Guide
Priestly Roles and Rules
By Carol Bakhos
Jewish priests traced their lineage to Aaron, the brother of Moses. While the Temple stood, they were presided over by the high priest, whose most notable ritual role was performing the sacrificial rites of Yom Kippur, when he alone would enter the holy of holies to purify it (see Leviticus 16). Priests were held in esteem in Jewish society and continued to hold a privileged position even after the Temple was destroyed and they no longer had a cultic role.
Related Primary Sources
Primary Source
The Priestly Vestments
Those of priestly descent who could not officiate because of some physical defect were still allowed within the parapet along with their unblemished colleagues, and received the benefits to which they…
Primary Source
The Nobility of Priestly Lineage
Now my lineage is not an obscure one, having descended from the priests since the beginning, and just as nobility of birth has a different foundation for each people, among us, membership in the…
Primary Source
Priestly Status and Privilege
In m. Horayot 3:8, the rabbis redefined authority after the Temple’s fall, elevating Torah study over priestly lineage and transforming Jewish leadership.
Primary Source
Regulations on Whom the High Priest May Marry
A high priest shall not marry a widow, whether she became a widow after a betrothal or after a marriage. He shall not marry one who has reached puberty. [ . . . ] [A priest who] betrothed a widow and…
Primary Source
Jesus as High Priest
Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. F…