From: "Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.beitberl.ac.il>
To: Tony Calman <tcalman AT nvision.net.au>
Cc: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: Atonement in the Pentateuch
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1998 23:02:04 +0200
Biblical Hebrew kipper does not mean "atone" but rather "purify, purge".
Yom Kippur was originally the Day of Purgation (of the priests, the
people, the temple and its accoutrements. See Milgrom's commentary on
Leviticus in the Anchor Bible series.
--
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
44905 Beit Berl Post Office
Israel