Smelly Pigs

[trippymonkey]

Didn't the so-called Pagans etc use blood in their sacrifices or AS their sacrifices, supposedly human as well as animal.?
Pretty sure that's why the Hebrews kept off it as ONE of their reasons.

The Blood Is The Life !!!

[Anchorman]

Which 'so-called pagans', Nick?
Bear in mind that the LAW was conceived shortly after the Exodus (whenever that was). At any rate, it was well established by the time of the Davidic kingdom and the later divided monarchy.
It might help if you could specify which particular religious culture you had in mind.

[trippymonkey]

A
Basically ANY of the 'others' the Hebrews saw fit to invade & destroy in their self-righteous romps around the Middle East.

N

[Anchorman]

Whoa!
Cross-cultural influences were not only as a result of war.
Much of the Solomonic Temple, for example, was a simplified version of part of an Egyiptian complex.
And remember, the Hebrews were never really more than a bit player in the superpower struggles in the late Bronze age.
Oh, theologically, as a Christian, I honour the historical books of the OT, but, taken in context, the two kingdoms were little more than an afterthought in an area where there were many tiny proto-states who constantly shifted their allegiance to one or more of the major powers in the region.