Resources The Rites of Passage by Arnold Van Gennep Ancient Israel - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Rites

• f Passage

Resources

• The Rites of Passage by Arnold Van Gennep
• Ancient Israel by Roland De Vaux
• The Threshold Covenant by Henry Clay Trumbull
• The Bible by God
• What is Liminality? http://www.liminality.org/about/whatisliminality
• Betwixt and Between: The Liminal Period by Victor Turner

(http://www2.fiu.edu/~ereserve/010010095-1.pdf)

• The Ritual Process by Victor Turner

(Excerpts: http://faculty.dwc.edu/wellman/Turner.htm)

• Enthronement of Yahweh by Jeremy J. Stewart
• What Do Shaving Rites Accomplish and What Do They Signal in Biblical Ritual Contexts?

by Saul Olyan

• The Leper in Leviticus by Jeff Schulman
• Circumcision as a Rite of Covenant by Erich Isaac
• Graded Holiness by Phillip Peter Jenson

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When were the Rit ites of Passage performed?

Death

Transition to a New Country

Rites of Passage Rites of Separation Rites of Transition Rites of Incorporation

Preparation for incorporation

• Isolation from normal society
• Training period
• Trials and test
• “set apart”
• Typically 7 days (but not always)
• State of ambiguity

Separation from the old

• Death & rebirth (symbolic)
• Purification from old self
• Leaving the old ways

Integration into the new

• Sacrifice often involved
• Consecration into new renewal
• New name given

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Rites of Passage ANE Marriage

Rites of Separation Rites of Transition Rites of Incorporation

Preparation for incorporation

• Learning to live as a wife
• Mourning for parents (Deut 21)
• Preparation for wedding day

Separation from the old

• Betrothal – Anointing head

with oil

• Shaving bride’s head
• Living with groom’s family
• Veil on wedding day

Integration into the new

• Wedding ceremony & feast
• Carrying over the threshold
• Consummation of marriage

with sign of blood

Boot Camp

Rites of Passage

Rites of Separation Rites of Transition Rites of Incorporation

Preparation for incorporation

• Walking to Cana’an
• Trial’s and tribulations in the land
• Egypt
• Lot
• Hagar
• Binding of Isaac

Separation from the old

• Leaving Mesopotamia
• Leaving idolatry
• Covenant of the pieces

(purification)

• Falling into a deep slumber

Integration into the new

• Circumcision
• Renaming ‘Abraham’
• Redemption of Isaac (new life)

Passover

Rites of Separation Rites of Transition Rites of Incorporation

Preparation for incorporation

• Passage to Mt Sinai
• Trials/testing en route
• Preparation for meeting YHVH

Separation from the old

• Lamb’s blood on doorpost
• Restriction & removal of leaven
• Trial by Ordeal/Purification in

the Red Sea Integration into the new

• Circumcision
• 10 Commandments –

Suzerainty treaty

• Boundaries on the mountain
• Covenant meal with leadership
• Sprinkling of blood in Exod 24

The Exodus

Rites of Separation Rites of Transition Rites of Incorporation

Preparation for incorporation

• Learning Torah
• Trials and Tribulation for 40 years
• Minimal historical accounts
• Ambiguity – not yet received

inheritance Separation from the old

• Passover
• Crossing through the Red Sea
• Receiving Torah/Shunning

idolatry Integration into the new

• Covenant renewal at Mt

Gerazim and Mt Ebal

• Crossing the Jordan
• (re) circumcision

Priesthood

(Exod 29, Lev 8-9)

Rites of Separation Rites of Transition Rites of Incorporation

Preparation for incorporation

• 7 day training period
• Priests, but not yet able to
• fficiate

Separation from the old

• Wash with water
• Anoint with oil
• Removal of old clothing

Integration into the new

• Altar purification
• Purification of priests with blood
• Consecration of the altar
• Index to altar
• Official garments signifying
• ffice

Purification Lev 14

Rites of Separation Rites of Transition Rites of Incorporation

Preparation for incorporation

• Live inside the camp, but outside

the tent

• Preparation for integration into

normal Israelite society Separation from the old

• Cleansed of disease (corpse

defilement)

• “Scape-bird” ritual of cleansing
• Shave, bath, wash clothes

(repeat on day 7) Integration into the new

• Purification with blood and oil

upon right side appendages

• Re-index with altar
• Anointed with oil

The Tabernacle

Clean Physical World Courtyard Spiritual World Holy of Holies

Liminal Zone Altar Holy Place Unclean World

• Cf. Mt. Sinai

Importance of boundary maintenance

Rites of Passage – The Zebach Shelamim

The Legal Means to Approach YHVH

Slaughter of the animal Animal fully eaten Common Common Elevated Holiness Communion with God

pg 22, Sacrifice: its nature and functions

Rites of Passage – The Calendar

Rites of Separation Rites of Integration Old Season/Month New Season/Month Liminal Period Elevated Holiness

Rites of Passage – Mourning for the Dead

Corpse Defilement Enter a state of mourning Cleansed by waters of chatta’at (Red Heifer) Common Common State of Ritual Defilement

Other Examples

• Numbers 31:12-24 -> Purification after battle
• The Nazarite vow
• Bondservant: Exodus 21:2-6
• The "abbuttu lock," the marker of the slave in some Mesopotamian contexts,

is imposed by means of shaving when the slave is separated for slavery; cutting the abbuttu lock frees the slave (Laws of Hammurabi, Eshnunna)

• Parturient
• Pesach for a ger who wants to become native born
• Deuteronomy 22 -> War bride
• Coronation of kings
• David’s ascent to the throne
• 2 Sam 12 -> David weeping for his son for 7 days. => Don’t mar your beard

Importance of Rites of Passage

Legal Passage of Yeshua

Rites of Separation Rites of Transition Rites of Incorporation

Preparation for incorporation

• Led by Spirit (i.e. the Tutor) into

the wilderness for 40 days

• Trials/testing by hasatan
• Yeshua overcame the test

that Adam failed. Separation from the old

• Mikveh in the Jordan river
• Legal Adoption by YHVH

through adoption language from heaven Integration into the new

• John the Baptist dies before

Yeshua starts his ministry

• Anointed with oil (Mark 14)

Legal Conversion

Rites of Separation Rites of Transition Rites of Incorporation

• Weekly Torah study – Acts 15:21
• John 16:7, 13, Heb 5:12, Gal 3:21-

28

• Trials of life, learning Holiness,

preparation to be the Bride

• Yeshua is the Door (liminal)
• Legal adoption – Mikveh and

confession of faith in Yeshua

• Separation from idolatry – Acts

15:3, 19-21

• Rom 6, Eph 4:21, Col 3
• Separation from society – John

15:19

• Physical circumcision – partake

in Passover

• Position/role in community
• At Yeshua’s return:
• Renewed covenant,

marriage supper

• Circumcision of heart
• New names, new garments

More fr from Paul

Ephesians 4:30

What is is the Purpose of the Mill illennial Kin ingdom?

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