BLOOD . Biblical authors identified the liquid, blood, and the solid, fat (Heb ḥēleb), as the essential bodily substances for all animal life. When David praised Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:22) for bringing death to the enemy, he sang: -From the blood of the dead, from the fat of heroes, Jonathan’s bow never turned back. Saul’s sword never withdrew empty. The deduction that blood and fat were vital substances was reached by observing violent death by sword or by beasts, accompanied by bloodshed and disembowelment. Blood was considered more important to life than fat. Indeed, -blood- and -life- are attested as lexical pairs in Hebrew, Ugaritic, and Akkadian poetry (Avishur 1984: 559, 577). The alternation of phrases in Genesis 37:21-22 demonstrates that, in Biblical Hebrew, -shed blood- (Heb.šāpak dām) was synonymous with “beat life” (Heb hikkâ nepeš). The explicit identification of blood with life is made in Deuteronomy (12:23): -Because blood is life (nepeš) and you must not consume life together with meat (bāśār). -Similarly, the priestly writer (P) locates animal life in blood and equates the value of blood with that of life:- For the life (nepeš) of the flesh (bāśār) is in the blood. I have delivered it to the altar for you to atone for your lives, because the blood, in its value of life, makes atonement -(Lev 17:11; Levine 1974: 68). According to P, the expiatory value of blood explains the efficacy of the sacrificial system. By placing (Heb sāmak) a hand on the animal (Lev 1:4; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4, 15, 24, 29), the sinners transmitted their essence to it (cf. Num 27:18) . -23). Once the blood of the victim had been sprinkled on the sides of the altar, or in some cases applied to the horns of it, and the fat of the victim turned into smoke, the substitution of the two vital substances of the human sinner was effected. . The death of the animal had given life to the sinner.
As the primary life substance, blood was sometimes believed to be present in life-giving objects considered inanimate by moderns. The wine was -blood of the grape- (Deut 32:14; for Ugaritic, see Gordon UT 385) and the Nile along with all the water sources of Egypt bled when struck (Exodus 7:17-24). The vital significance of blood is reflected in the special treatment of the word in the Hebrew language. The consumption of blood was most often described by the verb “to eat” (Heb ˒ākal), which is normally said of solids, although “drinking” (Heb šātâ) of blood is attested (Num. 23:10; Ezekiel 39 :17, 19), as is “getting drunk” (Heb šākar; Isa 49:26; cf. Revelation 18:6).
Because they embodied life, both blood and fat were assigned by biblical legislation to God (Lev 3:2-4, 8-10, 13-15), who was popularly believed to require them as food (Isa 1 :11; Ezekiel 44). : 7; Salt 50, 13). As such, they were forbidden to the Israelites (Lev. 3:17; 7:22-26). The primacy of blood over fat was reflected in biblical legislation. It was permissible (Lev. 7:24) to use any non-food use of the fat of animals that had been killed or torn apart by beasts. In contrast, the blood of a slaughtered animal that had not been slaughtered had to be discarded (Deut. 12:24). Furthermore, only the Israelites were forbidden to eat fat, just as other eatables permitted to Gentiles were forbidden, while even Gentiles were restricted from eating blood. According to Genesis 1:29-30 (P), antediluvian humans had been allowed to eat seed-bearing plants and trees bearing seed-bearing fruit. All other animals were allowed green plants. After the Flood, God (Elohim) expanded the category of permissible foodstuffs so that all humans could legally eat the meat of other animals (Genesis 9:1-7), with the provision that they did not consume the blood of living things . animals. -But as regards living flesh(bāśār bĕnapšô ), its blood (dāmô) you shall not consume -(Gen 9:4). Although the entire pericope is theoretical in that it legislates for Gentiles and holds beasts responsible for shedding human blood (Genesis 9:5), the prohibition against consuming the blood of a living animal is realistic. Experience had shown the ancients the nutritional value of blood, which is rich in protein and low in fat. The symbolic potency that accompanied the blood made it all the more desirable. Keeping the animal alive after eating its blood is inexpensive and has been documented among the Maasai in modern times (Brichto 1976:21). For the legislator, however, practical considerations were overridden by the biblical conception that jurisdiction over the most vital substance must be divine.
For the Israelites, the Bible adds two additional restrictions on the consumption of blood. They cannot eat the blood of a sacrificed animal (Lev 17:10, 14; Deut 12: 23-25), nor can they eat “with the blood” (Heb ˓al haddām; Lev 19:26; 1 Sam 14: 32- 35), that is, eating the meat of a slaughtered animal that still has blood on it. No doubt the supposed Israelite audience shared with the biblical authors the belief that the life of the flesh was in the blood. For the same reason, the consumption of blood can be especially attractive when the need for revitalization is felt (Gaster 1975: 65-66). It can be seen that Saul’s soldiers ate bloody meat when they were tired (1 Sam 14:31-32) and that Ashurbanipal’s tired enemies cut open the stomachs of their camels (ANET, 299) and drank the blood . Possibly the accusation -just be strong (Heb ḥazaq) so as not to eat the blood- (Deut. 12:23) is a play on words based on the belief that eating blood would give strength. If animal blood were potent, human blood would be more so. Herodotus’s well-known account (4.65) that Scythian warriors drank the blood of their first victims finds a parallel in Balaam’s description of Israel drinking the blood of the dead (Num. 23:24).
Biblical sources agree that the consumption of animal blood by the Israelites and strangers among them, even when incidental to eating meat, is a heinous crime equivalent to murder (Lev 17:4) and constitutes treason. – (1 Sam 14:33). ) against God. However, biblical lawmakers differed as to how meat could be eaten without illegally consuming the blood. The solution of Leviticus 17 (P; cf.1 Sam 14:34-35) was to sacrifice all slaughter of domestic animals, thus giving the blood to God (given the nature of the ancient Israelite economy whereby the average individual would not have eaten meat other than fish or poultry more than ten times a year, the requirement was not excessive). Herd and flock animals were to be brought to the tent of meeting and slaughtered as “tribute offerings” (heb šĕlāmı̂m; Levine 1974:15-52). Only after the blood was spilled against the altar, the fat turned to smoke, and the altar and the priests took their share, was the sacrificer allowed to eat the meat. Unholy slaughter (Milgrom 1976:1-17) was permitted only for clean wild animals such as deer and clean wild birds. His blood was to be covered with dirt (Lev 17:13), in keeping with the notion that what offends God must be hidden from His sight (Gen 37:26; Deut 23:14; 1 Sam 26:20; Isa 26: 21; Ezekiel 24:7-8; Job 16:18). Deuteronomy 12, by contrast, permits the unholy slaughter of clean animals, both domestic and wild, as long as one is careful not to eat the blood, but instead spills it “on the ground like water.” Obviously, none of the procedures described above removed all the blood from the meat,
Due to its vital power, blood could be used in rites designed to protect the living against the forces of death. In Exodus 12 the Israelites are instructed to sacrifice the Passover offering, collect its blood and smear some of it on the lintel and doorposts of their houses. When Yahweh sees the blood, he will protect (heb pāsaḥ) the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in and hit the house. The apotropaic function of blood is equally evident in the rites by which the high priest could enter and leave the inner sanctuary -without dying- (Lev 16: 2). Among the prescriptions is the triple sprinkling of blood seven times (Leviticus 16:14, 15, 19).
The vital power of blood serves to explain its related ritual uses in purification and consecration. Blood is used to cleanse the altar (Ezekiel 43:20), the incense altar (Exodus 30:10), the sanctuary, and the temple (Lev 16:15-16; Ezekiel 45:18-20). The blood is especially important in purifying people who have recovered from the skin disease that is traditionally translated as “leprosy” (Heb ṣāra˓at). In the first stage of the ceremony, the blood of a sacrificed bird is mixed with water and sprinkled on them. Eight days later, the limbs of lepers are anointed with blood from two sacrificial offerings and with oil (Leviticus 14). The ritual installation of Aaron and his sons in the priestly office contains elements similar to the purification of lepers. The new priests are smeared with sacrificial blood on their ears, thumbs, and big toes. At the climax of the rite, the blood from the altar along with the anointing oil is sprinkled on the consecrators and their vestments to sanctify both the priests and the vestments (Exodus 29:9-21; Leviticus 8:24). The similarities between the two rites derive from their common purpose, which is to change the status of the affected persons and thus confer a new life on them. The principle articulated in rabbinic literature that the leper is considered dead is already found in Numbers 12:10-13 and 2 Kings 15:5 (Cassuto 1972:36, 238). Consequently, fresh water, literally “living water”, along with blood, serves to bring the leper back to life. The oil in both ceremonies is part of the same complex. Note that elsewhere in the Bible oil confers royal status on commoners (1 Sam 10:1, 16:13) and sacred status on vessels (Exodus 40:9-11).
The blood that had been used in the purification rituals, like any other “used detergent”, would become unclean; similarly, blood was spilled on the altar (Wright 1987: 146-59). In just two categories, blood itself is a source of contamination rather than purification. Unjustified homicide, referred to as -innocent blood- (Deut 19:10; 2 Kings 4:24; Jer 7:6; Heb dām nāqı̂ ) or, alternatively, -innocent blood(s)- (Deut 19:13; Heb dam hannāqı̂ ; cf. Heb dam neqîyyîm in Jer 19:4) produces BLOOD, which defiles (Lev 35:33; Heb yaḥanı̂p) and pollutes (Lev 35:34; Heb ṭimmê) the earth. The second category is menstruation. In fact, the…