Reconstruction: Scapegoating the Scapegoat

The Controversy

View #1: The “scapegoat” is the Satan.

View #2: The “scapegoat” represents Christ.

View #3: The “scapegoat” is not a goat.

Yom Kippur

The climax of the Day of Atonement was an elimination ritual.

Lev 16:8-22 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering...And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

scapegoat (n.1530,) "goat sent into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement as a symbolic bearer of the sins of the people," coined by Tyndale from scape, a shortening of escape (see scape (v.)) + goat; the whole word translating Latin caper emissarius, itself a translation in Vulgate of Hebrew 'azazel (Leviticus xvi.8, 10, 26), which was read as 'ez ozel "goat that departs," but which others hold to be the proper name of a devil or demon in Jewish mythology (sometimes identified with Canaanite deity Aziz).

The entire congregation presented two goats as one sin offering.

The first goat was slain or sacrificed. The second goat remained alive.

The first goat did not have hands laid upon it. The second goat did have two hands laid on it and all of the sins were confessed on it.

The first goat’s blood was to cleanse the tabernacle.

Atonement was made with the second goat.

Azazel was considered a proper name in contrast to the proper name, Yahweh.

The second goat was expelled from the camp into the wilderness.

View #1 Jesus

Pros and cons

View #2 Satan

Pros and cons

Pesky Prepositions

The prepositions in the phrases “for the LORD” and “for the scapegoat” betray the idea that the goat is the “scapegoat.” The “scapegoat” is not one of the young goats presented by the congregation. There is a constant misapplication of the goat of separation with Azazel.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 16

8 Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for Yahweh and one for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot for Yahweh fell, and he shall ⌊sacrifice⌋ it as a sin offering. 10 But he must present alive ⌊before⌋ Yahweh the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell to make atonement for himself, to send it away into the desert to Azazel.

Where is Azazel?

The climax of the ritual is sending the sins out of the camp to Azazel and the High Priest reappearing without sin to bless the people.

Is it inappropriate to attribute the second goat or goat of departure to Christ?

Is it appropriate to teach the Day of Atonement ritual transfers sin to the Satan?