Does the Burnt Offering Atone?: Ancient Jewish Perspectives

The wholly burnt offering, or olah, and its relation to expiation/atonement, poses a vexing question. Across biblical, Second Temple, and rabbinic sources, there is conflicting evidence as to whether olah atones. Among the rabbinic materials this question is especially complicated, with multiple texts stating that olah does atone (‮כ.פ.ר‬‎), and others implying or stating outright that it does not. This study analyzes these varied materials, considering rabbinic texts against parallel biblical and Second Temple materials. This question is important both for understanding this offering and for how that impacts upon understandings of sacrifice and atonement in ancient Judaism. The flexibility of the olah offering renders it a site for negotiation between differing conceptions of these categories for ancient Jews.