Why do Jews believe that the soul is carried in the blood?
Leviticus 17:11
ESV - 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
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Asked May 14 2014
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George Adams
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Albert Perkic
The term 'life in the blood' is first mentioned in Genesis 9:4: "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall you not eat" In this particular text it is referring to it's 'function'. Blood carries out important functions, namely of transporting oxygen from the lungs to every part of the body and carries nutrients to our cells. Another role is to assist in the elimination of toxins which are removed by the kidneys. Hence, the blood carries life. In Leviticus 17:11 the blood that was spilled from the animal symbolised life, and that 'life' was the One who shed His blood for our sins at Calvary. It was a symbol that pointed towards the time when Christ should give His life.....'and I have given it for you, to make atonement for your sins'. ' 'Life for us' is Calvary.
Meluleki Maphosa
The simple answer is Because it is Written in the bible. To clarify the question a bit, it is not the soul that is carried in the blood, but the blood "is the soul". Of course that begs the question, What is a soul? Put simply the soul is living body. The soul is not separate from the body. Gen 2: 7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. The body combined with life (blood) become a living soul. Therefore is is very easy to then make the short cut and say the (soul) life is in the blood. In other words without the blood the animal or human dies. Gen 9:4 and Lev 17: 11 make it clear that when the blood of the animal was spilled it was the life that was being taken. Gen 4:10 The Lord said to Cain about his murder of Abel his brother, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground." Of course the blood could not speak but God could see a great crime and sin that had been committed and it needed to be redressed. The life of Abel represented by the blood had been taken away.
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