Priesthood
Definition
The priesthood (kehunah in Hebrew) is the divinely instituted office of mediators between God and Israel. Priests serve in the sanctuary, offer sacrifices, teach Torah, and maintain the holiness necessary for YHWH’s presence to dwell among His people.
The Hebrew Concept: Kohen
כֹּהֵן (kohen) - Priest
Root meaning: To stand, minister, serve
Function: One who stands before God on behalf of the people and before the people on behalf of God
Origins of Israelite Priesthood
Pre-Sinai Priesthood
Patriarchal Period:
- Family heads functioned as priests (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob)
- Built altars and offered sacrifices
- No formal hereditary priesthood
Melchizedek - Pre-Israelite Priest:
- Genesis 14:18-20 - “Priest of God Most High” (El Elyon)
- King of Salem (likely Jerusalem)
- Blesses Abraham, receives tithe
- Predates Levitical priesthood
- Later theology sees as unique priestly order (Psalm 110:4)
At Sinai - Initial Plan: Exodus 19:6 - “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”
Original Vision
God’s initial design: the entire nation would function as priests to the world. The specialized Levitical priesthood emerged due to Israel’s unfaithfulness (Golden Calf).
The Golden Calf Crisis
Levites’ Response:
- When Moses called “Whoever is for YHWH, come to me,” Levites rallied
- Executed judgment on idolaters
- Demonstrated covenant loyalty
Result: “You have been set apart to YHWH this day… so he has blessed you” (v. 29)
Consequence: Tribe of Levi consecrated for priestly service
Structure of the Priesthood
The Aaronic Line - High Priests
Aaron and Sons - Primary priestly family
- Aaron - First high priest
- Nadab and Abihu - Died for offering unauthorized fire (Lev 10)
- Eleazar - Succeeded Aaron
- Ithamar - Secondary line
High Priest (Kohen Gadol) Unique Functions:
- Annual Yom Kippur service - Only one who enters Most Holy Place (Lev 16)
- Wears special garments - Breastpiece with Urim and Thummim (Exod 28)
- Anointing - Specially consecrated with oil
- Judicial role - Consults God through sacred lots
- Represents entire nation - Bears names of twelve tribes on breastpiece
Common Priests
All Aaronic descendants - Legitimate priests
Duties:
- Offer daily sacrifices
- Burn incense on golden altar
- Maintain lampstand in Holy Place
- Present offerings brought by people
- Teach Torah and pronounce blessings
- Inspect tsara’at (skin diseases)
- Maintain ritual purity of sanctuary
Levites
Tribe of Levi (non-Aaronic) - Priestly assistants
Duties:
- Transport and care for tabernacle
- Guard sacred precincts
- Assist priests in sacrifices (but don’t offer them)
- Slaughter animals, prepare offerings
- Serve as musicians in worship
- Teach Torah in their cities
Distinction: “The Levites shall do the work of the tent of meeting… but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die” (Num 18:3)
Inheritance: No land allocation; YHWH is their inheritance (Num 18:20)
- Received tithes from other tribes
- Given 48 Levitical cities throughout Israel
Consecration of Priests
The Ordination Ceremony
Seven-Day Process:
Day 1-7:
- Washing - Bathed at sanctuary entrance (purification)
- Clothing - Dressed in sacred garments
- Anointing - Oil poured on head (high priest)
- Blood application - Applied to ear, thumb, toe (consecration of whole person)
- Sacrifices:
- Bull as sin offering
- Ram as burnt offering
- Ram of ordination
- Wave offering - Portions waved before YHWH
- Remained at sanctuary entrance - Full week without leaving
Final Day: Fire from YHWH consumed offerings, validating priesthood (Lev 9:24)
Divine Appointment
The elaborate ritual demonstrated that priesthood was not a human innovation but divine institution requiring God’s empowerment.
Priestly Garments
High Priest’s Vestments
-
Breastpiece (choshen)
- Twelve stones representing tribes
- Contains Urim and Thummim (oracular devices)
- “Aaron will bear names… over his heart continually”
-
Ephod
- Elaborate vest with shoulder pieces
- Onyx stones with tribal names on shoulders
- Woven with gold, blue, purple, scarlet threads
-
Robe of the Ephod
- Solid blue
- Pomegranates and bells on hem
- “Sound shall be heard when he enters… so he will not die” (Exod 28:35)
-
Turban with Gold Plate
- Inscription: “HOLY TO YHWH”
- Aaron bears iniquity of holy offerings
- Worn on forehead
-
Tunic, sash, undergarments
- Linen for purity
- Modest covering
Garments for Glory and Beauty
“Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and beauty” (Exod 28:2) Priestly vestments weren’t mere uniforms—they displayed God’s splendor and the dignity of sacred service.
Common Priests’ Garments
- Tunics, sashes, caps - simpler than high priest
- All linen (no mixed fabrics)
- Required for service: “They are to wear linen clothes whenever they minister” (Ezek 44:17)
Priestly Duties
Sacrificial System
Primary Function: Mediate through blood offerings
Five Major Offerings:
- Burnt Offering (olah) - Complete consecration
- Grain Offering (minchah) - Tribute to God
- Peace Offering (shelamim) - Fellowship, thanksgiving
- Sin Offering (chatat) - Atonement for unintentional sin
- Guilt Offering (asham) - Restitution for specific violations
Daily Rituals
Morning and Evening:
- Burnt offering (lamb daily)
- Incense on golden altar
- Tending lampstand
- Arranging showbread (weekly)
Teaching and Judicial Functions
Torah Instruction: “The lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of YHWH” (Mal 2:7)
Duties:
- Teach Law to Israel
- Distinguish between holy and common, clean and unclean (Lev 10:10-11)
- Diagnose ritual impurity
- Adjudicate difficult cases
Urim and Thummim:
- Sacred lots for divine guidance
- Used for major decisions
- Exact method unknown
Blessing the People
Aaronic Benediction - Numbers 6:22-27
"YHWH bless you and keep you;
YHWH make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
YHWH turn his face toward you and give you peace."
“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Num 6:27)
Priestly Holiness Standards
Higher Purity Requirements
Leviticus 21 - Priests held to stricter standards than laity
Prohibitions:
- Marriage restrictions - No divorced women, prostitutes; high priest only virgin
- Mourning limitations - Limited contact with dead (only immediate family)
- Physical perfection - Disabilities disqualify from altar service (though may eat sacred food)
- No disfigurement - Cannot shave heads, cut bodies
Rationale: “I am YHWH who makes them holy” (Lev 21:23)
Consequences for Violation
Nadab and Abihu - Leviticus 10:1-3
- Offered “unauthorized fire”
- Consumed by fire from YHWH
- Lesson: “Among those who approach me I will be proved holy”
Priestly Rules During Service:
- No wine or beer (Lev 10:8-9)
- Must be ritually pure
- Proper garments required
Economic Support
Priestly Portions
From Sacrifices:
- Portions of peace offerings (breast and thigh)
- Hides of burnt offerings
- Portions of grain offerings
- All sin and guilt offerings (in holy precincts)
From People:
- Firstfruits of crops
- Redemption money for firstborn
- Dedicated objects
- Portions of harvests
Tithes:
- Levites received tenth from people
- Levites gave tenth of that to priests (Num 18:26-28)
Living from the Altar
“Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple?” (1 Cor 9:13) Priests had no inheritance in land; their livelihood came from God’s provision through the sacrificial system.
Priesthood Across Documentary Sources
P Source (Priestly)
Dominant Concern: Legitimacy and function of Aaronic priesthood
Emphasis:
- Detailed consecration rituals
- Precise vestment descriptions
- Sacrificial procedures
- Maintaining holiness and purity
- Aaron as divinely chosen
Texts: Exodus 28-29, Leviticus (nearly all), Numbers 3-4, 8, 18
D Source (Deuteronomic)
Broader View: “Levitical priests” without sharp Aaron/Levite distinction
Emphasis:
- Teaching function of priests
- Judicial role
- Priests at local shrines (before centralization)
- Centralization reforms demote provincial priests
Concern: Deuteronomy addresses how provincial Levites displaced by centralization should be cared for (Deut 18:6-8)
Tensions
Historical Development:
- Early period: broader priestly eligibility (Judges-era)
- Monarchic period: Zadokite dominance in Jerusalem
- Exilic/Post-exilic: Strict Aaronic lineage emphasized
Source Critical Observation: Different sources reflect different historical periods and priestly politics
Theological Significance
Mediation
The Bridge
Priests bridge the gap between holy God and sinful people, making relationship possible through covenant rituals.
Dual Representation:
- Bear people’s names on garments (representing Israel before God)
- Pronounce God’s blessing (representing God to Israel)
Holiness Contagion
Graded System:
- High Priest - most holy
- Priests - holy
- Levites - consecrated
- People - called to holiness
Physical proximity to sacred space determines holiness level
Foreshadowing
Later theological reflection sees Israelite priesthood as:
- Temporary provision pointing to ultimate High Priest
- Pattern of mediation
- Educational about sin, atonement, access to God
Related Concepts
Essential to:
- Sacrifice - Priests offer sacrifices
- Tabernacle - Priests minister there
- Holiness - Priests maintain purity
- Covenant - Priests mediate covenant
Connected with:
- Glory - Priests approach divine presence
- YHWH - Priests bear the Name
- Day of Atonement - High priest’s annual service
Part of the Tags collection | Atlas Portal