Between Egypt and Canaan, between Exodus and Joshua, are the lawgiving and wilderness struggles described in the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Often a challenge for the casual reader, these pages are dense with ritual sacrifice, with laws both famous – the Golden Rule! – and almost inexplicable. Despite their difficulty, these books offer great reward, as it is here that we see the community of Israel defined, its beliefs and practices laid out, to be understood and, sometimes, questioned. In this study we will make our way through these books, opening them for contemporary readers.
