Leviticus 17:11 and the Theology of Sacrifice

It should be noted from the start that objectivity” as it is commonly understood is not a goal of this thesis. The primary reason is that such objectivity is considered Tobe impossible. That is, if by objectivity one means that one reads and studies a text without presuppositions and without a hermeneutic, then one is striving after wind. No reader is a tabula rasa. All scholars read texts from within a given school of thought. Historical critics have certain presuppositions regarding texts, for instance, starting with the assumption that cultic material is late (post-exilic). Redaction critics assume the existence of an editing tradition; form critics assume that knowing the form of a text enables the reader to pinpoint the Sitz im Lebenin which it was written. In this thesis, the operating philosophy is not objectivity, but honesty. That is, this reader comes at the text with certain hermeneutical predispositions; it has been his purpose to remain constantly aware of and consistent in the use of these predispositions. This, of course, opens this thesis up to the charge of subjectivity. Note that the stated purpose of the thesis was to present one reader\u27s attempt to understand the text. It does not claim to have the final word. But neither is it merely subjective. The readings given in this work are supported by textual evidence, and by a strong tradition of reading. It is hoped that the views expressed herein will make some small contribution to the on-going task of studying the sacrifices of the Old Testament