Day 34 Leviticus 11-13

            Only eat animals that have a split hoof and chew cud or have no split hoof and do not chew cud, but not an animal that only has one or the other.  Only eat sea creature with both scales and fins.  You can eat birds, but there’s a list of forbidden birds.  They’re mostly birds of prey and you can’t eat bats.  Don’t eat flying bugs that walk on all fours (sixes?) but it is okay to eat grasshoppers and some other flying bugs that jump.  Anything that walks on it’s paws is unclean.

            You can’t touch dead things at all without becoming unclean and the way that uncleanness spreads is kind of similar to the was germs work.  If unclean water gets on something then that thing is unclean and if it’s food the it’s not to be eaten.  If an unclean thing gets into a pot of water then everything in the pot is unclean and the pot must be destroyed.  One problem is that a lot of things stop being unclean after a day even if you don’t do anything to make them clean again, which is kind of gross, but better than nothing.  These are mostly rules that will keep a people healthier.

            You can’t eat snakes or centipedes or anything that moves along the ground.

            Childbirth is gross and any woman who engages in such a practice is unclean for at least a week, then still has to stay away from God for another month on top of that.  After that period is over she can take a lamb or some doves to the temple and be made clean again.

            Any skin diseases are to be inspected by the priests.  Aaron and his sons get some instructions for dealing with infectious diseases.  The examine rashes , boils and swelling and decide if someone is made unclean by them.  If someone is unclean they have to live outside of camp, remain unkempt and shout “unclean, unclean” wherever he goes L

            Anything with mildew on it will usually get burned.  If it doesn’t seem to be spreading then they can keep it under observation and maybe try washing it, but if it doesn’t go away they have to destroy it or burn it.  Living in Western Washington I can definitely sympathize with this one.  Mildew is incredibly frustrating.  I keep hearing all these old wive’s tales about using baking soda or vinegar or a lemon in your washing machine, but I think Moses might be onto something with this ritualistic fire thing.  I have a couple towels I’ll have to try that on.