For instance, priests are occasionally associated with oracular activity. Outside of their sacrificial duties, priests also oversaw many other aspects of ancient Israelite life. Due to the close contact they had with the sanctuary and the altar, priests had to maintain levels of ritual purity not required for other worshippers (Lev 21:1–23). The various items offered at the altar served a dual purpose: they not only were a sacrifice to God on behalf of the worshipper, but they also functioned as provisions for the priests who were allowed to consume part of the grain and animals offerings in compensation for their service. According to specific regulations, the priests would burn all or a portion of a given sacrifice. In their capacity as "ministers of the altar" (Joel 1:13), priests performed certain rituals, including the sprinkling of blood before the divine presence. Cultic duties associated with sacrifices and offerings were exclusively the prerogative of priests in part because only they were thought to possess a degree of holiness fitting to approach the holy space of the sanctuary and its altar. One of the primary roles of the priest was to oversee the sacrificial cult. As "ministers of the LORD" (Joel 1:9 2:17), priests functioned as mediators of God's presence and were responsible for the day-to-day operation of cultic sites, whether the tabernacle, local shrines, or the Temple in Jerusalem. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, the term priest ( kōhēn) is commonly used to refer to an official who was set apart from the rest of the community in order to carry out certain duties associated with worship and sacrifice. The priestly theology expressed in the Holiness Code, which is contained mostly in Leviticus 17–26, seems to have exerted a great influence over the book of Ezekiel and its vision of a purified priesthood and a restored Temple.
Who were the priests in the old testament code#
A second source, the Holiness Code or Holiness Collection (H), also reflects priestly theologies, especially as they pertain to ritual and ethical laws.
In addition, P supplies numerous stories about priests, such as the inauguration of the priesthood (Exodus 28–29) and the role of Aaron and his sons (i.e., Numbers 3–4 16–17). This source, which gives special attention to rituals, worship, genealogies, and cultic institutions, is responsible for much of the material in Leviticus that addresses regulations regarding sacrifices (Lev 1–7), the consecration of priests (Lev 8–10), and ritual purity (Lev 11–6). The author(s) of P most likely come from priestly circles in an exilic or postexilic context.
Priestly concerns and perspectives are most explicitly foregrounded in one of the major sources behind the Pentateuch-namely, the Priestly source (P). Although its authorship is uncertain, the book of Chronicles is also clearly written from a priestly perspective. For instance, Jeremiah (Jer 1:1–2), Ezekiel (Ezek 1:1–3), Zechariah (Zech 1:1 Neh 12:16), and Ezra (Ezra 7:1–6) are all said to be priests or at least are from a priestly lineage. In addition, priests were likely involved in the process of writing and editing various biblical materials. Likewise, the Psalms emerge from and reflect a priestly setting insofar as they consist of prayers and liturgies associated with Temple worship. While they are most frequently associated with the legal materials found in Leviticus, priests are also the subject of numerous genealogies (i.e., 1 Chron 6 24 Ezra 2 Neh 7), narratives (i.e., Exod 32 Num 8) and prophetic discourses (i.e., Hag 1 Mal 2). Priests figure prominently in a wide variety of texts throughout the Hebrew Bible. Controversies and Influence of the Priesthoodīefore turning to specific questions about who priests were and what they did, it will be helpful to briefly highlight where one encounters priests in the Hebrew Bible. The following outline organizes the major issues covered in this thematic guide: This thematic guide is designed with two purposes in view: 1) to provide an organized, easily accessible introduction to major topics and issues pertaining to priests and priesthood in the Hebrew Bible and 2) to highlight additional resources, many of which are available through OBSO, which can facilitate further study of this topic. In many ways, the Hebrew Bible bears witness to a community of people whose social identity, religious beliefs, and ritual practices were deeply enmeshed in matters related to the priesthood. Priestly perspectives and concerns are on display in various places, from legal materials to historical narratives and from the prayers of the Psalms to the discourses of the prophets. Priests and Priesthood in the Hebrew Bibleįew topics are more central to the Hebrew Bible than priests and priesthood.