Book excerpt: Memory and Covenant combines a close reading of the deuteronomic, priestly, and holiness traditions with analysis of ritual and scrutiny of the different terminology used in each tradition regarding memory. Ellman demonstrates that the exploration of the concept of memory is critical to understanding these distinct traditions. All three regard memory as a vital element of religious practice and as the principal instrument of covenant fidelity but in very different ways. Ellman explores the place and meaning of memory in each of these textual traditions.