Tanakh & the Ancient Near East Index – Parashat Naso

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Overview

Knowledge of the history, law, cultic practices and realia of the Ancient Near East can often shed much light on Tanakh. This index contains a list of links to articles which touch on the connections between Tanakh and ancient cultures.

Tzara'at

See The Nature of the Leprosy of the Bible From a Medical and Biblical Point of View, by Dr. Jay F. Schamberg, for analysis of the medical aspects of Biblical leprosy and whether it is the same disease as modern leprosy.

The Nazirite

See An Israelite Self-Offering in the Priestly Code: A New Perspective on the Nazirite, by Dr. Eliezer Diamond, for analysis of the meaning of nazirite prohibitions in thier cultural context. The growing and offering of his hair is seen as a symbolic self-offering and as the reason for the other prohibitions.