A passage- by passage analysis follow which draws useful insights on Old Testament ritual from modern social antrophology
The books of Samuel carry the history og God's people Israel through from the period of the judges to their first experiments in monarchy.
The book of psalms does not only want to inform our intellect, but to stimulate our imagination,arouse our emotions and stir us on to holy thoughts and actions
In the Old Testament iin particular no single English translation is adequate to reflect the original text.
The books of Nahum, Habakuk and Zephaniah cover an important but turbulent epoch in the history of Israel in which prophets warned of coming judgment if Israel refused to turn back to God from her apostasy and to practise effective social justice.
It seems safe to say that this perspective does not resonate with many people today.
The book of Leviticus, much prized by our Jewish friends for its emphasis on a distinctive holiness to be displayed by God's pewople, has too often been neglected by Christians, expect for a few selected themes or incidents.
The book of Ezekiel has a basic simplicity, and its orderly framework makes it easy to analyze
This very fact is a sign of the greatness and power of the book, and of the narrow limits of both our factual knowledge and our spiritual grasp