Write 2-3 pages (typed, double-spaced) as prompted below.
Slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the ridge of Aarons
right ear and on the ridges of his sons right ears, and on the thumbs of their right
hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and dash the rest of the blood against
every side of the altar round about. Take some of the blood that is on the altar
and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it upon Aaron and his vestments, and
also on his sons vestments. Thus shall he and his vestments be holy, as well as
his sons vestments. [Exodus, 29:20-21]
You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times: You shall
not commit murder; and whoever commits murder shall be liable to judgment.
Whereas I say to you that everyone who becomes angry with his brother shall
be liable to judgment; and whoever says You fool to his brother shall be liable
to the Council; and whoever says Moron shall be liable to enter the Gehenna
of fire. If, therefore, you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your
brother holds something against you, leave your gift in front of the altar, and
first go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
[Matthew, 5:21-24]
Discuss the different notions of sanctity and sin in these passages and their
importance for how moral agency is understood in the texts from which they are drawn.
Be sure to consider the role that the destruction of the Jerusalem temple had in the change
from orthopraxy toward the emergence of the new doctrinally and scripturally based
proto-religion of Matthew and Paul, shifting notions of personal and ethnic identity, as
well as how adherents of the early Jesus movement re-interpreted the anticipated
Kingdom of Heaven (so-called by Matthew) or Kingdom of God (so-called by Paul)
prophesized by Isaiah.
