This book is largely an enumeration of various laws, often called the Mosaic laws. We start with various laws for sacrifices in atonement for sin. (Interlude: Aaron and his sons are made priests. Two of Aaron’s sons make a sacrifice of incense. This ticks the Lord off, so he immolates them (Leviticus 10:1,2).) Then the laws about what animals can and cannot be eaten: Animals with cloven hooves can be eaten if, and only if, they also chew the cud. (Leviticus 11). Fish can be eaten, and so on.
Leviticus also contains the law about circumcision of a male child (Leviticus 12:3). After a long set of rules about leprosy comes the section about blood which some faiths feel makes blood transfusion a sin: "Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh..." (Leviticus 17:10-14).
Next laws about sex, including prohibitions of male homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22) and bestiality (Leviticus 18:23). There’s a general recap of the ten commandments mixed with prohibitions on tattoos (Leviticus 19:28) and pimping your daughters (Leviticus 19:29).
There are rules for priests: they must marry a virgin, and be unblemished -- not even a flat nose can be tolerated by God (Leviticus 20:18).
Leviticus holds the infamous reparation for injury: "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Leviticus 24:20).
Aside from the above, many of the rules we would recognize as health related: Don’t eat anything more than two days after cooking. Don’t eat animals with disease. Wash your food. Cook your meat. Don’t give out food when you’re sick.
Exodus | Numbers
This is part of a series of original summations of the Old Testament by me, Lord Brawl, prepared on Sundays as a nod toward the faith of my youth.