# Leviticus > third book of the Bible (Hebrew, Protestant, Catholic) **Wikidata**: [Q41490](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q41490) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Leviticus) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/leviticus ## Summary Leviticus is the third book of the Bible, recognized in the Hebrew, Protestant, and Catholic canons. It serves as a central religious text and literary work, also known by the aliases "Book of Leviticus" and "Lev." The book is situated between Exodus and the Book of Numbers and is a foundational component of the Torah, Pentateuch, Old Testament, Tanakh, and Hexateuch. ## Key Facts - **Position in Canon:** It is the third book of the Bible. - **Preceding Book:** Exodus. - **Succeeding Book:** Book of Numbers. - **Canonical Membership:** Part of the Torah, Old Testament, Tanakh, Pentateuch, and Hexateuch. - **Content Structure:** Comprises 27 chapters, ranging from Leviticus 1 to Leviticus 27. - **Key Section:** Contains the "Holiness code" (chapters 17–26), characterized by the repeated use of the word ‘holy’ (קדוש). - **Classification:** Defined as both a religious text and a literary work. - **Aliases:** Also referred to as the "Book of Leviticus" or "Lev." - **Sitelink Count:** Has a sitelink count of 132. ## FAQs **Where is Leviticus located in the Bible?** Leviticus is the third book of the Bible, following the second book, Exodus, and preceding the fourth book, the Book of Numbers. **What major collections include Leviticus?** Leviticus is included in the Torah and Pentateuch (the first five books), the Old Testament (the first division of the Christian biblical canon), the Tanakh (the canon of the Hebrew Bible), and the Hexateuch (the first six books including Joshua). **What is the Holiness code found in Leviticus?** The Holiness code refers to chapters 17 through 26 of Leviticus, a section characterized by the repeated use of the Hebrew word for holy (קדוש) and hypothesized by scholars to have originally been an independent document. **How many chapters are in the Book of Leviticus?** The book contains 27 chapters, numbered from Leviticus 1 through Leviticus 27. ## Why It Matters Leviticus is structurally significant as the bridge between the narrative of Exodus and the census of Numbers, anchoring the central section of the Pentateuch. Its inclusion in the Hexateuch and Tanakh highlights its enduring role in both Jewish and Christian traditions as a primary religious and literary text. The identification of the "Holiness code" within its chapters provides a critical framework for understanding the thematic emphasis on sanctity that may have originated as a distinct theological document. ## Notable For - Being the third installment of the biblical canon. - Containing the specific "Holiness code" section spanning chapters 17–26. - Serving as a constituent element of the Hexateuch, a collection comprising the first six books of the Bible. - Possessing a high number of sitelinks (132), indicating significant cross-referencing and notability in structured databases. - Including chapters with varying degrees of specific reference, such as Leviticus 18 (12 sitelinks), Leviticus 19 (8 sitelinks), and Leviticus 25 (6 sitelinks). ## Body ### Canonical Context and Classification Leviticus is classified as a religious text and a literary work. It holds a critical position within the biblical canon as the third book. It is preceded by Exodus, the second book of the Bible, and succeeded by the Book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Bible. The book is integrated into several major scriptural collections: * **Torah and Pentateuch:** It is one of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible and the Bible. * **Old Testament:** It forms part of the first division of the Christian biblical canon. * **Tanakh:** It is included in the canon of the Hebrew Bible, written mostly in Hebrew with some Aramaic. * **Hexateuch:** It is part of the first six books of the Bible, grouped together with Joshua. ### Structure and Composition The text is divided into 27 distinct chapters. These chapters are treated as subsidiary entities, ranging from Leviticus 1 to Leviticus 27. A notable subsection within the book is the **Holiness code**. This section encompasses chapters 17 through 26. It is distinguished by the repeated use of the word ‘holy’ (קדוש). Academic sources hypothesize that this code may have originally been an independent document before being incorporated into the book. ### Chapter Breakdown and Connectivity The chapters of Leviticus exhibit varying degrees of connectivity and reference counts within the knowledge base: * **High-Reference Chapters:** Leviticus 18 holds a sitelink count of 12, while Leviticus 19 has a count of 8, and Leviticus 25 has a count of 6. * **Standard Chapters:** The majority of the chapters, including Leviticus 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, and 27, each have a sitelink count of 5. ### Metadata and Aliases The entity is formally titled the "Book of Leviticus" on Wikipedia. It is commonly identified by the short alias "Lev." The entity has a substantial presence in linked data, evidenced by a total sitelink count of 132. ## References 1. Virtual International Authority File 2. MusicBrainz 3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 4. BBC Things 5. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/a.htm) 6. FactGrid 7. KBpedia 8. [Source](https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/abbrevhelp)