Features of the Priestly Tradition
There is a divine plan to history unfolding from creation throughout time
History has been marked by three ages, each with a corresponding covenant
1) Creation to the flood (Adam to Noah): covenant with Noah: Elohim
2) From Noah to Abraham: covenant with Abraham: El Shaddai
3) From Abraham to Moses: covenant with Moses: YHVH
There is order to creation and to the world
Covenants are eternal
Tabernacle, later Temple, are central priestly institutions
G-d dwells among the people
Therefore, the people must be holy: Israel as a cultic community dedicated to YHVH
Methods to insure holiness: atonement (sacrifices) and purification rituals
G-d is a universal deity