Leviticus as Literature

Through an anthropological lens, this comprehensive analysis of Leviticus reveals it as a literary masterpiece structured around the desert tabernacle and Mount Sinai. The author, Mary Douglas, reinterprets the purity laws, arguing that forbidden animals like pigs deserve respect rather than disdain. By challenging traditional biblical criticism, she presents Leviticus as a profound intellectual work that emphasizes justice and compassion within a modern religious context, rather than a mere doctrine of a rigid priesthood.