made. This will be a sin offering. The priest should dab some of the bull's blood upon the horns of the Sacrificial Altar and pour out the rest of it at the base of the Sacrificial Altar. He should burn the fat on this altar, as was done with the peace offering. In this manner the priest will make atonement for the leader, and the leader will thus be forgiven.
"When it is an ordinary member of the community who is guilty of transgression, of unintentionally committing an act forbidden by Jehovah, he should, when the transgression becomes known and the guilt realized, present a female goat without defect as a sin offering. He should hold the goat by the head and slaughter it in front of the Sanctum where burnt offerings are customarily made. The priest should dab some of the bull's blood upon the horns of the Sacrificial Altar and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. He should burn the fat on the Sacrificial Altar, as was done with the peace offering. This will produce an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah, and in this manner, the priest will achieve atonement for this person, who will thus be forgiven.
If the sin offering presented is a lamb, it should be a female without defect. The lamb should be held by the head and slaughtered in front of the Sanctum where burnt offerings are customarily made. The priest should dab some of the lamb’s blood upon the horns of the Sacrificial Altar and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. He should remove all the fat, as it was removed for the peace offering, and burn it on the Sacrificial Altar on top of the regular burnt offerings to Jehovah. In this way, the priest will achieve for this person atonement for his transgression so he will be forgiven.
Notes
1. The sin offerings discussed here are all for transgressions, violations of Jehovah's commandments and ordinances that are unintentional, or inadvertent. The Hebrews maintained a moral view that a sinful act was sufficient in itself to produce guilt in the actor. On the other hand, we believe that intent and state of mind is vital in accessing guilt; a person is generally not considered morally responsible for acts committed involuntarily, unknowingly or even accidentally, if no negligence is involved. In the Torah, intent, knowledge and aforethought seem to be beside the point in many, but not all instances. In Exodus, for example, the owner of an animal that damages a neighbor's property is not liable if he took precautions to pen his animal or was ignorant of the animal's untoward propensities. Here, however, a man seems to be totally responsible for his own actions, purposeful or not, with little ethical wiggle room.
2. Atonement for unintentional acts of moral transgression is not achieved by a resolution to be more aware, or careful, or fastidious or by a commitment to perform good deeds, or what we would call community service, but rather by merely killing an animal for Jehovah's benefit. This can only be inexplicable to the modern mindset, but not, apparently, to the ancient way of thinking. Imagine a contemporary scenario: in good faith an auto company manufacturers cars with faulty equipment that causes injuries and maybe deaths -- unintentional moral wrong. In lieu of lawsuits, the CEO of the offending company redeems himself by going into a church and slitting the throat of the family dog and sprinkling its blood upon the altar. He is then absolved of guilt. --- Obviously, we do not think along these lines.
3. Again we are reminded how God-awful bloody the holy places of Jehovan worship must have been with all these animals being slaughtered and blood being sprinkled and smeared about.
Jehovah said this to Moses, "Tell the Israelites that whenever someone unintentionally commits an act that Jehovah has forbidden, it should be dealt with in this manner:
"If it is the high priest who has transgressed (therefore bringing guilt upon the whole community), he must make a sin offering to atone for his sinful act. This offering to Jehovah should be a bull from the herd, an animal that is without defect. He should bring the bull to the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay hold of its head and slaughter it in front of the Sanctum. The high priest should take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the Sanctum. He should dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the curtains of the Inner Sanctum. The priest should dab some of the bull's blood upon the horns of the Incense Altar that stands before the Inner Sanctum and pour out the rest of it at the base of the Sacrificial Altar, which is positioned before the entrance to the Sanctum. Next, the priest should remove the fat from the carcass of the sin offering, that is, all the fat surrounding the internal organs, as well as the two kidneys and the fat around them on the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. (This should be done in the same manner as with the bull of the peace offering.) The priest should then burn these upon the Sacrificial Altar. However, the rest of the bull, its hide, meat, legs, head, intestines, as well as the remainder of the internal organs, must be taken to a clean area outside the Tabernacle, to the place where ashes are dumped, there to be burned upon a wood fire.
"If the entire community has transgressed by unintentionally committing an act that Jehovah has forbidden and is unaware of the act, it should, when the transgression becomes known and the guilt realized, present before the Tabernacle a sin offering in the form of a young bull. The tribal elders should lay their hands upon the bull's head, and it should be slaughtered in front of the Sanctum. The high priest will take some of the blood of the slaughtered bull into the Sanctum. He should dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the curtains of the Inner Sanctum. The priest should then dab some of the bull's blood upon the horns of the Incense Altar that stands before the Inner Sanctum and pour out the rest of it at the base of the Sacrificial Altar, which is positioned before the entrance to the Sanctum. He should remove all the fat from the carcass and burn it on the Sacrificial Altar. All should be done with this bull as with the former sin offering. The priest will make atonement for the people, and they will be forgiven. The remains of the bull should be carried away from camp and disposed of by burning as was done with the aforementioned bull. This will be the communal sin offering.
"When it is a leader who is guilty of transgression, of unintentionally committing an act forbidden by his god Jehovah, he should, when the transgression becomes known and the guilt realized, present a male goat without defect as a sin offering. He should hold the goat by the head and slaughter it in front of the Sanctum where burnt offerings are customarily made. This will be a sin offering. The priest should dab some of the bull's blood upon the horns of the Sacrificial Altar and pour out the rest of it at the base of the Sacrificial Altar. He should burn the fat on this altar, as was done with the peace offering. In this manner the priest will make atonement for the leader, and the leader will thus be forgiven.
"When it is an ordinary member of the community who is guilty of transgression, of unintentionally committing an act forbidden by Jehovah, he should, when the transgression becomes known and the guilt realized, present a female goat without defect as a sin offering. He should hold the goat by the head and slaughter it in front of the Sanctum where burnt offerings are customarily made. The priest should dab some of the bull's blood upon the horns of the Sacrificial Altar and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. He should burn the fat on the Sacrificial Altar, as was done with the peace offering. This will produce an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah, and in this manner, the priest will achieve atonement for this person, who will thus be forgiven.
If the sin offering presented is a lamb, it should be a female without defect. The lamb should be held by the head and slaughtered in front of the Sanctum where burnt offerings are customarily made. The priest should dab some of the lamb’s blood upon the horns of the Sacrificial Altar and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. He should remove all the fat, as it was removed for the peace offering, and burn it on the Sacrificial Altar on top of the regular burnt offerings to Jehovah. In this way, the priest will achieve for this person atonement for his transgression so he will be forgiven.
Notes
1. The sin offerings discussed here are all for transgressions, violations of Jehovah's commandments and ordinances that are unintentional, or inadvertent. The Hebrews maintained a moral view that a sinful act was sufficient in itself to produce guilt in the actor. On the other hand, we believe that intent and state of mind is vital in accessing guilt; a person is generally not considered morally responsible for acts committed involuntarily, unknowingly or even accidentally, if no negligence is involved. In the Torah, intent, knowledge and aforethought seem to be beside the point in many, but not all instances. In Exodus, for example, the owner of an animal that damages a neighbor's property is not liable if he took precautions to pen his animal or was ignorant of the animal's untoward propensities. Here, however, a man seems to be totally responsible for his own actions, purposeful or not, with little ethical wiggle room.
2. Atonement for unintentional acts of moral transgression is not achieved by a resolution to be more aware, or careful, or fastidious or by a commitment to perform good deeds, or what we would call community service, but rather by merely killing an animal for Jehovah's benefit. This can only be inexplicable to the modern mindset, but not, apparently, to the ancient way of thinking. Imagine a contemporary scenario: in good faith an auto company manufacturers cars with faulty equipment that causes injuries and maybe deaths -- unintentional moral wrong. In lieu of lawsuits, the CEO of the offending company redeems himself by going into a church and slitting the throat of the family dog and sprinkling its blood upon the altar. He is then absolved of guilt. --- Obviously, we do not think along these lines.
3. Again we are reminded how God-awful bloody the holy places of Jehovan worship must have been with all these animals being slaughtered and blood being sprinkled and smeared about.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Peace Offerings
(Leviticus 3:1 - 3:17)
"If you are to make a peace offering and are sacrificing to Jehovah cattle from the herd, the animal should be without defect, whether it be male or female. You should grab the animal by the head and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Aaron's sons, the priests, will then sprinkle its blood against the sides of the Sacrificial Altar. As part of the peace offering food should be presented to Jehovah -- the internal organs and the fat connected to them, both kidneys with the fat surrounding them on the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which should be removed with the kidneys. The priest will place these upon the sacrificed animal burning in the wood fire on top of the altar. The food offering will produce an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah.
"If your peace offering to Jehovah is an animal of the flock, it should be a male or female without defect. If you offer a lamb to Jehovah, then you should grab it by the head and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Aaron's sons, the priests, will then sprinkle its blood against the sides of the Sacrificial Altar. As part of the peace offering, food should be presented to Jehovah -- the fat of the entire broad tail, cut off at the backbone, the internal organs and the fat connected to them, both kidneys with the fat surrounding them on the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which should be removed with the kidneys. These the priest will burn upon the altar as a food sacrifice, a burnt offering to Jehovah.
"If the offering to Jehovah be a goat, then you should grab it by the head and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Aaron's sons, the priests, will then sprinkle its blood against the sides of the Sacrificial Altar. As part of the peace offering, food should be presented to Jehovah -- the internal organs and the fat connected to them, both kidneys with the fat surrounding them on the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which should be removed with the kidneys. These the priest will burn upon the altar as a food offering, producing an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah.
"All the fat is reserved for Jehovah. This is established as a permanent law to be observed by all future generations wherever they may live: you are forbidden to eat fat or blood."
Notes
1. The term "peace offering" is used today in a general, non-religious context. It is a gift to foster goodwill among rivals or enemies or to make amends after conflict. In this context it seems to be less a means for atonement and more as customary tribute to ensure Jehovah's continued favor and to foster the worshiper’s relationship with his god. Sacrifices were always a part of the relationship that ancient man had with his god. You do something for me, I do something for you. This is not, of course, an inequitable arrangement. The worshiper held up his end by making sacrifices, mostly by slaughtering livestock for the benefit of the god. To the literal minded, this cannot make much sense, even if others may find some satisfying symbolism in it. Does the god come down to earth and chow down at the altar. No. Does he absorb some spiritual energy from the slaughtered animals? How and why does he need to do so? Can he actually smell the aroma of the roasted flesh of the sacrificial victims, as Jehovah purportedly does? Does Jehovah do this through a physical presence? (Although ghostly smells have been often recorded, there is little evidence that spirit beings or entities on an astral plane can smell, even if they are able to see and hear.) And if Jehovah were God, or even a lesser spirit being, why would he be obsessed with such earthly and earthy sensations as the aroma of cooked meals? Shouldn't he be attracted to more exalted pleasures and find gratification in more productive and morally uplifting acts?
2. The fat of sacrificed animals is expressly reserved for the deity and forbidden to man. Jehovah is never shy about asserting his prerogatives, but why he should prefer fat to lean is a question. But there always be in the proclamations of Jehovah some prohibition of a trivial nature that will be promoted as an eternal law, the violation of which constitutes a deadly sin. This corresponds to the regimen of taboos that permeate primitive cultures. Such taboos are an intrinsic part of all societies at an early stage of development. Civilized man discards these taboos when he eventually realizes how childish and useless they are.
3. Blood and fat are forbidden for man to eat. Is this a general prohibition or does it pertain only to the meat of sacrificial victims? How strictly should the law be applied? Is there such a thing as a piece of meat that does not contain cooked fat and blood? A 100% lean, fatless, juiceless steak does not sound very appealing. Is that all that the followers of Jehovah are allowed to eat?
"If you are to make a peace offering and are sacrificing to Jehovah cattle from the herd, the animal should be without defect, whether it be male or female. You should grab the animal by the head and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Aaron's sons, the priests, will then sprinkle its blood against the sides of the Sacrificial Altar. As part of the peace offering food should be presented to Jehovah -- the internal organs and the fat connected to them, both kidneys with the fat surrounding them on the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which should be removed with the kidneys. The priest will place these upon the sacrificed animal burning in the wood fire on top of the altar. The food offering will produce an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah.
"If your peace offering to Jehovah is an animal of the flock, it should be a male or female without defect. If you offer a lamb to Jehovah, then you should grab it by the head and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Aaron's sons, the priests, will then sprinkle its blood against the sides of the Sacrificial Altar. As part of the peace offering, food should be presented to Jehovah -- the fat of the entire broad tail, cut off at the backbone, the internal organs and the fat connected to them, both kidneys with the fat surrounding them on the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which should be removed with the kidneys. These the priest will burn upon the altar as a food sacrifice, a burnt offering to Jehovah.
"If the offering to Jehovah be a goat, then you should grab it by the head and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Aaron's sons, the priests, will then sprinkle its blood against the sides of the Sacrificial Altar. As part of the peace offering, food should be presented to Jehovah -- the internal organs and the fat connected to them, both kidneys with the fat surrounding them on the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which should be removed with the kidneys. These the priest will burn upon the altar as a food offering, producing an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah.
"All the fat is reserved for Jehovah. This is established as a permanent law to be observed by all future generations wherever they may live: you are forbidden to eat fat or blood."
Notes
1. The term "peace offering" is used today in a general, non-religious context. It is a gift to foster goodwill among rivals or enemies or to make amends after conflict. In this context it seems to be less a means for atonement and more as customary tribute to ensure Jehovah's continued favor and to foster the worshiper’s relationship with his god. Sacrifices were always a part of the relationship that ancient man had with his god. You do something for me, I do something for you. This is not, of course, an inequitable arrangement. The worshiper held up his end by making sacrifices, mostly by slaughtering livestock for the benefit of the god. To the literal minded, this cannot make much sense, even if others may find some satisfying symbolism in it. Does the god come down to earth and chow down at the altar. No. Does he absorb some spiritual energy from the slaughtered animals? How and why does he need to do so? Can he actually smell the aroma of the roasted flesh of the sacrificial victims, as Jehovah purportedly does? Does Jehovah do this through a physical presence? (Although ghostly smells have been often recorded, there is little evidence that spirit beings or entities on an astral plane can smell, even if they are able to see and hear.) And if Jehovah were God, or even a lesser spirit being, why would he be obsessed with such earthly and earthy sensations as the aroma of cooked meals? Shouldn't he be attracted to more exalted pleasures and find gratification in more productive and morally uplifting acts?
2. The fat of sacrificed animals is expressly reserved for the deity and forbidden to man. Jehovah is never shy about asserting his prerogatives, but why he should prefer fat to lean is a question. But there always be in the proclamations of Jehovah some prohibition of a trivial nature that will be promoted as an eternal law, the violation of which constitutes a deadly sin. This corresponds to the regimen of taboos that permeate primitive cultures. Such taboos are an intrinsic part of all societies at an early stage of development. Civilized man discards these taboos when he eventually realizes how childish and useless they are.
3. Blood and fat are forbidden for man to eat. Is this a general prohibition or does it pertain only to the meat of sacrificial victims? How strictly should the law be applied? Is there such a thing as a piece of meat that does not contain cooked fat and blood? A 100% lean, fatless, juiceless steak does not sound very appealing. Is that all that the followers of Jehovah are allowed to eat?
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Cereal Offerings
(Leviticus 2:1 - 2:16)
“Whenever a cereal offering is to be made to Jehovah, it should consist of the finest flour, moistened with oil and sprinkled with frankincense. The worshiper should deliver it into the hands of the priests, Aaron's sons. The priest will take a handful of the flour, seasoned with oil and frankincense, and put this token portion upon the altar fire. It will be a burnt offering that will produce an aroma most pleasing to Jehovah. The remainder of the flour will belong to Aaron and his sons, a very holy part of Jehovah's burnt offering.
“If grain is to be offered that has been baked in an oven, it should consisted of the finest flour, either thick loaves made without yeast, with olive oil mixed with the flour, or in the form of wafers, also made without yeast, but with the oil olive spread on it. If the cereal offering is fried on a griddle, it should be of the finest flour mixed with olive oil, but made without yeast. Crumble it into pieces, pour olive oil over it and it will be a cereal offering. And if the offering is cooked in a pan, it should also be of the finest flour mixed with olive oil. However the offering for Jehovah has been prepared, bring it to the priest who will present it at the altar. A portion of it will be burned upon the altar as a sacrifice. It will be a burnt offering that will produce an aroma most pleasing to Jehovah. The rest of the bread will be left to Aaron and his sons for food, a very holy part of Jehovah's burnt offering.
“Do not use yeast in preparing any of the cereal offerings, for neither yeast nor honey can be apart of any burnt offering to Jehovah. (They may be a part of the offerings of first fruits, but not offerings that will be burnt upon the altar.) Instead, season all your offerings with salt. By no means omit salt from the sacrificial offerings; do not forget it, for salt is a memorial to your everlasting pact with Jehovah, your god.
“If the cereal offerings you bring to Jehovah are from the first fruits of the harvest, then bring newly sprouted heads of grain that have been crushed and roasted. Pour oil and sprinkle frankincense upon them. The priest will take a token portion of this crushed grain, with the oil and frankincense, and burn it upon the altar as a sacrifice to Jehovah.”
Notes
1. It must be noted that the priests end up receiving the greater part of all the cereal offerings, flour, bread, wafers, etc., sacrificed to the god. The rights of the priests are made quite clear here. Indeed, no ancient priest, whether he be of Jehovah or any other god, could complain about the food that went along with the job. He would literally eat like a god. It was a major perquisite of the profession. The priestly class (and this extends to the Christian church for much of its history) had a material interest in communal piety. The more devoted and observant were members of the congregation, the more goodies, the more wealth accrued to the priesthood. However well intentioned the practice of making sacrifices, it was inevitably abused in nearly all religions. Sacrifices become a money-making enterprise, a racket, for the priests and an easy way for worshipers to get in their god's good graces. --- But it entailed the waste of a lot of good food.
2. Salt, required as a seasoning for the cereal offerings, was historically used for commemoration in many ancient cultures. And, as any laborer in the salt mines would tell you, it was a precious substance, so much so that Roman soldiers were paid off in salt -- thus the word "salary."
“Whenever a cereal offering is to be made to Jehovah, it should consist of the finest flour, moistened with oil and sprinkled with frankincense. The worshiper should deliver it into the hands of the priests, Aaron's sons. The priest will take a handful of the flour, seasoned with oil and frankincense, and put this token portion upon the altar fire. It will be a burnt offering that will produce an aroma most pleasing to Jehovah. The remainder of the flour will belong to Aaron and his sons, a very holy part of Jehovah's burnt offering.
“If grain is to be offered that has been baked in an oven, it should consisted of the finest flour, either thick loaves made without yeast, with olive oil mixed with the flour, or in the form of wafers, also made without yeast, but with the oil olive spread on it. If the cereal offering is fried on a griddle, it should be of the finest flour mixed with olive oil, but made without yeast. Crumble it into pieces, pour olive oil over it and it will be a cereal offering. And if the offering is cooked in a pan, it should also be of the finest flour mixed with olive oil. However the offering for Jehovah has been prepared, bring it to the priest who will present it at the altar. A portion of it will be burned upon the altar as a sacrifice. It will be a burnt offering that will produce an aroma most pleasing to Jehovah. The rest of the bread will be left to Aaron and his sons for food, a very holy part of Jehovah's burnt offering.
“Do not use yeast in preparing any of the cereal offerings, for neither yeast nor honey can be apart of any burnt offering to Jehovah. (They may be a part of the offerings of first fruits, but not offerings that will be burnt upon the altar.) Instead, season all your offerings with salt. By no means omit salt from the sacrificial offerings; do not forget it, for salt is a memorial to your everlasting pact with Jehovah, your god.
“If the cereal offerings you bring to Jehovah are from the first fruits of the harvest, then bring newly sprouted heads of grain that have been crushed and roasted. Pour oil and sprinkle frankincense upon them. The priest will take a token portion of this crushed grain, with the oil and frankincense, and burn it upon the altar as a sacrifice to Jehovah.”
Notes
1. It must be noted that the priests end up receiving the greater part of all the cereal offerings, flour, bread, wafers, etc., sacrificed to the god. The rights of the priests are made quite clear here. Indeed, no ancient priest, whether he be of Jehovah or any other god, could complain about the food that went along with the job. He would literally eat like a god. It was a major perquisite of the profession. The priestly class (and this extends to the Christian church for much of its history) had a material interest in communal piety. The more devoted and observant were members of the congregation, the more goodies, the more wealth accrued to the priesthood. However well intentioned the practice of making sacrifices, it was inevitably abused in nearly all religions. Sacrifices become a money-making enterprise, a racket, for the priests and an easy way for worshipers to get in their god's good graces. --- But it entailed the waste of a lot of good food.
2. Salt, required as a seasoning for the cereal offerings, was historically used for commemoration in many ancient cultures. And, as any laborer in the salt mines would tell you, it was a precious substance, so much so that Roman soldiers were paid off in salt -- thus the word "salary."
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