Editing Book of Leviticus (section)

===Holiness===
The consistent theme of chapters 17–26 is in the repetition of the phrase, "Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy."<ref name="Balentine 2002, p.8"/> Holiness in ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible had a different meaning than in contemporary usage: it might have been regarded as the essence of Yahweh, an invisible but physical and potentially dangerous force.<ref>Rodd, p. 7</ref> Specific objects, or even days, can be holy, but they derive holiness from being connected with Yahweh—the seventh day, the tabernacle, and the priests all derive their holiness from him.<ref>Brueggemann, p. 99</ref> As a result, Israel had to maintain its own holiness in order to live safely alongside God.<ref>Rodd, p. 8</ref>

The need for holiness is for the possession of the Promised Land ([[Canaan]]), where the Jews will become a holy people: "You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you dwelt, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan to which I am bringing you{{nbsp}}[...] You shall do my ordinances and keep my statutes{{nbsp}}[...] I am the Lord, your God." (Leviticus 18:3).<ref>Clines, p.56</ref>