If there is one book in the Bible that most people skip, it is Leviticus. Open it for the first time and you are immediately met with detailed instructions about animal sacrifices, priestly garments, skin diseases, and dietary laws. It can feel remote, strange, and almost impossible to connect with modern life.
But here is the truth: Leviticus is one of the most theologically profound books in the entire Bible. It contains the foundation of the entire sacrificial system that Jesus Christ came to fulfil. It is quoted more in the New Testament than almost any other Old Testament book. And at its heart, it answers one of the most important questions a human being can ask — how can a sinful person approach a holy God?
So when was it written, who wrote it, and why does it still matter today?
Why Is It Called "Leviticus"?
The English name "Leviticus" comes from the Latin and Greek translations of the Old Testament, meaning "relating to the Levites" — the priestly tribe of Israel descended from Levi, one of Jacob's twelve sons. The Levites were set apart by God to serve as priests and ministers of worship, and much of the book deals with their duties and responsibilities.
However, the original Hebrew title is once again far more revealing. In Hebrew the book is called "Vayikra" — meaning "And He Called." These are the very first words of the book:
"The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting." — Leviticus 1:1
This title captures something beautiful and easily missed. Leviticus is not primarily a book of rules. It is a book about God calling His people into His presence — and providing the precise means by which sinful human beings could draw near to a perfectly holy God. Every law, every sacrifice, every regulation is in service of that one breathtaking reality: God wants to dwell among His people.
Who Wrote the Book of Leviticus?
Consistent with the entire Pentateuch, the traditional and most well-supported answer is that Moses wrote Leviticus under divine inspiration.
The evidence within the book itself is remarkably strong — arguably stronger than any other book in the Pentateuch. The phrase "The Lord said to Moses" or "The Lord spoke to Moses" appears an extraordinary 56 times throughout Leviticus. This is not subtle. The book is almost entirely presented as a direct transcript of God speaking to Moses at the Tent of Meeting — the portable sanctuary Israel constructed at Sinai.
Additional evidence includes:
- Jesus directly attributed Levitical law to Moses. In Mark 1:44, after healing a leper, Jesus told him: "Go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded." The sacrifice Jesus referred to is found in Leviticus 14 — and Jesus called it Moses' command.
- The New Testament repeatedly cites Leviticus as authoritative Scripture, including Paul in Romans and Galatians, and extensively throughout the book of Hebrews
- Jewish tradition has always unanimously attributed Leviticus to Moses
- The book's content fits perfectly into the narrative context of Exodus — Israel has just completed the Tabernacle at the end of Exodus, and Leviticus immediately picks up with God instructing Moses how worship in that Tabernacle is to be conducted
When Was Leviticus Written?
Leviticus is actually the most precisely datable book in the Pentateuch because its setting is so specific. The entire book takes place at Mount Sinai, during the period immediately after the Tabernacle was completed. Exodus 40:17 tells us the Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the second year after the Exodus. Numbers 1:1 tells us the events of Numbers begin on the first day of the second month of the second year.
This means all of Leviticus takes place within approximately one month — a remarkably concentrated period of divine instruction to Moses at Sinai.
Based on the 1446 BC date for the Exodus, Leviticus was most likely dictated and written down around 1445 BC — making it approximately 3,400 to 3,500 years old and one of the oldest legal and theological documents in human history.
What Does Leviticus Actually Contain?
Leviticus divides naturally into two major sections:
Part 1 — The Way to God: Laws of Sacrifice and Priesthood (Chapters 1–16)
This section deals with how Israel was to approach God through the sacrificial system. It covers:
The Five Main Offerings (Chapters 1–7)
| Offering | Hebrew Name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Burnt Offering | Olah | Complete dedication to God |
| Grain Offering | Minchah | Thanksgiving and devotion |
| Peace Offering | Shelem | Fellowship and gratitude |
| Sin Offering | Chatat | Atonement for unintentional sin |
| Guilt Offering | Asham | Restitution for specific wrongs |
Each of these offerings points forward to a different aspect of what Jesus Christ would accomplish on the cross — His complete dedication to the Father, His gratitude, His peace-making, His sin-bearing, and His making restitution for humanity's guilt.
The Priesthood (Chapters 8–10) The consecration of Aaron and his sons as Israel's first priests is recorded in extraordinary detail. This section also contains the sobering account of Nadab and Abihu — Aaron's sons who offered "unauthorized fire" before the Lord and were immediately struck dead. It is a stark reminder that approaching a holy God is not a casual matter.
Laws of Purity (Chapters 11–15) These chapters cover dietary laws (clean and unclean animals), laws about skin diseases, bodily discharges, and other matters of ritual purity. While these laws had practical health benefits, their deeper purpose was to teach Israel to think constantly about holiness — to distinguish between clean and unclean, holy and common, in every area of daily life.
The Day of Atonement (Chapter 16) This is arguably the single most important chapter in Leviticus — and one of the most important in the entire Old Testament. Once a year, on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place — the inner sanctuary where God's presence dwelt — and make atonement for all of Israel's sins.
Two goats were used. The first was sacrificed as a sin offering. The second — the famous scapegoat — had the sins of the nation symbolically laid on it and was then driven out into the wilderness, never to return. Together these two goats powerfully illustrated what the cross would accomplish: the penalty of sin paid, and the guilt of sin removed.
The book of Hebrews (chapters 9–10) dedicates extensive space to showing how Jesus fulfilled the Day of Atonement perfectly and permanently — entering not a earthly Most Holy Place but heaven itself, not with the blood of animals but with His own blood, not once a year but once for all eternity.
Part 2 — The Walk With God: Laws of Holiness (Chapters 17–27)
The second half of Leviticus is often called the "Holiness Code" because it is framed around one of the most repeated commands in the entire Old Testament:
"Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." — Leviticus 19:2
Jesus quoted this section directly. When asked what the greatest commandment was, He cited Leviticus 19:18:
"Love your neighbour as yourself."
This section covers laws about blood, sexual ethics, social justice, the treatment of foreigners, honesty in business, care for the poor, respect for the elderly, and the sacred calendar of Israel — including the seven annual feasts (Passover, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles) which together form a prophetic calendar mapping out the entire work of Jesus Christ in remarkable detail.
The Seven Feasts of Leviticus and Their Fulfilment in Jesus
This is one of the most stunning aspects of Leviticus that most people never discover:
| Feast | Leviticus Reference | Fulfilment in Jesus |
|---|---|---|
| Passover | Lev 23:5 | Jesus crucified as the Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7) |
| Unleavened Bread | Lev 23:6 | Jesus buried — His body did not decay (Ps 16:10) |
| Firstfruits | Lev 23:10 | Jesus rose as the firstfruits of resurrection (1 Cor 15:20) |
| Pentecost | Lev 23:16 | Holy Spirit poured out on the Church (Acts 2) |
| Trumpets | Lev 23:24 | The future return of Christ (1 Thess 4:16) |
| Day of Atonement | Lev 23:27 | Israel's future national repentance (Zech 12:10) |
| Tabernacles | Lev 23:34 | God dwelling with humanity in eternity (Rev 21:3) |
The first four feasts have already been fulfilled — precisely, literally, and on the exact feast day — in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Many scholars believe the final three will be fulfilled just as precisely at His return. This calendar was written in Leviticus 1,400 years before Jesus was born.
What Do Critical Scholars Say?
The Documentary Hypothesis assigns most of Leviticus to the "P" (Priestly) source — supposedly a late document written by Jerusalem priests during or after the Babylonian exile (6th–5th century BC), more than 800 years after Moses.
This view faces serious problems:
- The sacrificial system described in Leviticus is far more complex and detailed than the simplified worship described in later Old Testament books — the opposite of what you would expect if it were a late invention. Later is usually simpler, not more elaborate.
- Comparative ancient Near Eastern texts — including Ugaritic ritual texts and Hittite treaty documents — show that the type of detailed sacrificial and legal literature found in Leviticus was entirely standard in the second millennium BC (Moses' era), not the first millennium BC when critics claim it was written
- The internal consistency of Leviticus — its unified legal logic, its coherent theological framework, its seamless connection to Exodus and Numbers — is far more consistent with a single inspired author than a committee of editors working centuries later
Why Should Christians Read Leviticus Today?
This is the question many modern believers ask — and the answer is far more compelling than most people expect.
1. It reveals the cost of sin. Every animal sacrifice in Leviticus communicates one relentless message: sin requires death. An innocent life must be taken to cover the guilty. Reading Leviticus makes the cross of Christ infinitely more meaningful — because you understand exactly what Jesus was doing when He died.
2. It reveals the holiness of God. Modern Christianity often emphasizes God's love while soft-pedalling His holiness. Leviticus corrects that imbalance powerfully. God is not simply a loving grandfather — He is a consuming fire of perfect holiness who takes sin with deadly seriousness.
3. It reveals the grace of God. And yet — despite that perfect holiness — God provided a way. He did not leave His people without a means of approach. Every sacrifice, every priest, every feast was God's gracious provision for sinful people to draw near. That grace finds its ultimate and permanent expression in Jesus Christ.
4. It is quoted throughout the New Testament. You cannot fully understand Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, or Revelation without understanding Leviticus. The New Testament assumes its readers know Leviticus — and reading it transforms your understanding of the Gospel.
How Leviticus Fits Into the Pentateuch Series
| Book | Hebrew Title | Key Theme | Written |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | Bereshit — "In the Beginning" | Creation and the Patriarchs | ~1446–1400 BC |
| Exodus | Shemot — "Names" | Slavery, Deliverance, the Law | ~1446–1400 BC |
| Leviticus | Vayikra — "And He Called" | Holiness, Sacrifice, and Worship | ~1445 BC |
| Numbers | Bemidbar — "In the Wilderness" | Wilderness, Rebellion, Renewal | ~1446–1406 BC |
| Deuteronomy | Devarim — "Words" | Moses' Final Sermons | ~1406 BC |
A Simple Timeline
| Period | Event |
|---|---|
| ~1446 BC | The Exodus — Israel leaves Egypt |
| ~1446 BC | Israel arrives at Sinai |
| ~1446 BC | Tabernacle constructed — end of Exodus |
| ~1445 BC | God speaks to Moses from the Tabernacle — Leviticus written |
| ~1445 BC | Israel departs Sinai — beginning of Numbers |
| ~1406 BC | Moses dies on Mount Nebo |
| ~150 BC | Earliest surviving Leviticus manuscripts (Dead Sea Scrolls) |
| Today | Leviticus remains the theological foundation of the New Testament Gospel |
Conclusion
The Book of Leviticus was written by Moses around 1445 BC — making it approximately 3,400 to 3,500 years old. Far from being an irrelevant collection of ancient religious rules, it is the theological engine of the entire Bible — the book that most clearly explains why sin is deadly, why sacrifice is necessary, and why the coming of Jesus Christ was not plan B but the fulfilment of a plan God had been unfolding in extraordinary detail for over a thousand years.
Every blood sacrifice in Leviticus is a shadow. Every High Priest is a shadow. Every Day of Atonement is a shadow. And every shadow points to the same blazing reality — Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." — Leviticus 17:11
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who wrote the Book of Leviticus? Moses wrote Leviticus, as confirmed by the phrase "The Lord said to Moses" appearing 56 times in the book, by Jesus in Mark 1:44, and by consistent Jewish and Christian tradition throughout history.
Q: When was the Book of Leviticus written? Leviticus was written around 1445 BC, immediately after the Tabernacle was completed at Sinai. This makes it approximately 3,400 to 3,500 years old.
Q: What does Leviticus mean? The English title means "relating to the Levites" — the priestly tribe of Israel. The original Hebrew title is Vayikra, meaning "And He Called" — referring to God calling Moses into His presence at the Tabernacle.
Q: Why did God require animal sacrifices in Leviticus? Animal sacrifices illustrated the principle that sin requires death — an innocent life given in place of the guilty. These sacrifices were never sufficient in themselves but pointed forward to the one perfect and permanent sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Q: What is the Day of Atonement in Leviticus? Yom Kippur — the Day of Atonement — described in Leviticus 16 was the holiest day of the Jewish year. Once a year the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement for all Israel's sins. The book of Hebrews shows that Jesus fulfilled this perfectly and permanently through His own sacrifice.
Q: Is Leviticus relevant for Christians today? Absolutely. Leviticus is quoted extensively throughout the New Testament. Understanding it transforms your appreciation of the cross, the holiness of God, and the grace of the Gospel. Jesus Himself quoted Leviticus 19:18 — "Love your neighbour as yourself" — as one of the two greatest commandments.
Q: What are the seven feasts in Leviticus? Leviticus 23 outlines seven annual feasts: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. The first four have been fulfilled precisely in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Many scholars believe the final three will be fulfilled at His return.
