An Atheist Explores the Bible Part Twenty: God *really* loves a barbecue (Leviticus 6-10)

Leviticus 6-10
God really loves a barbecue.



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 6
“Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.”

The chapter starts with a bit of expansion on property law, and more specifically on swearing falsely. This then leads into instructions for a “burnt” offering, although it’s not clear if this kind of offering is meant to expiate the aforementioned kinds of transgression – the juxtaposition implies it but it is not explicit. The main feature of a burnt offering is that it is burned overnight in the sacred flames until nothing is left, and then the ashes are disposed of out of camp. This then segues into “meat” offerings, for which read unleavened bread mixed with oil and frankincense. It’s not clear when this is used, perhaps it’s an expansion on the bread offerings mentioned earlier. Because the chapter also jumps back to sin offerings. An interesting addendum here – the priests must eat some of the sin offering, and anyone who does so is considered holy. This sounds awfully like communion, which I guess is an adaptation of this particular bit of ritual.

Leviticus 7
“This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings;”

Okay, these offerings are getting a bit tedious now. There’s some more on the trespass offering, which is more of the same (burning offal), and some further exhortations not to eat fat or blood. The proscription on eating the fat of an animal that’s died of old age or been killed by wild beasts – that’s probably fairly sensible food hygiene, I would have thought.  There’s not a lot to say here. The word “oblation” is used, which is another of those really nice ecclesiastical words.

Leviticus 8
“And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses.”

What else are you going to gird someone with, if not a girdle? After all the guidelines for the sacrifices, this chapter describes the first consecration of the tabernacle, Aaron and his sons and all the paraphernalia and regalia. This involves anointing with oil, and then three separate sacrifices; a bullock as a sin offering, a ram as a burnt offering and a ram as a consecration offering. Much burning of fat and kidneys, as well as anointing the priesthood with blood on the right ear, right thumb and big toe of the right foot. The symbolism of this is not explained.  Then, after seven days, the tabernacle is open for business!

Leviticus 9
“And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering;”

More animal sacrifices for the various different purposes given previously. I make it 2 calves, 2 rams, a kid, a lamb and a bullock. That’s a serious mixed grill. This is all carried out according to instruction and at the end of it the fire of god descends and consumes the offerings and the people fall prostrate.

Leviticus 10
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.”

I’m not sure that Aaron and his sons were the right people to entrust with the rituals. Not only was Aaron responsible for the whole golden calf incident, now his sons get things wrong. Nadab and Abihu burn the wrong kind of incense and get burned alive for it. Then Aaron’s two remaining sons Eleazar and Ithamar get into trouble for not eating the leftover meat from some of these offerings. Aaron basically points out that they’ve already eaten loads and Moses relents. There are some other statutes sneaked in here – don’t drink in the tabernacle lest you become confused between clean and unclean, holy and unholy. There’s also mention of the “wave” offering, which seems to be a piece of meat waved over the fire, and a “heave” offering which ... no, I’ve got no idea on this one.

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