The Priest Was Like An Ancient Butcher

What did the Israelites do with all the sacrifices and offerings they brought to the tabernacle?

The answer is: much of the time, they ate them!

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In many ways, the priesthood in Israel functioned like a guild of butchers, since animals were brought to the tabernacle and then slaughtered and dressed and cut by the priests. What happened next depended on the type of offering that had been offered on the altar. (See yesterday’s post for more.)

• The burnt offering (Leviticus 6:8-13) was meant to be completely consumed by fire so that there was nothing left;

• The grain offering (Leviticus 6:14-18) was eaten by the priestly families, since they didn’t work outside the tabernacle and so had no other way of feeding themselves;

• The sin offering (Leviticus 7:1-10) was meat, and it was meant to be eaten by the priests for the same reason;

• The peace offering (Leviticus 7:11-18) was meant to be taken back home by the Israelite who brought it and eaten by his family right away.

Today’s reading in the One Year Bible: Leviticus 6:1-7:27.