Priestly Extortion

May 15, 2009, 7:58 am by dc-agape.

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The Last Words of Levi (Part 2)

This part of the Last Words of Levi is about proper priestly lifestyles and blood sacrifices.  Now that is a neat combination of topics, right?  First, Isaac teaches about the proper etiquette for a priest.  Second, Isaac teaches about cleanliness.  Third, Isaac teaches how to blood sacrifice to YHWH.  Most of this section is about the sacrifice.

The proper lifestyle is simple, carefully avoid all ritual impurities.  That’s it; there is no more information than that.  But the second one, this is the one that today’s priest seem to not be able to follow.  Levi must, and all priest of YHWH, must avoid impure lewdness and improper sexual acts.  He goes on to say that marrying outside the clan is identical to marrying a harlot!  But do notice that priest of YHWH are to marry.  Celibacy is not the proper etiquette for the priesthood.

The second lesson deals with cleanliness.  A priest must bathe before entering the house of YHWH, and then were the appropriate clothing.  After that, one must was their hands and feet.  Each time something is placed on the altar, be it wood, animal parts, flour, oil, wine, or incense the priest must again wash their hands and feet.  And especially, no blood on the garments!

Interestingly, Isaac has three special commands about the wood used to burn the blood offering.  First, it cannot have any defect and definitely no worms.  Second the wood used can only come from 12 trees: cedar, juniper, mastic, pine, small pine, aduna, cypress, thekaka, bay, tamarisk, myrtle, or camel’s thorn.  Third, as soon as the fire begins to burn, the alter must be sprinkled with blood.  But no blood can be on the priest before starting the actual sacrifice, so the priest must wash hand and feet again. 

The lesson about the actually blood sacrifice is very specific.  The order of body parts is important.  That order is: the head, the fat, the neck, the forefeet, the breast and sides, the thigh and lower spine, ending with the feet and entrails.  But if you thought that was all there was to it, you would be wrong.  This is only the start. 

For each animal sacrificed there is a special amount of wood, salt, flour with oil, wine, and incense.  The best part is that the person requesting the offering must provide the proper amounts of each ingredient!

The table below is the total cost of each sacrifice to the person wanting YHWH forgiveness for their transgressions (in present day US dollars):

Isaac goes on to lay great praise on Levi for becoming the priest for the family.  He continues to warn about proper bathing and washing of hands and feet.  But then he gets even more esoteric: the priest cannot eat any cooked animal until the blood is buried.  This is because the soul of the animal is contained in the blood and also because the Book of Noah tells priest to do this.  Isaac ends these lessons with much praise to the one who massacred the entire city of Shechem.  Isaac goes so far as to claim that Levi is his beloved son, dear to Jacob and holy to YHWH.  Isaac ends with the claim that Levi is the dearest child of Jacob. 

I guess somewhere in all this Joseph and Judah are forgotten.  Since there is no doubt that at Jacob’s death bed he felt that Joseph and Judah were the most important (Gen 49:1-28).  To an Atheist, the price required to be forgiven by YHWH is extreme…especially when you think that these sacrifices have to take place numerous time per week for each family member.  But even more devious is that all the sacrificial animals are food for the priests!  What a racket. 

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