Understanding the Day of Atonement and Hebrews

Most scholars understand that the Day of Atonement ritual of Leviticus 16 provides the main template for understanding Jesus''s death and exaltation in the argument of Hebrews. This study suggests that the perspective of Hebrews is much wider than that, conceiving of the ascension as the inauguration of Jesus'' office as "Son" at the "right hand of God". The title "Son" is the fulfillment of the promises made to David (2 Sam 7:12-15), which are claimed for Jesus explicitly in Heb 1:5 and 13. This connection to the Davidic covenantal traditions brings closer the theology of Hebrews and the theology of other New Testament documents, which opens new vistas for understanding early Christianity.