Moses, referring to the Aaronic priests, "the Lord thy God hath chosen, to minister unto him, and to "bless in the name of the Lord."* And another scriptural authority states that " Aaron was separated; "that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and "his sons forever, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for

ever." The other offices, the decision of controversies and the interpretation of the sacred laws, were functions not peculiar to the priests, but common also to others: and persons might lawfully be chosen to be teachers or judges, not only from the descendants of Aaron, but also from any other family.

V. In the Aaronic priesthood, the law established two orders or degrees; of which the superior was allotted to Aaron himself and to his successors in the pontifical dignity, and the inferior was assigned to the other priests. Hence it appears, that those functions which the scriptures attribute to Aaron as peculiar to himself belonged exclusively to the high priests, and that the rest of the offices might be legitimately performed by the other priests. In these two orders of the priesthood, however, there were eight stations, or degrees of dignity, constituted by the appointment of the Sanhedrim.

The first of these was assigned to the high priest, It was the dignity of the high priest that he was to be married to none but a pure virgin; that he was not to be present at any funeral, to defile himself for his parents, or to rend his garments at their death, or that of any other of his relatives: to which the Jews add many other things as conducive to the honour of Chron. xxiii, 13. ↑ Lev. xxi. 10, 11. 13,

* Deut. xxi. 5.

the pontificate. The high priest, they say,* ought to excel his brethren in five particulars. These, according to some rabbies, are elegance of form, 'strength, riches, wisdom, and beauty of complexion.' Both elegance of form and beauty of complexion are said to be required as indications of a good disposition. Others, however, consider beauty of complexion not so much to be regarded as advanced age. Nor is Maimonides sufficiently consistent with himself, who to the other four requisites adds as a fifth, at one time, beauty of complexion, and at another, eminent fidelity. It is established,' he says, ' as a fundamental principle among us, that it is necessary for the high priest not to be inferior to any ' other priest of his time in wisdom, fidelity, form, riches, or strength.' But if the heir of the high priest happened to be inferior to any other, only in riches, and not in the other qualifications, it was deemed right that so great a man should be enriched with the property of the other priests to such an extent as to render him the most wealthy of them all.§ For it was not without good cause that the Sanhedrim, whose province the Jews apprehend it was to appoint the high priest, adjudged the pontificate to the heir of the preceding high priest; it being an established rule among the Hebrews, that to whomsoever belongs 'the primary right to the inheritance, to him also be'longs the first claim to the dignity of the deceased:'|| and according to this rule, if the other qualifications

• Maimon, in Chele Mikdash, c. 5. Bartenora ad Joma, c. 1. Auct. lib. Siphr. in Parascha, 12 c. 2.

+ Aaron Ben Chajim ad dict, Siphr. loc.

Rabboth in 128. Baal Hatturim ad Levit. xxi.

A

were possessed, the high priesthood descended to the heir of the deceased high priest.

But the pontifical office was further directed and its dignity secured, by the following regulations; that that every one invested with it should seclude himself from the populace; that he should not expose himself to the people naked; that he should always carefully abstain from public baths and feasts, and invariably preserve the gravity which became him; that, if he wished to visit persons in grief, he should go accompanied by other priests; that he should cut his hair every week, but should never shave it with a razor; that he should attend the sanctuary daily, and not go home more than twice every day; that he should not be compelled to give testimony, except in cases which concerned the king, nor even in those but at the requisition of the Sanhedrim; that he should have only one wife at a time; that on entering the temple he should take three other priests with him; that he should perform the sacred rites, not by lot, like the other priests, but as often as he was inclined, and should take to himself whatever sacrifice he pleased.*

The second station in the priesthood was filled by the high priest's deputy, whom the Jews called sagan,† and who was the assistant of the high priest in almost all his duties.

In the third place ranked those whom the Jews, by a corruption of a Greek term, call the two katholikin: respecting whom Maimonides says, that 'the place of 'the katholikin is to do for the sagan what the sagan 'does for the high priest.' But other writers affirm

* Maimon. in Chele Mikdash, c. 5.
Maimon. ibid.

ta ibid. c. 4.

that these officers were superintendents of the treasurers, and auditors of their accounts."*

The fourth place was allotted to seven keepers of the keys of the sanctuary; to whom, however, those keys were committed in such a manner that no one of them could open the gate assigned to him, at his own pleasure, without the presence and consent of them all.t

In the fifth place were appointed three treasurers; who were to receive all sacred revenues from whomsoever, due and the price of the things redeemed. To this purpose is the following passage of Maimonides: They manage the redemption of things estimated, devoted, and consecrated, and of tythes :' and again; They receive all consecrated things, and dismiss 'those which are redeemed; but they dismiss them on 'those conditions on which such things ought to be 'dismissed.'‡

The sixth place was assigned to the head of the watch. For, according to Maimonides, the whole number of priests was distributed by Moses into eight. classes, but David afterwards divided them into twenty-four;|| each of which, being appointed to minister in the sanctuary for a week in rotation, had its own chief, and he was called the head of the watch.

The seventh place was filled by him who was called the head of the house of his fathers. For as the whole number of priests was divided into twenty-four classes, so every class was divided into seven families according to the number of days in every week; and the service of a day was allotted in

rotation to each

• Glossa in Shekalim in Talmud. Hierosol. c. 5. Baal Aruch & Buxtorf.

family; the prince or chief of which was entitled the head of the house of his fathers. A similar division into classes and families was made among the Levites, and those whom we have mentioned under the title of Stationary men.*

The last place was left to the common priests, who were not invested with any peculiar office.†

Beside all these there was likewise a priest called the anointed for war: whose business it was, when the people were marching to battle, to encourage them to fight manfully. To him was attached the greatest honour in the camp, next to the high priest; but he had no distinction in the sanctuary beyond any of the common priests.§

Maimon. in Chele Mikdash, c. 4. ↑ Ibid. c. 4.

§ Maimon. in Chele Mikdash, c. 4.

Deut. xx. 2, 3, 4.