In a 1994 article in the Journal of the History of Sexuality, Saul M. Olyan made major contributions to the understanding of Lev 18:22 and 20:13. (1) First, he demonstrated by a convincing philological analysis that the laws refer specifically to male-male anal intercourse, not to male-male sexual contact in general. (2) Second, he showed that the redaction history of this legislation is essential to its interpretation. Beyond this, Olyan compared Israelite attitudes toward male-male intercourse with those of other ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures. Finally, he sought to understand the laws in their final form and context in the Holiness Code, that is, as part of the complex of sexual proscriptions codified in Lev 18 and 20. The purpose of the present essay is twofold. First, since Olyan's article appeared in a journal not regularly consulted by biblical scholars, I hope to bring his insights to the attention of those who might otherwise overlook them. More importantly, I wish to build further on Olyan's philological foundations and, in so doing, to propose sociological and interpretive conclusions quite different from those he himself reached. I
