Leviticus and Numbers

sacrifice

a way humans communicate with their gods, act of thanksgiving by worshipper

• could be a whole burnt offering or cereal grain offering, depending on the offense

shared peace offering

provides the meat to the people and the fat to YHWH

manual of purity

centers on concepts of purity (clean and unclean behavior/criteria)

what makes someone unclean?

certain food, giving birth, skin disease, body fluid

holiness code

instructions about holy living to distinguish from neighbors

important festivals or feasts

sabbath, passover, firstfruits, day of atonement, feasts of booths

rebellion in the wilderness

wicked generation sent to wilderness until they die off in 40 years

deuteronomy

long sermon/recounting of the mosaic law given by moses before the israelites enter canaan - form of suzerain-vassal treaty

moses’ death

goes to mt. nebo to view the land and blesses people - joshua is his successor

book of joshua

theological-driven description of israelites’ entrance into canaan

book of judges

book of war and destruction, recounts the land of canaan pre-monarchy - land goes into chaos as the book goes on

purpose of the book of judges

sets up the need for a king

what were the roles of judges?

a local person appointed by God who unites tribes to defeat oppressors

women’s roles in judges

deborah is a prophetess and a judge

jael is a canaanite woman who defeats a military general

treatment of women highlights degradation of the israelites

samuel’s birth

mother struggles with infertility, YHWH answers her prayers for a child, dedicates samuel as a nazirite

nazirite 

set apart to YHWH for a purpose for a specific amount of time

• cannot drink wine, cut hair, touch dead bodies

samson

a bad nazirite, breaks all the rules

samuel

functions as a priest and as a judge, prophesizes as a king

saul

israel’s first king who is anointed by samuel at gilgal, new joshua figure,

• saul was handsome and RICH so people liked him

the fall of saul

battle between israel and philistines, saul offers sacrifice to YHWH (assumes priest role because samuel isn’t there)

rise of david

-wins against goliath

-marries saul’s daughter

-saul gets jealous

-lives as an outlaw

reign of king david

capital city in hebron for 7 years, moves capital to jerusalem for more central location

-brings ark of the covenant there, builds palace, several wives and kids

absalom’s coup

sits at city gate for 4 years telling people that david is unjust

-moves to hebron

-david leaves jerusalem bc everyone is now against him

-absalom dies after hair gets stuck in a tree