LEV838 … the fact that Leviticus 20 places the homosexuality prohibition (this verse) between the prohibitions against sexual relations between a man and his daughter-in-law (Leviticus 20:12) and a woman and her daughter (Leviticus 20:14) suggests that a more specific prohibition is hinted at rather than a more universal prohibition against homosexuality. Similarly, the only other legal prohibition against homosexuality found in Deuteronomy 23:18 refers only to ritual sodomy and its placement there suggests that it is a crime tantamount to other idolatrous acts and therefore "an abomination." (The existence of such ritual sodomy among the Hebrews is attested by the Bible itself; I Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:47; II kings 23:7). Furthermore, the lack of any legislation against lesbianism in the Hebrew Bible leads one to conclude that a restricted homosexual prohibition may be the intention of these passages. Although homosexual relations are not seen by the Hebrew Bible as normative, it is difficult to say whether the Hebrew Bible wished to issue a universal ban on homosexuality or to prohibit it only when used as a part of pagan ritual. I Samuel 18 and 19 and II Samuel 1:26 use the same vocabulary to describe David and Jonathan's love as one finds in the case of heterosexual lovers. In addition, as we noted before, the Hebrew Bible, in general, does not contain detailed sexual legislation concerning either married or unmarried men, and the absence of any legislation concerning female homosexuality in the Hebrew Bible suggests that a general ban on homosexuality may not be the major issue in the legislation in Leviticus. (Since the Deuteronomy text is later than the Leviticus text we might assume that the Deuteronomy author is only reformulating the Leviticus prohibition.)