Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Are We Wrong: The Symbolic Identity Of The Goat For Azazel (The Scapegoat), D. Houston Beckworth

Campus Research Day

This paper argues that a distinction needs to be made between the goat and the scapegoat (Azazel), and thus the goat’s symbolic identity should also be separate from Azazel. Seventh-Day Adventists and evangelical Christians hold two different views regarding the antitypical identity of the goat for Azazel within Leviticus 16’s account of the Day of Atonement. Adventists focus on the features of Azael to conclude that the scapegoat is Satan. Evangelicals commonly argue that the goat is characteristic of Jesus. Each of them has problematically taught these while merging the goat and scapegoat. However, separating the goat and Azazel resolves …