Is Blood Required For Atonement of Sins According to the Tanakh?

1.

A common Christian assertion is that the only way to obtain atonement for one's sins is by way of the blood of a sacrificial offering, through "the shedding of blood".

They also avow that since all humanity is infected with the communicable strain of Adam and Eve's ‘ original sin’, only the blood of a perfect, sinless surrogate, namely J.C. (Jesus) can have the power to pay the ransom that is required to overcome our sinful human nature.

Thus, they say the blood that J.C. shed on the ‘cross’ has paid for the sins of those who accept him as their lord and savior since he died for their sins.

Christians also put forward the claim that the "Old Testament decrees the shedding of blood is a necessary condition for the atonement of one's sins, and that without it, making amends for sin is impossible.

When the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans (70 CE), Jews were left without the required animal sacrificial system for atonement.

Therefore according to the Christian scenario it was necessary that Elohim provide a blood atonement to replace the animal sacrifices. They say He did this through the death of J.C. on the cross.

The Biblical verse snippet most often cited to support this claim is the following portion of Leviticus 17:11,

"………for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul."

The supposed message contained in this portion of the verse is reflected in the New Testament in passages such as,

Hebrews 9:22 - And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood there is no atonement.

A superficial reading of the verse in Leviticus, without looking at the entire passage and placing it in its proper context, will almost surely lead to a conclusion that only by being covered in the blood of J.C. can one have any hope of being forgiven for his/her sins.

The entire verse is as follows:

Leviticus 17:11 - This is because the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

When we consider this total verse and do not ignore the fact that it is part of a passage that prohibits the consumption of blood, we see that it specifically states that the blood of the sacrifice must be placed " upon the altar to make atonement for your souls".

The only way in which blood can bring atonement is if it is placed on the sacrificial altar in the Temple. This is a necessary condition. The entire verse must be considered and not just part of it!

This then invites the question:

Was the blood of J.C. sprinkled on the altar?

The New Testament doesn't offer any evidence or indication or even a hint in support of this requirement.

The blood of J.C. was never placed on the altar in the Temple, which was still standing in Jerusalem at the time of his crucifixion.

Therefore, since this necessary condition wasn't satisfied, the claim, that his death could provide atonement doesn't stand. Plainly the death of J.C. brings atonement for no one.

Is blood the only means of atonement for sin?

The Tanakh clearly identifies three distinct methods of atonement: animal sacrifices, true repentance & prayer, and charitable deeds.

We look first at sacrifices.

The Torah speaks of two kinds of sacrifices that were used for the atonement of transgressions:

The sin sacrifice (Hebrew "korban khatat") and the guilt sacrifice ("korban asham").

We also learn in Torah that the sin sacrifice did not atone for every kind of sin. Its purpose was to atone for a person’s unintentional sins, the most insignificant of transgressions.

Numbers 15:27-28
(27) And if any person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat of the first year for a sin offering.

(28) And the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins out of ignorance, when he sins unintentionally before YHWH, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

Looking at the Levitical Law of Sacrifice, we find a similar message. The details concerning sacrifices for sin are found in Lev 4:1-35. There we learn that these were required offerings, and that their purposes were, to atone for sins committed without awareness.

This sin sacrifice did not suffice for the atonement of a sin that was committed intentionally. He who sinned willfully was banned from the Sanctuary, and had to bear his own iniquity because of his rebellion in sinning against Elohim.

Numbers 15:30-31
(30) But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is born in the land, or a stranger, that person YHWH; and that person shall be cut off from among his people.

(31) Because he has despised the word of YHWH, and has broken His commandment, that person shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

Again in the Law of Sacrifice found in Leviticus, we find that some intentionally committed transgressions demanded a guilt sacrifice.

The details concerning guilt sacrifices are found in Lev 5:14-26. There we see that these offerings were required for such offenses as robbery and the taking of Temple property, then restitution was also required.

We can see that no sacrificial offerings were mandated for all other transgressions (sins not covered by the "korban khatat" or the "korban asham". Thus, obviously, there had to exist another way to obtain atonement for such sins.

As an example, let us consider from the TN’K a situation where atonement is achieved without the shedding of blood.

Whenever a census was made of those able-bodied men 20 years of age and over to establish who and how many, were fit for military duties, every adult Israelite counted was required to pay a half-shekel.

Exodus 30:12-14

(12) When you take the census of the people of Israel according to their number, then shall they give every man a ransom (Hebrew "kopher") for his soul to YHWH, when you count them; that there should be no plague among them, when you count them.

(13) This they shall give, every one who passes among those who are counted, half a shekel according to the shekel of the Sanctuary; a shekel is twenty gerahs; a half shekel shall be the offering of YHWH.

(14) Every one who passes among those who are counted, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to YHWH.

The Hebrew term for 'ransom' (kopher) appears 3 other times in Torah (Exod 21:30; Num 35:31,32).

Each time it refers to the money paid by someone who is guilty of taking a human life in circumstances that do not constitute murder (manslaughter).

The owner of an ox that killed a person after the owner had received warning that the animal was dangerous, was charged with the death of a person; but because his crime was not intentional, he was permitted to pay a 'ransom' (Exod 21:30).

In cases of deliberate murder such a ransom was not allowed.
(Num 35:31,32).

We should also consider the requirements for atonement of sins such as being a false witness and then confessing to it, or being contaminated but entering the Sanctuary and then realizing what happened and admitting it (Lev 5:1-13).

These sins required variable offerings that depended on one's means as follows: a female lamb or goat (blood sacrifice), or a pair of turtledoves or young pigeons (blood sacrifice), or a certain weight of fine flour (non- blood offering).

Leviticus 5:11-13

(11) But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, nor shall he put any frankincense on it; for it is a sin offering.

(12) Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, a memorial part of it, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire to YHWH; it is a sin offering.

(13) And the priest shall make an atonement for him in regard to his sin that he has sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him; and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as a meal offering.

Please notice that an animal sacrifice isn't a requirement for atonement when the person cannot afford such an animal - one tenth of an ephah of fine flour, without added oil or frankincense, serves as a valid sin offering.

Since there is no Temple standing in Jerusalem at this time, animal sacrifices are in a state of suspension, just as they were during the 70-year exile in Babylon following the destruction of the First Temple.

Since animal sacrifices had to be performed by the altar in the Temple, this isn't possible today. Thus this process for the atonement of unintentional sins, or any sin requiring the animal sacrifice is not available to us at this time.

Comments or Questions