This episode covers two chapters in Leviticus, chapters 19-20. Leviticus 19 is essentially a mini-Torah of sorts, in that it mimes a number of the Ten Commandments and a wide range of laws and commandments that are representative of the overall Torah. Chapter 20...
Leviticus
Naked Bible 79: Leviticus 17-18
These two chapters launch that portion of Leviticus (17-26) that scholars refer to as the Holiness Code. The Holiness Code is oriented by the idea that the people of Israel bear the responsibility for holiness, a concept expressed in Lev 19:2 (“You shall be holy, for...
Naked Bible 76: Leviticus 16
This episode focuses on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) ritual. Unlike many popular commentaries teach, this important Old Testament ritual was about “resetting” the tabernacle/temple sanctuary, its priesthood, and the Israelite people to the state of ritual purity...
Naked Bible 75: Leviticus 12-15
This episode covers Leviticus 12-15, chapters that speak to the ritual impurity of women after childbirth, skin diseases (commonly referred to as leprosy), and loss of bodily fluids. The episode discusses the theological and worldview rationale for the laws about...
Naked Bible 74: Leviticus 11
This chapter of Leviticus describes the categories of clean and unclean animals allowed or disallowed for food. The Israelite “food laws” have long puzzled scholars. This episode overviews the various approaches to discovering a coherent rationale for these laws....
Naked Bible 73: Leviticus 10
Leviticus 10 describes the deaths of the priests Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, for offering “strange fire”. The nature of their transgression and other admonitions from God to the priesthood are discussed in this episode. Transcript 73 Leviticus 10 ...
Naked Bible 72: Leviticus 8 & 9
Leviticus 8-9 describes two distinct but related ceremonies: the consecration of the altar and Tabernacle, and the consecration of Aaron as High Priest (vv. 6–12) and his sons as priests. This episode focuses on some of the objects worn by the high priest (ephod, gold...
Naked Bible 69: Leviticus 6 & 7
Leviticus 6-7 These two chapters of Leviticus present the “law” for each of the sacrifices described in chapters 1–5. The earlier chapters emphasize the mechanics of the sacrifices (e.g., the preparation of sacrifices and their ingredients). Leviticus 6-7, on the...
Naked Bible 67: Leviticus 5
Leviticus 5 Leviticus 5 focuses on the so-called “guilt offering” of the OT sacrificial system. As was the case with the “sin offering” of Leviticus 4, the terminology / translation “guilt offering” is misleading, due to how Christians naturally filter OT sacrificial...
Naked Bible 66: Leviticus 4
Leviticus 4 Leviticus 4 focuses on the instructions for, and meaning of, the so-called “sin offering” of the OT sacrificial system. In this episode, we talk about how the translation “sin offering” is misleading, due to how Christians naturally filter OT sacrificial...
Naked Bible 65: Leviticus 2 & 3
Leviticus 2-3 Each of these two chapters covers a different offering: the grain offering (Lev 2) and the “peace offering” (Lev 3). This episode focuses on the theological messaging of prohibitions (leaven, honey) and requirements (salt) in the rituals. Transcript 65...
Naked Bible 64: Leviticus 1
Leviticus 1 Leviticus 1 focuses on one offering, the burnt offering. Our focus this episode is how an Israelite (not a modern Christian) would have processed the ritual and its meaning. The burnt offering was not about forgiveness of sin. Rather, it was designed to...
Naked Bible 63: Introducing Leviticus
Introducing Leviticus Leviticus is a fascinating but neglected book. In this episode Dr. Heiser introduces the flow of the book and important concepts that will reoccur throughout the book: sacred space, holiness, and ritual impurity vs. moral impurity. Transcript 63...
Sacrifice, Defilement, Purity, Impurity
I'm currently reading an excellent book by Jonathan Klawans entitled, Impurity and Sin in Ancient Judaism. Klawans makes a simple, yet profound observation -- that ritual impurity and the defilement brought about by sin are not the same in OT law and ritual. They are...
The Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16: A Goat for Azazel
I recently offered a distilled response to the question of what's going on in Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) chapter, which mentions (correctly) in some translations that one of the goats was "for Azazel." Azazel, the comment noted, was a demonic...