Go to Related Reading
About this book

Leviticus

About this book
Chapter 2

1 “‘When a person presents a grain offering to the Lord, his offering must consist of choice wheat flour, and he must pour olive oil on it and put frankincense on it. 2 Then he must bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests, and the priest must scoop out from there a handful of its choice wheat flour and some of its olive oil in addition to all of its frankincense, and the priest must offer its memorial portion up in smoke on the altar—it is a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 3 The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to his sons—it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord. 4 “‘When you present an offering of grain baked in an oven, it must be made of choice wheat flour baked into unleavened loaves mixed with olive oil or unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil. 5 If your offering is a grain offering made on the griddle, it must be choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil, unleavened. 6 Crumble it in pieces and pour olive oil on it—it is a grain offering. 7 If your offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it must be made of choice wheat flour deep fried in olive oil. 8 “‘You must bring the grain offering that must be made from these to the Lord. Present it to the priest, and he will bring it to the altar. 9 Then the priest must take up from the grain offering its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar—it is a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 10 The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to his sons—it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord. 11 “‘No grain offering which you present to the Lord can be made with yeast, for you must not offer up in smoke any yeast or honey as a gift to the Lord.⁠ 12 You can present them to the Lord as an offering of firstfruit, but they must not go up to the altar for a soothing aroma. 13 Moreover, you must season every one of your grain offerings with salt; you must not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be missing from your grain offering—on every one of your grain offerings you must present salt.⁠ 14 “‘If you present a grain offering of first ripe grain to the Lord, you must present your grain offering of first ripe grain as soft kernels roasted in fire—crushed bits of fresh grain. 15 And you must put olive oil on it and set frankincense on it—it is a grain offering. 16 Then the priest must offer its memorial portion up in smoke—some of its crushed bits, some of its olive oil, in addition to all of its frankincense—it is a gift to the Lord.

Texts in conversation

Compare Leviticus 2:13 and Gospel of Philip 5:9

Hebrew Bible · Nag Hammadi

Share:

Summary

The Gospel of Philip turns Leviticus' requirement of salt in every offering into a requirement of wisdom. By calling Wisdom salt, it carries a rule for preparing sacrifices into a claim about what makes the disciples' own offering acceptable to God.

Passages

Leviticus 2:13

Hebrew Bible
11 “‘No grain offering which you present to the Lord can be made with yeast, for you must not offer up in smoke any yeast or honey as a gift to the Lord. 12 You can present them to the Lord as an offering of firstfruit, but they must not go up to the altar for a soothing aroma. 13 Moreover, you must season every one of your grain offerings with salt; you must not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be missing from your grain offering—on every one of your grain offerings you must present salt. 14 “‘If you present a grain offering of first ripe grain to the Lord, you must present your grain offering of first ripe grain as soft kernels roasted in fire—crushed bits of fresh grain.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Leviticus

Gospel of Philip 5:9

Nag Hammadi
Consequently, a disciple one day asked the Lord for some thing of the world. He said to him: “Ask your Mother and she will give to you from the others.” The apostles said to the disciples: “May our entire sacrifice have salt.” They called [Wisdom] “salt.” Without her, the sacrifice is not [rendered] acceptable. Wisdom, however, [is] barren, [without] child. Consequently, [she] is called [...] of salt, where they will [...] in their manner. The holy Spirit [...] [...], and many are her children. What the Father possesses belongs to the Son. Even the Son himself, while he is young, he is not entrusted with what belongs to him. Then, when he becomes Man, his Father gives him everything that is his.
180–250 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Gospel of Philip

References

“... 35. The apostles said to the disciples: 'May our whole offering obtain 'salt'!' They called [Sophia] 'salt'. Without it no offering is acceptable. 36. But Sophia is barren [(and) without] children. Because of this she is called '[the pillar](?) of salt'. Wherever they shall [ ] in their way, [there ] the Holy Spirit [ ]. (p. 60) [An]d (so) her children are (none the less) many. [...] 21. Cf. on the one hand Lev. 2:13 and Mk. 9:49 (with varia lectio), and on the other Col. 4:5f. Perhaps in the background there is also the eucharist with bread and salt; on this cf. Ps.-Clem. Hom. 14.1.4; 13.4.3; Acts of Thomas 29; and Lietzmann, Messe und Herrenmahl, 1926, pp. 239-241. 22. Cf. 1 Clem. 11.2; ZP XXXVI 301; but above all Iren. adv. Haer. IV 31.3, where Lot's wife who became a pillar of salt (statua salis) is interpreted positively as an image of the Church. ...”
Hans-Martin Schenke, “The Gospel of Philip,” in New Testament Apocrypha, Volume 1: Gospels and Related Writings, ed. Wilhelm Schneemelcher and R. McL. Wilson (Cambridge: James Clarke, 1991), 192, 207.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

Leviticus 2:13 and Gospel of Philip 5:9

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library