THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
I. In the Old Testament.
1. Name and Conception.
2. History. Origins (§ 1).
To the Division of the Kingdom
(§2). The Regal Period (§ 3). Exile to New -Testament Times (§ 4).
PRIEST, PRIESTHOOD.
3. Organization.
Ranks and Grades (§1). Post-Exilic Arrangements (§ 2).
4. Position and Duties. Teaching Functions (§1). Sacrificial and Other Functions (§ 2).
5. Consecration, Manner of Life. Consecration (§ 1).
Apparel; Manner of Life (§2). 6. Perquisites. II. In the Christian Church.
Early and Patristic Conception!
(§1). The Medieval Church (§ 2). The Roman Doctrine (§ 3). Anglican Conception (§ 4).
1. Origin.
I. In the Old Testament: 1. Name and Conception : The usual designation of a priest in the Old Testament is koJien, which is reproduced in Aramaic, Phenician, and Ethiopian. The Arabic kahin signifies " seer," " truth-teller," showing a u specialization of function. The etymology of then word is yet in doubt. The word kemarim, A. V., " chemarim " (Hos. x. 5; Zeph. i. 4), is used only of idolatrous priests (II Kings xxiii. 5), while mal'ak, " messenger," is used of the priest only in a figurative sense (Mai. ii. 7; Eccles. v 6). The Old Testament assumes a priesthood to be a universally established institution, making mention of Melchizedek (q.v.) and of an Egyptian priesthood (Gen. xli. 45, 50, etc.); Moses became the son-in-law of Jethro, a priest of Midian. The inferences that have been drawn from the relationship between Moses and Jethro (Ex. ii. 16, 21, iii. 1, iv. 18, xviii. 1-12) have not been entirely justified. While there may have been connections between the priesthood of Yahweh founded by Moses and the Midianitic-Kenitic priesthood of Jethro, these relationships were due to the long intercourse between the Israelites and the Midianitic- Kenitic tribes of the Sinai peninsula (see Moses). The originality of Moses as the founder of the Israelitic priesthood and of the religion of Yahweh remains unquestionable. The individuality of the law for the priests delivered by Moses in the name of Yahweh must be considered the outcome of his own life's work; how many of the peculiarities were borrowed by him from the wider Semitic field is uncertain, especially since the age of various inscriptions bearing on the subject has not been fully determined (see Hammurabi and his Code; Hexateuch). The priesthood of the Phenician Baal threatened under Jezebel to become established in Israel (I Kings xvi. 31-82). Priests of Baal existed in the northern kingdom (II Kings x. 19), and a priest of Baal in Jerusalem, named Matthan, is referred to in II Kings xi. 18. The opponents of Elijah (q.v.) on Mt. Carmel are called prophets (see Prophets, Prophecy) although they were undoubtedly priests.
2. History: Priestly individuals are to be found among the Israelitic tribes before the rise of the national priesthood. They are mentioned prior to the theophany on Sinai (Ex. xix. 22, 24). Aaron is called " the Levite " (that is " the priest ") as early as Ex. iv. 14. According to the most ancient tradition it was Moses who, above all, promulgated in priestly fashion from the oracular tent the decrees of God (Ex. xxxiii. 7 sqq.) and the divine legislation (Ex. xviii. 15 sqq.). He is regarded as the founder of the priesthood. The only two priestly clans which
come into notice during the period of the judges, go back to the family of Moses (cf. for Dan, Judges xviii. 30; and for Shiloh, I Sam. ii. 27-28, according to which God revealed himself in Egypt to the house of Eli and entrusted it with the priesthood). The form of Aaron rises in the old tradition and can not be otherwise disposed of. It is a capricious proceeding to interpret him as a mere personification of the ark of the covenant by a play on the word aron " ark " (E. Renan, Histoire du peuple d'Israel, i. 179, 5 vols., Paris, 1887-94; Eng. transl., Hist, of the People of Israel, London, 1888 sqq.). It is cbnceivable that the house of Eli originated with Moses, while the Zadokites were derived from Aaron. It is, however, more probable that the house of Eh went back to Aaron, through one of their ancestors, Phinehas, and lost first place in the genealogy when the legitimacy and higher dignity of the " sons of Zadok " were established as being of great antiquity.
The descendants of Eh retained their priestly J office despite the loss of the ark (I Sam. iv. 11 sqq.) and the destruction of Shiloh that ensued probably at that time (Jer. vii. 12, 14). In the time of Saul, Ahia-Ahimelech, grandson of
division0 Phinehas> and son of Ahitub, was of the priest; carried the ephod, and inquired
Kingdom. °^ Yahweh for Saul (I Sam. xiv. 3 sqq.). Nob is mentioned as the home of the sons of Eli who had increased to the number of eighty-five. After the massacre by Saul, the only survivor, Abiathar, fled to David and became his priest (I Sam. xxii). The ark on its return was placed in the house of Abinadab in Kirjath-Jearim and his son, Eleasar, was ordained its guardian (I Sam. vii. 1). Uzza and Ahio are mentioned later as sons of Abinadab (II Sam. vi. 3). The ark having been placed in Jerusalem by David, the priestly service in connection with it continued, and Abiathar and Zadok appear regularly as priests. The sons of David and the Jairite Ira are also referred to as priests (II Sam. viii. 18, xx. 26). David himself on occasion wore the priestly ephod, presented the sacrifice and blessed the people in the name of Yahweh (II Sam. vi. 14, 18, xxiv. 25). The partizanship of Abiathar for Adonijah led to his banishment to Anathoth, and it is possible that Jeremiah " the son of Hilkiah, of the priests of Anathoth " (Jer. i. 1) belonged to this family. Zadok's son Azariah is mentioned as the chief of the royal officials (I Kings iv. 2).
Jeroboam, after the division of the kingdom, established an official worship at Bethel and Dan for the northern kingdom with priests who " did not belong to the Levites " (I Kings xii. 31-32, xiii. 33). As royal officials they shared the fate of the