Purity laws served to separate men from women, community from state, elect from non-elect, Jew from non-Jew, and God from people. … Danger resulted from normal or abnormal discharges of the body. The Levitical purity laws were designed to control the activity of persons in this condition. The following discussion will center on Leviticus chapter 15 as it compares the purity laws governing women and men. At first sight there appears to be no inequity in the purity laws. A careful comparison of the verses that apply strictly to men, and the verses that apply strictly to women, yield some surprising results. … At the birth of a male the woman is unclean for seven days. Before she can return or re-enter into the cultic and social life of the community she must wait an additional thirty [sic] days (Lev12:1–4). If a female is born, the confinement is doubled (Lev12:5–8). … At the end of the woman's seclusion she must offer a sacrifice for sin (Lev12:8). If a man has a normal seminal discharge he is only unclean until evening. … […]