An Atheist Explores the Bible Part 22: Scapegoats, and why homosexuals, blood transfusions, naked uncles and rounding the corners of your head are all bad things. Actually, there is no "why". They Just Are Okay (Leviticus 16-20)

Leviticus 16-20
Scapegoats, and why homosexuals, blood transfusions, naked uncles and rounding the corners of your head are all bad things. Actually, there is no "why". They Just Are Okay.

Welcome to another instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Bible version).
In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the King James Bible, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. 

For more detail, see the introductory post http://bit.ly/2F8f9JT
For the online KJV I use, see here http://bit.ly/2m0zVUP

And now:
Leviticus 16
“But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.”

More instructions from God for sacrifices and rituals that Aaron must perform – the implication is that this is to atone for Aaron’s sons making the wrong kind of sacrifice previously, although I’m not certain on that point. Predominantly this chapter is again a very detailed description of the steps of the ritual, involving sacrifice and incense and purifications, but of interest is the role of the scapegoat, which I’m pretty sure isn’t mentioned before.

The priest recites all of the sins of his congregation over the scapegoat, which is then sent to bear the sins away into the wilderness. And then there is a statute to perform this yearly, on the tenth day of the seventh month.

Again you can see where some of the imagery of Christianity stems from, with Christ standing in for the scapegoat and carrying off the sins of the people. Given the cultural heritage it would seem likely that this ritual is the root of that idea, but the concept of a person or animal being given the sins or bad luck or curses or even the spirit of a dying fertility god is a widespread one – this version is unusual in that it deals with more personal salvation than cosmic forces, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Leviticus 17
“And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.”

Normally I quote a verse that tends to be a synecdoche of the chapter as a whole, but this one is not so representative. Rather I put it up there because it’s another wonderful mad street preacher line. Just imagine standing on a street corner shouting that at strangers.

Actually the chapter has a two-fold set of instructions. First, related to the quoted verse, if you sacrifice an animal you’d better make sure you do it at the tabernacle lest you be thought to be whoring after devils. Secondly, eat no blood, for “the life of the flesh is in the blood”. Another tiny bit of phrasing that has led to problems – I believe it’s this concept that makes Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusion. And it’s one of those expressions, much like the “leprosy” we saw last time, which is probably meant more metaphorically than it comes across. In a way, biologically speaking, it’s kind of correct, but like the blotchy walls causing blotchy skin thing, it’s also just wrong enough, based on an incomplete understanding, as to be a dangerous tenet upon which to base your life.

Also, of course, the reason for kosher butchery about which I have mixed opinions. Not based on animal welfare, more on logical grounds. On the one hand, I can understand that all these strictures serve to help define a belief system and culture this giving one a sense of identity and belonging. On the other hand, you really aren’t going to completely exsanguinate an animal even using sanctioned methods of slaughter, so it’s kind of an unachievable goal.

Leviticus 18
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Yeah, I thought that one was around here somewhere, yet another short little verse that has caused so many people so much misery. Of course, if you’re going to be the kind of person that uses Leviticus to justify your prejudices, you’d better make sure that you treat all of it with equal weight lest you seem a hypocrite. Ever eaten prawns? A juicy burger? You’re also an abomination. Got a spot on your face? Hope you kept yourself apart from everyone for seven days.

Not to dwell on this for too long, but I’m pretty sure from what I remember of the NT that Jesus’ message is basically “forget all the rules of the old tradition and be nice to each other”. Of which going around accusing people of being an abomination based on their sexuality is not being nice.

Anyway, the bulk of this chapter is basically a long list of people that you shouldn’t see naked, mainly your relatives. I dunno, this doesn’t tally with the early chapters of Genesis where God becomes angry with Adam and Eve for being ashamed of their nakedness. Maybe He carries a grudge from that first “disobedience”. I’ve since heard that possibly “seeing them naked” is a euphemism for “having sex with”, which makes more sense, but up until now the Bible has quite happily used “to know” and “to enter into” as euphemisms for sex, why add another?

Leviticus 19
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”

Y’see, this is confusing now. What if your neighbour is homosexual? Actually, ooh, ooh, I know this one, it’s “hate the sin and love the sinner” isn’t it? Yes, the old “they just need to be healed of their incorrect attitude” argument. Feh to that. Religious beliefs are fine until they start to negatively impinge on the lives of others (although, of course, the insidious thing is that these people that try to “fix” homosexuality really do believe they are doing it for a good cause).

But anyway, the rest of this chapter is a smorgasbord of miscellaneous rules, some that strike me as good (don’t be cruel to deaf and blind people), some as esoteric (don’t wear clothing of mixed linen and wool) and some just plain odd (“thou shalt not round the corners of thy head”).

Things forbidden: tattoos, self-harming, prostituting your daughter, using dishonest weights and measures, consulting magicians. Things you should do: honour old people, treat everyone fairly, fear your parents.

One interesting proscription is to leave some unharvested grain – once again I go back to The Golden Bough with old harvest legends where it was believed that the god of the harvest would be gradually driven out of the field by harvesting grain, and would reside in the last sheathe of wheat to be harvested. I wonder if this stems from a similar tradition. Also quite nice, there is a similar proscription to leave some grapes on the vine, for any hungry passers-by.

Leviticus 20
“Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth  of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.”

I looked this one up, assuming that Molech (or Moloch) was some kind of deity. Turns out to have been a Canaanite god worshipped with child sacrifice; I’ve had my disagreements with Leviticus but I’ll give it that one, it’s probably not a good practice to pursue.

This chapter deals with punishments relating mainly to previous proscriptions, which are either death (for bestiality, homosexuality, adultery, keeping a familiar and cursing your parents) or being cast as unclean (for sex during menstruation, touching unclean beasts and seeing family members naked). Actually that last suggest perhaps it is merely seeing them naked, and not any kind of incest, as I’d assume that this would be a death penalty if adultery or insulting your parents are.

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