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Book of Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus (from Greek Λευιτικός, Leuitikos, meaning "relating to the Levites"; Hebrew: ויקרא, Vayikra, "And He called") is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah (or Pentateuch).
The English name is from the Latin Leviticus, taken in turn from Greek and a reference to the Levites, the tribe from whom the priests were drawn. In addition to instructions for those priests, it also addresses the role and duties of the laity.[1]
Leviticus rests in two crucial beliefs: the first, that the world was created "very good" and retains the capacity to achieve that state although it is vulnerable to sin and defilement; the second, that the faithful enactment of ritual makes God's presence available, while ignoring or breaching it compromises the harmony between God and the world.[2]
The traditional view is that Leviticus was compiled by Moses, or that the material in it goes back to his time, but internal clues suggest that it originated in post-exilic (.e., after c.538 BCE) Jewish worship centred on reading or preaching.[3][4] Scholars are practically unanimous that the book had a long period of growth, that it includes some material of considerable antiquity, and that it reached its present form in the Persian period (538–332 BC).[5]
Leviticus is commonly cited[6][7][8] for its statements against homosexuality (King James Version: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death.")[9] and condoning slavery. ("Both your male and female slaves, whom you shall have")[10]
Quotes·Quotations by Leviticus, Old Testament, Bible
¶ You shall not steal. You shall not deceive or speak falsely to one another. [Various Rules of Conduct | Leviticus 19,11]
¶ You shall not exploit your neighbor. You shall not commit robbery. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your laborer. You shall not insult the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind. [Various Rules of Conduct | Leviticus 19,13-14]
¶ You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your neighbor justly. [Various Rules of Conduct | Leviticus 19,15]
¶ You shall not hate any of your kindred in your heart. Reprove your neighbor openly so that you do not incur sin because of that person. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your own people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. [Various Rules of Conduct | Leviticus 19,17-18]
References
[1]^ Wenham, p.3
[2]^ Gorman, pp.4–5, 14–16
[3]^ Wenham, p.8 ff.
[4]^ Gerstenberger, p.4
[5]^ a b Grabbe (1998), p.92
[6]^ http://www.vpr.net/npr/152466134
[7]^ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/04/mtvs-dan-savage-whacked-by-ptc-for-anti-bible-remarks.html
[8]^ http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2004/07/16/the-abominable-shellfish/
[9]^ Leviticus 20:13 KJV
[10]^ Leviticus 25:44-46
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviticus