Editing Book of Leviticus (section)

== Subsequent tradition ==
[[File:Temple Scroll.png|thumb|Portion of the [[Temple Scroll]]]]

Leviticus, as part of the Torah, became the law book of Jerusalem's [[Second Temple]] as well as of the Samaritan temple. Its influence is evident among the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], which included fragments of seventeen manuscripts of Leviticus dating from the 3rd to the 1st centuries BC.<ref>Watts (2013), p. 10</ref> Many other Qumran scrolls cite the book, especially the [[Temple Scroll]] and [[4QMMT]].

Jews and Christians have not observed Leviticus's instructions for animal offerings since the 1st century AD, following the [[destruction of the Second Temple]] in Jerusalem in 70 AD. As there was no longer a Temple at which to offer animal sacrifices, Judaism pivoted towards prayer and the study of the Torah, eventually giving rise to [[Rabbinic Judaism]]. Nevertheless, Leviticus constitutes a major source of [[Jewish law]] and is traditionally the first book children learn in the Rabbinic system of education. There are two main [[Midrash]]im on Leviticus—the [[Halakha|halakhic one]] (Sifra) and a more [[aggada|aggadic]] one ([[Vayikra Rabbah]]).

The [[New Testament]], particularly the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]], uses ideas and images from Leviticus to describe Jesus as the high priest who offers his own blood as a [[sin offering]].<ref name="Houston107"/> Therefore, Christians do not make animal offerings either, because as Gordon Wenham summarized: "With the death of Christ the only sufficient 'burnt offering' was offered once and for all, and therefore the animal sacrifices which foreshadowed Christ's sacrifice were made obsolete."<ref>Wenham, p. 65</ref>

Christians generally [[Christian views on the old covenant|have the view]] that the [[New Covenant]] [[Supersessionism|supersedes]] the Old Testament's [[Law of Moses|ritual laws]], which includes some of the rules in Leviticus. Christians, therefore, do not usually follow Leviticus' rules regarding diet purity, and agriculture. Christian teachings have differed, however, as to where to draw the line between ritual and moral regulations.<ref>Watts (2013), pp.&nbsp;77–86</ref> In ''[[Homilies on Leviticus]]'', the third century theologian, [[Origen]], expounded on the qualities of priests as models for Christians to be perfect in everything, strict, wise and to examine themselves individually, forgive sins, and convert [[sin]]ners (by words and by doctrine).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brattston |first1=David W. T. |title=Traditional Christian Ethics, Volume 2 |year=2014 |publisher=WestBow Press |page=156 |isbn=978-1-4908-5937-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VKnOBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA156}}</ref>