Leviticus 11-17

Laws regarding Legal Purity, the Day of Atonement, and Sacrifices. 11-17

Chapter 11 deals with Clean and unclean animals. The epistle of Barnabas gives an allegorical interpretation for these laws. Because they are unbinding on Christians in accordance with the Acts 15 council and Jesus' words, early Christians who believed that this was scripture needed a way to interpret these texts so that they could understand their overall moral or purpose.

According to the Epistle of Barnabas (which is not scripture), these animals represented negative attributes that the people of God were not to exhibit. The Pig was unclean because it would literally eat anything, healthy or unhealthy, and God wanted his people to live healthy lives by only participating in activities that could be considered morally healthy. The Vulture was unclean because it was a scavenger. This represented that God did not want his people to disrespect those who were weaker than them, etc.

Others have suggested that because certain foods, if not cooked right, could be deadly, and because the knowledge was not available to them, God simply forbade those foods, until people knew how to cook those foods properly. I am less convinced of this interpretation. I would prefer Barnabas' allegorical interpretation and application.

Chapter 12 deals with the purification of women after they give birth to a child. The character of God is shown in this passage because there is a provision for women who are poor, and cannot afford to give the prescribed lamb for the offering. Poor families were permitted to give either two turtle-doves (which would be the more expensive option) or two pigeons (which would be the least expensive offering, available for the poorest of people.Luke chapter 2 records that Mary and Joseph offered two turtle doves or two pigeons indicating that they were very poor people.

Chapters 13-14 deals with leprosy and how a person or a house may be made ritually clean after a period of being leprous.

Chapter 15 deals with bodily fluids, such as nocturnal emissions and blood from a period.

Chapter 16 is the day of atonement. It is the center of the book. This is an intentional thing.The day of Atonement was the day that all of Israel's sins were forgiven.

Chapter 17 deals specifically with the slaugtering of animals for the purposes of sacrifice, along with a prohibition against eating blood.