![]() What is clear is that high priests claiming Aaronide descent dominated the Second Temple period. As a result, many historians think that Aaronide families did not control the priesthood in pre-exilic Israel. A two-tier hierarchy of Aaronides and Levites appears in Ezra, Nehemiah and Chronicles. It does reflect a two-tier priesthood with the Levites in subordinate position. ![]() The Book of Ezekiel, which devotes much attention to priestly matters, calls the priestly upper class the Zadokites after one of King David's priests. The books of Judges, Samuel and Kings mention priests and Levites, but do not mention the Aaronides in particular. In later books of the Hebrew Bible, Aaron and his kin are not mentioned very often except in literature dating to the Babylonian captivity and later. In this way, the institution of the Aaronide priesthood was established. When Aaron completed the altar offerings for the first time and, with Moses, "blessed the people: and the glory of the L ORD appeared unto all the people: And there came a fire out from before the L ORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces". The priests were also commissioned to bless the people. God commissioned the Aaronide priests to distinguish the holy from the common and the clean from the unclean, and to teach the divine laws (the Torah) to the Israelites. Aaron and his successors as high priest were given control over the Urim and Thummim by which the will of God could be determined. He also related to them God's detailed instructions for performing their duties while the rest of the Israelites listened. Moses anointed and consecrated Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, and arrayed them in the robes of office. The rest of his tribe, the Levites, were given subordinate responsibilities within the sanctuary. The family of Aaron had the exclusive right and responsibility to make offerings on the altar to Yahweh. The books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers maintain that Aaron received from God a monopoly over the priesthood for himself and his male descendants. From here on in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, Joshua appears in the role of Moses' assistant while Aaron functions instead as the first high priest. While Joshua went with Moses to the top, however, Aaron and Hur remained below to look after the people. When the revelation was given to Moses at Mount Sinai, he headed the elders of Israel who accompanied Moses on the way to the summit. At the battle with Amalek, he was chosen with Hur to support the hand of Moses that held the " rod of God". ĭuring the journey in the wilderness, Aaron was not always prominent or active. After that, Moses tended to act and speak for himself. Then he stretched out his rod in order to bring on the first three plagues. At the command of Moses, he let his rod turn into a snake. Because Moses complained that he could not speak well, God appointed Aaron as Moses' "prophet" ( Exodus 4:10-17 7:1). Īccording to the Book of Exodus, Aaron first functioned as Moses' assistant. Aaron is also mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible ( Luke, Acts, and Hebrews). According to the Book of Numbers, he died and was buried on Mount Hor, Deuteronomy however places these events at Moserah. Īaron died before the Israelites crossed the Jordan river. Part of the Law given to Moses at Sinai granted Aaron the priesthood for himself and his male descendants, and he became the first High Priest of the Israelites. When Moses first confronted the Egyptian king about the Israelites, Aaron served as his brother's spokesman ("prophet") to the Pharaoh ( Exodus 7:1). The Hebrew Bible relates that, unlike Moses, who grew up in the Egyptian royal court, Aaron and his elder sister Miriam remained with their kinsmen in the eastern border-land of Egypt ( Goshen). Knowledge of Aaron, along with his brother Moses, comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Bible and Quran. The Sunday before Nativity (Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Old Testament) ( Eastern Orthodox Church)Īccording to the Abrahamic religions, Aaron ( / ˈ ær ən/ or / ˈ ɛər ən/ Hebrew: אַהֲרֹן ’Ahărōn) was a prophet, high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Russian icon of Aaron from the 17th century
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