according to what inner rationale was the killing of animals or birds thought to effect the atonement and forgiveness which those who did it clearly believed it did effect? It cannot be thought that it effected purification, since purification was a necessary preliminary to the offering of sacrifice. And if it is the case that sacrifices are simply a convenient occasion for the really effective act of atonement, which is repentance and confession, that still does not explain why sacrifices themselves have any meaning at all.124 In the nature of the case, this is not necessarily something that
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