In ancient Israelite sacrifice as represented in the Hebrew Bible, the handling and use of the blood of sacrificed animals took many forms and served different functions. The Hebrew Bible refers to tossing sacrificial blood onto an altar or an assembly of people, daubing it on the altar's horns or parts of the human body, and sprinkling it on or in front of sacred objects. William Gilders investigates the significance of these blood rituals. Offering a close reading of Leviticus 17:11, Gilders emphasizes the secondary and innovative character of this biblical text, which has often been treated as a key for understanding biblical blood ritual. Focusing on the analysis of practice, Gilders finds that blood manipulation is regularly marked as elite activity, serving as an index of social relationships and hierarchies. Blood rituals also regulate access to sacred spaces and define the limits of such spaces. Drawing on recent theoretical approaches to ritual practices, this study offers a sophisticated new understanding of ancient rites.

An interesting and significant investigation of the meaning of blood in rituals and ritual-related texts in the Hebrew Bible. -- David P. Wright, Brandeis University

About the Author
William K. Gilders is an assistant professor in the department of religion at Emory University.

Reviews
In this well written and often intriguing study Gilders discusses the meaning of blood in the rituals of the Hebrew Bible... All in all, a thought provoking and stimulating book! Journal of Hebrew Scriptures Readers... will benefit from his methodical assessment of relevant passages and his careful critique of prevailing interpretations. -- David A. Bergen Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses 2005 A fascinating and noteworthy investigation of the meaning of blood rituals in the Hebrew Bible for laypersons, students of ritual, and scholars alike. -- Johnson M. Kimuhu Religious Studies Review 2005 Gilder's work stands as a sound scholarly investment. -- Casey A. Toews Shofar 2006 In this notable resource, Gilders provides a bold revision of traditional interpretative models and opens up new perspectives through his attention to latent soci-cultic dimensions of ritual activity. -- Christian A. Eberhart Toronto Journal of Theology 2007 One of the most important works on its subject in recent years... Beautifully produced. -- Walter Houston Journal of Theological Studies 2007



Book Information
ISBN 9780801879937
Author William K. Gilders
Format Hardback
Page Count 272
Imprint Johns Hopkins University Press
Publisher Johns Hopkins University Press
Weight(grams) 522g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 23mm