Facts such as these leave scarcely any room for doubt that there was a connection of some kind between the Egyptian priesthood and that of Israel. The latter was not, indeed, an outgrowth or imitation of the former. The faith of Israel in Jehovah, the one Lord, the living God, of whom there was no form or similitude, presented the strongest possible contrast to the multitudinous idols of the polytheism of Egypt. The symbolism of the one •was cosmic, "of the earth earthy," that of the other, chiefly, if not altogether, ethical and spiritual. But looking, as we must look, at the law and ritual of the Israelites as designed for the education of a people who were in danger of sinking into such a polytheism, we may readily admit that the education must have started from some point which the subjects of it had already reached, must have employed the language of symbolic acts and rites with which they were already familiar. The same alphabet had to be used, the same root-forms employed as the elements of speech, though the thoughts which they were to be the instruments of uttering were widely different. The details of the religion of Egypt might well be used to make the protest against the religion itself at once less startling and more attractive.
At the time of the Exodus there was as yet no priestly- caste. The continuance of solemn sacrifices (Exod. v, 1, 3) implied, of course, a priesthood of some kind, and priests appear as a recognised body before the promul- gation of the Law on Sinai (xix, 22). It has been sup- posed that these were identical with the "young men of the children of Israel" who offered burnt-offerings and
peace-offerings (xxiv, 5) either as the first-born or as representing in the freshness of their youth the purity of acceptable worship (comp. the analogous case of "the young man the Levite" in Judg. xvii, and Ewald, Alter- thiimer, p. 273). On the principle, however, that differ- ence of title implies in most cases difference of functions, it appears more probable that the " young men" were not those who had before performed priestly acts, but were chosen by the lawgiver to be his ministers in the solemn work of the covenant, representing, in their youth, the stage in the nation's life on which the people were then entering (Keil, ad toe). There are signs that the priests of the older ritual were already dealt with as belonging to an obsolescent system. Though they were known as those that " come near" to the Lord ( Exod. xix, 22), yet they are not permitted to approach the Divine Presence on Sinai. They cannot " sanctify*' themselves enough to endure that trial. Aaron alone, the future high-priest, but as yet not known as such, enters with Moses into the thick darkness. It is noticeable also that at this transition-stage, when the old order was passing awav, and the new was not yet established, there is the proc- lamation of the truth, wider and higher than both, that the whole people was to be " a kingdom of priests'' ( xix. G). The idea of the life of the nation was that it was to be as a priest and a prophet to the rest of mankind. They were called to a universal priesthood (comp. Keil, ad foe). As a people, however, they needed a long dis- cipline before they could make the idea a reality. They drew back from their high vocation (Exod. xx, 18-21). As for other reasons, so also for this, that the central truth required a rigid, unbending form for its outward expression, a distinctive priesthood was to be to the nation what the nation was to mankind. The position given to the ordinances of the priesthood indicated with sufficient clearness that it was subordinate, not primary, a means and not an end. Not in the first proclamation of the great laws of duty in the Decalogue (Exod. xx, 1-17), nor in the application of those laws to the chief contingencies of the people's life in the wilderness, does it find a place. It appears together with the ark and the tabernacle, as taking its position in the education by which the people were to be led towards the mark of their high calling. As such we have to consider it. II. Personal Characteristics of the Hebrew Priesthood, — 1. Consecration. — The functions of the High-Piuest, the position and history of the Levites as the con- secrated tribe, have been fully discussed under those heads. It remains to notice the characteristic facts connected with "the priests, the sons of Aaron," as standing between the two. Solemn as was the subse- quent dedication of the other descendants of Levi, that of the priests involved a yet higher consecration. A special word ('^^1^, haddsK) was appropriated to it. Their old garments were laid aside. Their bodies were washed with clean water (I^xod. xxix, 4; Lev. viii, 6) and anointed with the perfumed oil. prepared after a prescribed formula, and to be used for no lower purpose (Exod. xxix, 7 ; xxx, 22-33). The sons of Aaron, it may be noticed, were simply sprinkled with the precious oil (Lev. viii, 30). Over Aaron himself it was poured till it went down to the skirts of his clothing (Lev. viii, 12; Psa. exxxiii, 2). The new garments belonging to their office w-ere then put on them (see below). The truth that those who intercede for others must them- selves have been reconciled was indicated by the sacri- fice of a bullock as a sin-offering, on which they solemn- ly laid their hands, as transferring to it the guilt which had attached to them (Exod. xxix, 10; Lev. viii, 18). The total surrender of their lives was represented by the ram slain as a burnt-offering, a " sweet savor" to Jehovah (Exod. xxix, 18; Lev. viii, 21). The blood of these two was sprinkled on the altar, offered to the Lord. The blood of a third victim, the ram of conse- cration, was used for another purpose. With it Moses sprinkled the right ear, that was to be open to the di-