A Reconsideration on the Sacrifices of the Old Testament: Focusing on the Burnt Offering

Abstract

The sacrifice was the focal point of ancient Israel as a worshiping community. However, in the Old Testament, sacrifices revealed two meanings. Moses founded the sacrificial system of Israel, and the Torah he preached to the Israelites tells us about the sacrifices in the tabernacle and the life outside. Nevertheless, the prophets of the Bible said that God hated sacrifices. They even viewed the sacrifice as a sin against God. It tells us that even in the time of the Old Testament, there is no appropriate conduct of sacrifice.
The purpose of this study is to find the essence of worship and the appropriate form of service in our time by examining the burnt offering, the most representative of the various sacrifices presented in the Old Testament. The rules and meanings of the burnt offerings and how these were applied in the biblical history from the canonical-critical perspective will be analyzed.