The Restoration of Shalom: An Intertextual Reading of Leviticus 16 and Psalm 65

Abstract

In this paper I seek to explore the intertextual relationship between The Day of Purification (or Day of Atonement) in Leviticus 16 and Psalm 65. I adopt Ziva Ben-Porat’s approach to reading intertextually as the approach allows the exegete to attempt to balance concerns of both the reader and historical development. I argue that markers in the text of Psalm 65 such as כפר , creation theology, and עטרת שנת, activate both the entire text of Leviticus 16 and the theological world it connotes. The outcome is a psalm that draws on a rich theological tradition that became especially important in the post-exilic period.