Priestly Code: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 08:17, 13 August 2008

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Textual criticism also produces a noteworthy observation concerning Leviticus 12. This brief chapter concerns the ritual of purification after childbirth, which is strikingly similar to the rituals for purification after [[menstruation]], and other bodily discharges ([[bleeding]], [[pus]], [[vomit]], etc.), at the end of Leviticus 15. Both, for example, involve ''two turtledoves, or two young pigeons'' brought to a priest, one for a ''sin offering'' and the other for a ''burnt offering'', on the eighth day. According to textual criticism, the writing style, vocabulary, and so forth, is also indicative of a single author for the two chapters. Consequently, most biblical critics view Leviticus 12 as originally belonging immediately after Leviticus 15:30, as Leviticus 15 has the structure of discussion on male non-sexual discharges, followed by discussion on male sexual discharges ([[semen]]), followed by discussion on female non-sexual discharges, and thus Leviticus 12 completes the pat

tern, as it discusses childbirth, which can be viewed as sexually connected ([[Conception (biology)|conception]]) discharge (of a [[baby]]) by a female. Although there is not complete agreement about why this Chapter was moved, the currently most prominent reason given is that, at a later point in time, the view of childbirth changed, and it was no longer viewed as a sexual discharge.

==Modifications==