Keywords: Bible, Masoretic text, Pentateuch, blood, soul, prohibitions, sacrifice, consecration, covenant
Abstract:
Sumero-Babylonian and Ugaritic texts reveal the important role which blood plays for these cultures. Also, the philological and cultural arguments plead for the universal theme of blood in Middle Orient. Etymologically, the Hebrew word dām (blood) is strongly related with the physical life of humankind. From this argument rise up some biblical prohibitions regarding eating or shedding blood (killing). The genesis of blood eating prohibition can be understood from the fact that man was originally vegetarian. Also, this prohibition is strongly connected with first fratricide from history (Genesis 4: 10). Thus, the prohibition of blood eating is directly linked with killing prohibition (Genesis 9: 4-6). Many texts from the Old-Testament speak about killing prohibition, for instance one of the Ten Commandments states clearly this thing (Exodus 20: 13). Theologically, the prohibition about blood consumption has a strong biblical fundament: the blood sustains biological life of body (Genesis 9: 4; Leviticus 17:11; Deuteronomy 12:23). Moreover, Masoretic text sets a very interesting relation between nefeš (soul) anddām (blood); revealing that as long as blood is in body, the soul is there. For this reason, some scholars mistake nefeš for dām, identifying the soul with the blood. Regarding on this, our thesis shows that the connection between nefeš and blood constitute the mode of living. For our part, nefeš means the biological instincts of human race, and the connection with blood shows a sanguine type of personality. Because the soul is immaterial and the blood is material, this two are not to be confused or mixed. Subsequently, the blood will become a legislative subject for social and cultic life. In social terms one can notice the framework oflex talionis (the Law of the Talion): “blood for blood” – in case of murders (Genesis 9: 6). From a religious point of view, the blood redeems the first-born of Jewish from death (Exodus 12: 7-22). A little bit later, the blood has the role of expiating of sins (Leviticus 17, 11). Finally, the blood became a sanctifying element (Leviticus 8: 23-30). In Pentateuch the blood is seen as a way through which mankind receives forgiveness and consecration from God. Based on this theological consideration, the blood appears like a seal of the Sinaitic Covenant. This covenant was eminently moral and had as its goal the sanctification of God’s people (Exodus 24:8). The fact that the blood was the seal of Sinaitic covenant, and that the prophet Jeremiah talked about a New Covenant who will be written on the heart (Jeremiah 31: 31-33) constitute some theological grounds who can lead us to the person of Christ. The blood of Sinaitic covenant is a typological foreshadowing of the New Covenant – who has been concluded by Jesus Christ, our Saviour, at the Last Supper (Matthew 26: 28).
Pages: 171-198