Priesthood (ancient Israel)

The priesthood of ancient Israel was the class of male individuals, who, according to the Hebrew Bible, were patrilineal descendants from Aaron (the elder brother of Moses) and the tribe of Levi, who served in the Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple and Second Temple until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE.

The priests (Hebrew kohanim) are viewed as continuing in the Kohen families of rabbinical Judaism.

[2] The first mention of an Israelite priesthood occurs in Exodus 40:15: "And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father [Aaron], that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."

(KJV, 1611) Among these priests a High Priest was anointed (first mentioned in Leviticus 21:10), to serve in unique functions, such as entering the Holy of Holies once yearly on the Day of Atonement.

The starting point of much critical scholarship of the priesthood in ancient Israel is the thesis of Julius Wellhausen that biblical Israelite history is redacted and represents three stages:[3] However, Wellhausen's views depend on some critical, but unproven, assumptions, and some scholars consider that the study of the cult and priesthood of ancient Israel is still in its infancy compared to other areas of biblical studies.