Opferkult Und Priestertum in Alt-Israel

The study examines the ancient Israelite sacrificial cult and the priestly genealogies of the Hebrew Bible from a cultural and historical religious perspective. The first section accesses the collective biography of the Zadokite-Aaronite lineages through genealogical analysis. The beginnings of their office as High Priests can be dated back to the 4th century BC. A multidimensional approach to the Levites can be demonstrated. The second section analyses the sacrificial rites (Ex 12 and Lev 1-7) and shows them to be cultural communication media. The statements and messages of Pesach and other rites are presented. An authorship hypothesis on the basis of cultural anthropological findings concludes this study which proposes a revaluation of the development of the priesthood in the era of the Second Temple.