The age al « hich the sous of Aaron might enter upon their duties was nol defined by the law, as that of the Levites was. Their office did not call for the same de- gree of physical strength; and if twenty-live in the ritual of the Tabernacle (Numb, viii, 24) and twenty in that of the Temple (1 Chron. xxiii, 27) was the ap- pointed age for the latter, the former were not likely to be kept waiting till a later period. In one remarkable instance, indeed, we have an example of a yet earlier age. The boy Aristobulus at the age of seventeen min- istered in the Temple in his pontifical robes, the admired of ,-dl observers, and thus stirred the treacherous jeal- ousy of Herod to remove so dangerous a rival (Josephus, A nl. xv, .", 3). This may have been exceptional, bill the language ol the rabbins indicates thai the Bpecial
i of the priest's life began with the opening
years of manhood. As soon as the down appeared on
bis cheek the young candidate presented himself before the Council of the Sanhedrim, and bis genealogy was carefully inspected. If it failed to satisfy his judges, he left tin Temple clad in black, and bad to seek another calliii":: if all was righl bo far, another ordeal awaited him. A car* ful inspection was to determine whether he jeel t" anyone of the III defect- which would invalidate his priestly acts. If he was found free from
all blemish, he wa- dad in the white linen ol the prior-, and entered mi bis ministrations, [f the re-ull of the examination was nol satisfactory, he was relegated to
the half-menial office of separating the sound wood for the altar from that which was decayed and worm-eaten, but was not deprived of the emoluments of his office (Lightfont. Temple Service, ch. vi).
1. Functions. — The work of the priesthood of Israel was, from its very nature, mere stereotyped by the Mo- saic institutions than any other element of the national life. The functions of the Levites — less defii then fore more capable of expansion— altered, as has been shown [see Li \ i i i . from age to age; but those of the priests continued througboul substantially the same, whatever changes mighl be brought about in their social position and organization. The duties de- scribed in Exodus and Levitkus are the same a- those recognised in the bonk- of Chronicles, and those which the prophet-pries) Ezekiel s< es in his vision ofth< 1 1 tu- ple ol the future. They, assisting the high-priest, were to watch over the lire on the altar of burnt-offerings, and to keep it burning evermore belli by day and night (Lev. vi, 12; 2Chron. xiii, 11); to feed the golden lamp outside the vail with oil (Exod. xxvii, 20, 21; Lev. xxiv. 2); to offer the morning and evening sacrifices, each accompanied with a meal-offering and a drink- offering, at the door of the tabernacle (Exod. xxix, 38 44). These were the fixed, invariable duties: but their chief function was that of being always at hand to do the priest's office for any guilty, or penitent, or re- joicing Israelite. The worshipper mighl come at any time. If lie were rich and brought a bullock, it was the priest's duty to slay the victim, to place the wood upon the altar, to light the tire, to sprinkle the altar with the blood (Lev. i, 5). If he were poor and brought a pigeon, the priest was to wring its neck (i. 15). In either case he was to burn the meal-offering anil the peace- offering which accompanied the sacrifice (ii. 2. !• ; iii. 11). After the birth of every child, the mother was to come with her sacrifice of turtle-doves or pigeons (Lev. xii. ii ; Luke ii. 22-24). and was thus to be purified from her uncleanness. A husband who suspected bis wife of unfaithfulness might bring her to the priest, and it belonged to him to give her the water of jealousy as an ordeal, and to pronounce the formula of execration (Numb. v. 11-31 ). Lepers were to come, day by day. to submit themselves to the priest's inspection, that lie might judge whether they were clean or unclean, and when tbe\ were healed perform tor them the ritual of purification (Lev. xiii. xiv; comp. Mark i. 14). All the numerous accidents which the law looked upon as defile- ments or sins of ignorance bail to be expiated by a sac- rifice, which the prie-t of course had to offer (Lev. xv, 1-33). As they thus acted as mediator- for those who were laboring under the sense of guilt, so they were to help others who were striving to attain, if only for a season, the higher standard of a consecrated life. The Nazarite was to come to them with his sacrifice and his wave-offering (Numb, vi, 1-21). In the final establish- ments at Jerusalem it belonged to the priests to act as
sentinels over the holy place, as In the l.e\ iie- 1.. guard the w ider area of the precincts of the Temple 1 1 golinO, xiii. 1052). other duties of a higher and more ethical character
1 are hinted at. but were net. and probably could not be. the subject of a special regulation. 'I be\ were I" teach