Cult and Character: Purification Offerings, Day of Atonement, and Theodicy, by Roy E. Gane. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2005. Pp. xxii + 394. $39.50 (hardcover). ISBN 1575061015. In Cult and Character: Purification Offerings, Day of Atonement, and Theodicy, Roy E. Gane, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Languages at the Theological Seminary of Andrews University, joins in the ongoing quest for the interpretation of cultic atonement and shows how the Day of Atonement rituals ultimately portray the character of YHWH. Considering recent scholarly claims that all ritual activity is necessarily polyvalent and ambiguous, Gane makes an important contribution by presenting a comprehensive and integrated system of atonement based on meticulous attention to the goals of sacrificial rituals explicitly stated in biblical texts. In doing so he engages in a detailed discussion with past and present research, especially that of Jacob Milgrom. In light of these features and its technical language, the book is primarily written for the scholarly community.
