Big Ideas · 26 · Prophet and Priest
The Torah published the priests' trade secrets
Priests guarded technical knowledge, like how to diagnose skin diseases or divide sacrificial portions. The Torah made these manuals public.
Privilege became duty.
Dig deeper
With access to the rules, lay leaders could spot corruption, fraud, or politically motivated rulings among the priests. Leviticus 13's detailed instructions on skin conditions were once for priests' eyes only. Later, study could even substitute for sacrifice.
Bible reference: Leviticus 13
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 416–418
Reader thoughts
Loading comments…