
Blood Expiation in Hittite and Biblical Ritual
Origins, Context, and Meaning
Yitzhaq Feder(Author)
Society of Biblical Literature (Publisher)
Published on 27. June 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
322 pages
978-1-58983-554-2 (ISBN)
Description
This pioneering study examines the use of blood to purge the effects of sin and impurity in Hittite and biblical ritual. The idea that blood atones for sins holds a prominent place in both Jewish and Christian traditions. The author traces this notion back to its earliest documentation in the fourteenth- and thirteenth-century B.C.E. texts from Hittite Anatolia, in which the smearing of blood is used as a means of expiation, purification, and consecration. This rite parallels, in both its procedure and goals, the biblical sin offering. The author argues that this practice stems from a common tradition manifested in both cultures. In addition, this book aims to decipher and elucidate the symbolism of the practice of blood smearing by seeking to identify the sociocultural context in which the expiatory significance of blood originated. Thus, it is essential reading for anyone interested in the meaning and efficacy of ritual, the origins of Jewish and Christian notions of sin and atonement, and the origin of the biblical blood rite.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Atlanta
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
black & white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
525 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-58983-554-2 (9781589835542)
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Schweitzer Classification