Continental Commentary Series: Leviticus: A Book of Ritual and Ethics
by Jacob Milgrom
Fortress Press 2004
Overview
Values are what Leviticus is all about. They pervade every chapter and almost every verse. Underlying the rituals, careful readers will find an intricate web of values that purports to model how we should relate to God and to each other. Ritual is the poetry of religion that leads us to a moment of transcendence. When a ritual fails because it either lacks content, or is misleading, it loses its efficacy and purpose. A ritual must signify something beyond itself, whose attainment enhances the meaning and value of life. This is the achievement of Leviticus.
Building upon his life-long work on the book of Leviticus, Milgrom makes this book accessible to all readers. He demonstrates the logic of Israel's sacrificial system, the ethical dimensions of ancient worship, and the priestly forms of ritual.
Praise for the Print Edition
[This volume’s] clarity and accessibility make it a most valuable resource for anyone who wishes to engage with Jacob Milgrom’s important scholarly contributions.
—William K. Gilders, Emory University
Product Details
- Title: Continental Commentary Series: Leviticus: A Book of Ritual and Ethics
- Author: Jacob Milgrom
- Publisher: Fortress Press
- Publication Date: 2004
- Pages: 408
About Jacob Milgrom
Jacob Milgrom is emeritus professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of California, Berkeley, and a widely published author. His books include Studies in Levitical Terminology, Cult and Conscience: The Asham and the Priestly Doctrine of Repentance, Numbers in the JPS Torah Commentary, and Leviticus in the Anchor Yale Bible.