The student of religion needs to take notice and treat seriously those disciplines that are able to provide useful tools to further his study. A refusal to acknowledge that ‘purity’, as an anthropological concept, is worth considering on the grounds that it has no place in the ‘higher religions’ closes off to the researcher an avenue of approach that can lead to a fuller understanding of his subject matter. It is hoped that this study has shown that the examination of a concept overlooked by most biblical scholars, but noted by anthropologists as being of significant importance in their attempt to interpret the life of many cultures, has helped reveal a fresh understanding of both Qumran and Paul.

We have acknowledged the centrality of the concept of purity in the religious life of the community at Qumran and we have shown that Paul uses the idea of purity in his letters in a manner which had much in common with contemporary Jewish groups. This is particularly the case on the level of purity and the divine presence in the Temple. We should look finally at the specific differences between Paul and the Jewish group, upon which we have centred our attention in this study, when it comes to the matter of purity.

It has been admitted that the concept of purity in Paul is not the one central concern in his letters.