Leviticus as Literature

Abstract

This is a study of Leviticus from an anthropological perspective, which presents the biblical work as a literary masterpiece. Seen from this perspective Leviticus has a literary structure that plots it into three parts corresponding to the three parts of the desert tabernacle, which in turn correspond to the parts of Mount Sinai. This completely new reading transforms the interpretation of the purity laws. The pig and other forbidden animals are not abhorrent; they command the same respect that is due to all God’s creatures. Boldly challenging several traditions of Bible criticism, Mary Douglas claims that Leviticus is not the narrow doctrine of a crabbed professional priesthood, but a powerful theological statement about a religion that emphasizes God’s justice and compassion.

Theology as an Ethnographic Object: An Anthropology of Eastern Christian Rupture

“…Similarly, much of the discipline's early ethnographic data comes from the Christian missions. Mary Douglas (1966) Purity and Danger as well as her other pieces on Hebrew practice and anthropological concepts such as rites of passage (Douglas 1993(Douglas , 1999(Douglas , 2004 have, in reciprocation, entered into The Anthropology of Christianity becomes particularly 'self-conscious' when that Anthropology engages in studying the Christian Other purposefully, being aware of the shared history, theory and terminology. As Keane expresses it:…”

On the Values of Biblical Law and their Contemporary Application

“…41 David Daube has commented on P's "trend towards abstraction, systematization, classification, perhaps, and the thing is becoming more of an institution," 42 and Mary Douglas has contrasted Deuteronomy, which "uses the language of feeling and cause and effect…is political, brilliant at rousing congregations to enthusiasm," with Leviticus, which "…is not given to expatiating on moral values in the abstract, its style is more to do with a concrete logic of positions and objects." 43 Jonathan Burnside has recently addressed the second question, whether such advances in drafting supersede the narrative (imagistic) approach to the construction of sense, in a recent study of the dietary laws. 44 Thus Leviticus provides not only lists of forbidden (and some permitted) species (especially, but not always, when they appear to be "borderline" cases 45 ), but also definitional criteria: "Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat" (Lev.…”

Studying Ancient Israelite Ritual: Methodological Considerations

“…This suggests that Leviticus does not accurately describe the actual practices in the temple. Douglas says that the editors of Leviticus were attempting to reinstate the pure Mosaic legacy (1999, p. 8), which further widens the gap between text and practice. Gorman suggests that the rituals described in Leviticus were a way of naturalizing a particular vision of reality (1999, p. 5).…”