Editing Book of Leviticus (section)

===Atonement===
[[File:William Holman Hunt - The Scapegoat.jpg|thumb|''[[The Scapegoat (painting)|The Scapegoat]]'' (1854 painting by [[William Holman Hunt]])]]

Through sacrifice, the priest "makes atonement" for sin and the offeror receives forgiveness (but only if Yahweh accepts the sacrifice).<ref>Houston, p. 106</ref> Atonement rituals involve the pouring or sprinkling of blood as the symbol of the life of the victim: the blood has the power to wipe out or absorb the sin.<ref name="Houston107">Houston, p. 107</ref> The two-part division of the book structurally reflects the role of atonement: chapters 1–16 call for the establishment of the institution for atonement, and chapters 17–27 call for the life of the atoned community in holiness.<ref>Knierim, p. 114</ref>