Is This Just 'Theory' or 'Hypothesis'? What Is the Evidence?
4.
Tanakh contains many examples illustrating its teachings about the atonement of sins.
One such example is the story found in the Book of Jonah. We read there about the Ninevites, who were wicked people being warned by the prophet Jonah that they will be destroyed.
Jonah 1:1-2
And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
(2) Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.
Jonah, after receiving a few pushes, finally goes and warns the inhabitants of Nineveh about their impending doom.
Jonah 3:4 - And Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Another forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
The Ninevites listened the message that Jonah brought to them and started going through a process of repentance, without if it would be acceptable to Elohim.
Jonah 3:5-9
(5) And the people of Nineveh believed Elohim, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
(6) And word came to the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he took off his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
(7) And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying: Neither man, beast, herd or flock should taste anything! They should not feed nor drink water!
(8) And let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to Elohim; let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
(9) Who can tell if Elohim may yet turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we perish not?
They dressed themselves sackcloth, fasted and repented for their transgressions, and Elohim recognizing their repentance, relented from destroying them as He initially planned to do.
Jonah 3:10 - And Elohim saw their doings, that they turned from their evil way; and Elohim relented of the evil, which He had said that He would do to them; and He did not do it.
So, Elohim forgave the Ninevites and saved them and their city from destruction without a blood sacrifice!
Another illustration of this teaching is the 70-year Babylonian exile (586BCE-516BCE).
By necessity, the sacrificial system was suspended during those periods when there was no Temple. After the Temple was rebuilt when the Jews returned from Babylon, animal sacrifices were resumed. During those 70 years of the exile, while the Temple lay in ruins, no sacrifices were possible.
Yet, there lived many righteous folks who clearly had their transgressions atoned people such as Daniel, Ezekiel, Ezra, Haggai, Jeremiah, Malachi, Nehemiah, Zechariah, to mention just a few. Noah and Job were also examples of righteous Gentiles.
Ezekiel 14:14,20
(14) Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would only save their own souls by their righteousness, said YHWH, Elohim.
(20) Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, said YHWH, Elohim, they shall not save son nor daughter; but they shall save only their own souls by their righteousness.
Since the Jews couldn't make sacrificial offerings to have sins expunged during that 70-year period, how do you suppose they remained righteous without a blood sacrifice?
There hasn't been a Temple standing in Jerusalem since about 70 CE, so that today, the situation is the same as then. Though devout Jews ask for atonement in their daily prayers, the specific time designated in Tanakh for atonement is the Holy Day of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) see: (Lev 16:29-34 & Num 29:7-11).
Yom Kippur is to be an instrumentality for repentance and forgiveness for one’s transgressions.
Please note, however, that Yom Kippur only atones for sins between man and YHWH, not for sins against another person.
To atone for sins against another person, it is necessary to seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs we have committed against them, whenever possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur.
The Christian claim that, without blood, specifically, the blood of J.C. shed on the cross, sins cannot be expiated, I pray, has totally been shown to be invalid.