Guide
Early Criticism of the Priesthood
2nd Century BCE–1st Century CE
Restricted
By Carol Bakhos
Given the centrality of the Temple and its worship and the diversity of groups and views among Judeans, conflict over the Temple and its practices was common. Such conflict, often centering on claims that the priesthood was illegitimate, is attested in a wide range of sources.
Related Primary Sources
Primary Source
Priests Accused of Violence and Fornication
Miktsat Ma‘asei ha-Torah 4–7
And concerning the wom[en . . .] and the disloyalty [ . . . ] for in these matters [. . . because of] violence and fornication [many] places have been ruined. [And also] it is writ[ten in the book…
Primary Source
Defilement of the Temple
Damascus Document 5:6–7, 17–19
And they also defiled the temple, for they did not keep apart in accordance with the law, but instead lay with her who sees the blood of her menstrual flow. [ . . . ]
The…
Primary Source
A Sinful Priesthood
Pseudo-Moses^e
[And each] will steal what belongs to one’s neigh[bour] and they will oppress one another; they…
Primary Source
The Corruption of the Priests
Testament of Levi 14:1–18:13
And now, my children, I know from the writings of Enoch that in the end-time you will act impiously against the Lord, setting your hands to every evil deed; because of you, your brothers…
Primary Source
The Priests as False Stewards
2 Baruch 10:18
You, priests, take the keys of the sanctuary,
and cast them to the highest heaven,
and give them to the Lord and say,…
Primary Source
The Brazenness of Priests
t. Menaḥot 13:18–19, 21
18. At first they would bring in the skins of sacrificial animals to the chamber of the parvah [in which skins were salted], and they would divide them in the evening among the entire household [of…
Primary Source
The Sale of the Priestly Service
Leviticus Rabbah 21:9
Thus shall Aaron enter [the holy place] (Leviticus 16:3): R. Berekhiah [said] in the name of R. Levi: Thus [be-zot]: Scripture makes known that [Aaron] lived 410 years [the numerical equivalent of the…
Primary Source
Violence at the Temple on Sukkot
Jewish Antiquities 13.372–373
As for Alexander, his own people were in sedition against him. For during the celebration of a festival, when he stood at the altar and was about to offer sacrifice, the people rose up against him and…
Primary Source
Violence at the Temple on Passover
The Jewish War 2.224–227
The usual crowd had converged on Jerusalem for the feast of unleavened bread, and the Roman cohort had taken up position on the roof of the temple colonnade—there is always an armed guard on duty at…
Primary Source
The Mishnah on Conflict between Priests
m. Yoma 2:2
There was an incident in which two [priests] simultaneously ran up the ramp [to the altar in order to reach it first], and one pushed the other, who fell and broke his leg. When the court saw that…
Primary Source
The Tosefta on Conflict between Priests
t. Yoma 1:12
There was an incident involving two priests who were running simultaneously up the ramp [to the altar]. One of them pushed the other [when he was] within four arms’ lengths [of the altar], and he took…