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and references to ceremonial uncleanness in narratives (e.g., Gen 7:8; 1 Sam 20:26; 21:4-5; 2
Sam 11:2, 4) require an understanding of the purity laws. The narratives of both the Pentateuch
and subsequent biblical history were written by authors familiar with the laws, and so one seems
justified in reading the narratives in the light of the laws. And the laws of the Pentateuch at the
least assume the narratives of the Pentateuch, and so one may reasonably suppose that these
narratives may illumine the laws at points. Perhaps greater attention to the relationship of laws
and narratives will prove a fruitful avenue for future Old Testament research.