AUTHOR: As in Genesis and Exodus, Moses is credited with authorship.

ORIGIN OF NAME: The Hebrew name of this book is "Wayyiqra". The term in English is derived from the Latin "Leviticus", borrowed from the Greek "Leuitikon", which refers to the Levites and the Laws

THEME: Leviticus presents the laws by which Israel would maintain communion with their God. It instructs how a redeemed people can approach God through worship and how fellowship can be maintained through sanctification. The message of Leviticus is that access to God is through the blood alone, and the access thus gained requires the worshiper's holiness. God is intrinsically holy and calls his people to be holy by giving them the standard of obedience by which he can maintain holiness.

COMPILATION: The exact date when this book was written remains uncertain, although it undoubtedly occurred during the wandering in the desert before the death of Moses, it is estimated 1445 / 1440 BC. It is the third book of the Pentateuch and comprises 27 chapters and 859 verses.

PARTICULARITIES:

The life of access to God through sacrifices and offerings:

Holocausts, which meant atonement and consecration

Oblations, which meant thanksgiving

Sin offerings, which meant reconciliation

Trespass offerings, which meant cleansing from guilt

Peace Offerings

The life of access to God through priestly mediation:

The human priesthood

Your calling

Your cleaning

Your ornaments

Your atonement

Examples of His Sinful Life

Special laws governing Israel, all emphasizing purity of life as a condition for obtaining divine favor:

About food

Regarding cleanliness and hygiene

About customs and morals

Concerning the purity of the priests and the offerings

The five annual festivals:

The Feast of Passover began on April 14th, in commemoration of the exodus

The feast of Pentecost (or of weeks), the sixth day of June in commemoration of the giving of the law

The Feast of Trumpets, the first day of October

The Day of Atonement, the tenth of October. The priest would enter the Most Holy Place and make atonement for the sins of the people

The Feast of Tabernacles began on the fifteenth of October. Celebrating life in the desert and thanking God for the harvest

General laws and instructions:

The gap year. One year out of seven the land was left uncultivated

The Jubilee year. One year in every fifty was appointed for slaves to be freed, debts forgiven, and a general restitution to take place.

Conditions for blessings and warnings about punishment

The Law of Votes