People and land in the holiness code : who is YHWH’s favourite?

Abstract

The article is interested in how land ( ) is personified in the Holiness Code. It starts by describing the different “countries” portrayed in the Holiness Code and then discusses all the instances where land functions as the subject of a verb (Lev 18:25, 27, 28; 19:29; 20:22; 25:2, 19; 26:4, 20, 34, 38, 43). The land at times seems to be close to being a human character by “becoming defiled,” “vomiting,” “acting like a prostitute,” “observing the Sabbath,” “giving” and “enjoying.” These verbs are all usually associated with human actions. In the light of these texts the article then attempts to describe the relationship between land, YHWH and the addressees. It becomes clear that there is a closer relationship between YHWH and the land than between YHWH and the addressees. The article then attempts to engage with Habel’s ecojustice principles showing that the ancient authors of the Holiness Code might have been familiar with some of them.