Blood is a common symbol in our world. Throughout the history of civilizations, blood has had various uses and interpretations. Blood may be deciphered as a way people are blessed. In the Standard Dictionary of Folklore Volume I. by Jerome Fried and Maria Leach, they say, "Primitive men generally look on blood as being life itself. They see blood flow and body die and therefore assume that life flows out of the body in a literal sense" (Fried and Leach 148). It can be also looked upon in such a way, as the foundation of a new life. Blood can be interpreted in many ways, so that essentially there is not only one valid way to look at it. Blood appears in a numerous amount of myths and religions. In the Christian tradition and in African beliefs, blood has different meanings and representations.
In the Christian tradition, blood has been associated with holiness and blessings. In King James' version of the Holy Bible, the book of Exodus enlightens readers of Moses' duty for the Lord and the consequences the Israelites faced when they did not obey. To establish his laws with the Israelites, God called Moses up to the mountain. Moving forward with his journey, Moses left Aaron and the elders of Israel in the town. Awaiting him was a set of stone tablets containing the laws of God, also known as the Ten Commandments. As said in the book of Exodus, "And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said we will do. And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Exodus 24:3-4 KJV). After Moses made his announcements to the Israelites, he took the blood of the oxen and used it as God told him to.
Often times, the bible refers to "blood of the covenant".
