On the high priests, see Literature in Schiirer {tc. p. 214), and add B. Pick, ' The Jewish High Priests subsequent Vt the return from Babylon," in the Lutheran Church lieview, 1898, i. pp. 127-142, ii. pp. 370-374, iii. pp. 650-656, iv. pp. 655-664 [not seen].
On the temple singers : Justus Koberic, Die Teinpelsdnger im Alten Testament, Eriangen, 1899 (cf. ThLK, 1899, col. 676 fl.); Ad. Buchler, 'Zur Geschichte dcr Tempelmusik und der Tem- pelpsalmen,' in ZATW, xix. 1899, pp. 90-133, 329-344, XX. 1900, pp. 97-135.
On the Nethinim, see Literature in SchUrer, l.o. p. 279,
note 94.
On the ki^nulrim : Christoph. Braunhardt, Dissertatio phiio- lojica de ta'TDD sen hierophantis Judceonan ex S lieg. tS. 6, Wittebergae, 1680 ; Conr. Ikenius, Dissertatio theologico-phiio- loaica de Cemarim ad UlustratioTiem locorum t Ileg. tS. 6, Uot. 10. 6, Zeph. 1. h, Brem», 1729.
On the priests' dress : Joh. Braun, Vestitus sacerdotum nel/ra-orum^, Amstelod. 1701 ; ' Bened. David Carpzovii dis- flcrtauo de pontiilcum llebrieorum vestitu sacro,' in Ugolinus, Thesaurus, vol. xii. cc. dcclwxv-dcccx ; further, on tlie same subject, some other dissertations, ih. vols. xii. and xiii. ; F. de Saulcy, * Rccherclu's sur le costume eacenlotal chcz toe Juils,' in lieime archt'oltKjique, nouv. s^irie, vol. xx. 1S6*, pp. 100-115; V. Ancessi, ' l.cs vCtements du grand prGtre et des Invites ' (L'Egi/pte et Moisr, premiiire panic), Paris, 1876. Cf., further, the Literature cited in Schiirer, i.e. p. 263 f. note 6.
On the priesthood among the ancient Arabs : J. Wellhausen, Iteste arabischen lleideiilums^, Berlin, 1897, pp. 130-140 (' Heilige Personen ') ; among the Babylonians : Friedr. Jerc- mias in Ciiantepie de la Saussaye, Lehrbueh der lietiginns- ntschicltte'', Freiburg i. B. 1897, I'.ii. i. p. 203 f. ; among the Pboinicians : F. 0. Movers, Die rhun<;ier, lid. I., Bonn, 1841,
pp. 676-690. Wolf Baudissin.
PRIEST IN NT.— 1. The word 'priest' {kpevt) is used in the NT of the sacrificing ministers of any
93
PRIEST IX NT
PKIEST IX XT
religion. The priest of Zeus is mentioned in Ac 14", the priest of the true God in Mt 8*. Refor- enoes, indeed, are numerous in the NT, especially in the Gospels, to the priests of tlie OT. In Lk !'• " alhision is made to the twenty-four itptififpiai into which they were divided, and to the assijjn- ment of certain of their duties bj' lot. The NT throws little liglit, however, on the standing of the priests generally, or on the service they rendered to the nation. The Gospels speak almost e.xclusively of those whom they call the dpx'fpf'Si or chief priests. The high priest was cliosen, as a rule, from one of a small number of priestly families, and, when the olliee ceased to be held for life, there might be a number of persons entitled by courtesj' to the name. An ex-high priest, if a man of unusual force of character, might actually exercise a greater influence in the direction of ecclesiastical or political afi'airs than the proper holder of the ottice, and either over- shadow the latter in the common mind, or prac- tically share his distinction. It is thus we must explain such expressions as Lk 3' irl dpx'fp^ws 'Avra utoi Kaidipa = ' in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,' and the part taken by Annas (wliile Caiaphas was titular high priest) in the trial of Jesus (Jn 18"). So also in Ac 4' the dignity of the high priesthood is retlected on if not extended to all the members of the 7^»'os apxiepariKdr ; there was a kind of aristocracy among the priests, and it was from it that the high priest proper was chosen. Though the apx^epeU made common cause ^vith the Pharisees in their hostility to Christi- anity, they were themselves on the Sadducjean side (Ac 5"), and the most determined opposition to the preaching of the resurrection came from them. Probably the inferior members of the priestly order, who had but a nominal share in its prerogatives, were more free from its preju- dices ; it would be among them that the great multitude of priests was found which ' became obedient to the faith' (Ac 6'). On the whole sub- ject of the Jewish priests in NT times, see Schiirer, G,7P ii. 21i-305 [BJP U. i. 195-305], and the pre- ceding article, esp. § 10c.
2. A more important subject is that which is suggested by the use of the word ' priest ' in the interpretation of the Christian religion. In the NT it is only in the Epistle to the Hebrews that Jesus is spoken of as Upeit, fUyai lepeii, and apxiepfis — terms which are not to be distinguished from each other, the last two only signifying Christ's eminence in the priestly character. In the highest sense of the term, so to speak. He is a priest. But what is a priest ? In the Ep. to the Hebrews, it may be said, the priest is tlie person through whom and through whose ministry people draw near to God, through whom they are 'sancti- fied ' ; that is, made a people of (^rod, and enabled to worship. The writer does not think of such a thing as a religion without a priest. Men are sinful men, and without mediation of some kind tliey cannot draw near to God at all. The people of God had mediators under the OT, and they have a mediator under the NT. It is on the character of the mediator that the character of the religion depends. If he is imperfect the religion will be imperfect ; there will be no real or pennanent access to God, no real liberation of the conscience. But if he is what he should be, then the perfect, and therefore the final, religion has come. The conscience will be efl'ectually purged, sin as a barrier between God and man will be etVectually removed, the waj- into the holiest of all will \ie opened, and the covenant realized in the abiding fellowship of God and His people. It is from this point of view that the writer works out the contrast between the OT and the NT. The Jewish religion