Story highlights The 10 Commandments are the outline, and Leviticus is the fine print, Laura Bernardini says

Leviticus presents a precise and comprehensive code of conduct that governs all aspects of life, she says

Laura Bernardini is director of coverage in CNN's Washington bureau. The views expressed in this column belong to Bernardini.

Laura Bernardini

(CNN) This is week seven of an ongoing series: A Catholic Reads the Bible. Read week one, week two and week three.

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This week's reading of Leviticus is laden with the rules of the new religion. If you had no idea what Leviticus is about, let's put it this way: Moses wouldn't have been able to carry all the rules. Two tablets? Try 2,000.

It's almost like the 10 Commandments are a summary. Before this, my understanding was that as long as you obeyed the Decalogue, you were good to go.

Instead, it seems like the original 10 Commandments are just the outline, and Leviticus forms the fine print, as lawyers might say. The part of the Bible presents a (very detailed!) code of conduct that is precise and comprehensive, governing all aspects of life -- relationships, sex, business and even the mystical world.

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