Purity and Impurity are fundamental to the most basic forms of religion, evident not only in the ancient Near Eastern context but also throughout the Pentateuch. The book of Leviticus, where the terms of purity and impurity are highly concentrated, is typically where most discussions originate concerning a purity worldview. However, some biblical theologians argue that most biblical themes and worldviews should be recognizable in the opening biblical narrative. Why then has purity and related concepts not been explored earlier in the biblical text? This paper examines how the Eden and the Exodus narratives reflect shared purity worldviews through the use of the phrase “do not touch.”
To achieve my thesis, I will first examine Eve’s speech in Genesis 3:3, where two essential phrases emerge: “in the center of the garden” and “do not touch.” I will then analyze these phrases within their ancient Near Eastern context. Third, I will discuss how Ex. 19 employs two essential elements —Mt. Sinai and the prohibition of touching —to construct a purity worldview. Finally, I will examine how both narratives reflect a shared conceptual purity worldview and how biblical theology can use the Eden narrative and Ex. 19 as a foundation for purity studies before turning to the book of Leviticus.