Leviticus, << leh VIHT uh kuhs, >> is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament. Its name comes from its title in the Latin translation of the Bible, which calls it Book of Levis. The title refers to the tribe of Levi, from which the priests of the people of Israel were descended. The book is composed almost entirely of priestly regulations. However, many of these rules concern nonreligious life and thus show how all aspects of life were considered part of religious behavior. See Pentateuch .
Leviticus has four main parts. The first, Sacrificial Laws (1-7), lists the different kinds of offerings the people made. The second, The Consecration of Aaron (8-10), describes the High Priest taking office. The third, The Purity Laws (11-16), deals with individual purity and national atonement. The fourth, The Holiness Laws (17-27), includes a special section called the Holiness Code (19-25). The code calls for people to obey God’s law and to become a holy people in imitation of God, who is the supreme example of holiness.
