Aaron and his sons underwent consecration to fit them for their duties. Ex 28:1-43 f prescribes their garments and consecration (see DRESS; BREASTPLATE; EPHOD; ROBE; COAT; MITRE; GIRDLE; URIM AND THUMMIM), and the account of the latter may be read in Le 8:1-36 f. In individual sacrifices brought to the religious capital the priests performed the part of the ritual which related to the altar (sprinkling, burning, etc.) (Le 1:1-17 through Le 4:1-35). See SACRIFICE. A principal function was the duty of teaching the people the law of God (Le 10:11; 14:54-57; De 24:8; 33:10; compare Eze 44:23; Ho 4:1-6; Hag 2:11 ff, and many passages in the Prophets).
The priests were subject to special laws designed to maintain their purity (Le 21:1-24 f; compare Eze 44:1-31). The rules aim at preventing defilement through mourning (save in the case of ordinary priests for a near relation) and at preventing those who were physically unfitted from performing certain functions, and those who were for any reason unclean from approaching the holy things. See further STRANGER AND SOJOURNER. They performed several semi-judicial functions (Nu 5:5 ff,Nu 11:1-35 ff, etc.; see JUDGE). They also blessed the people (Nu 6:22; compare De 10:8, etc.).
See BLESSING. On their dues see SACRIFICE; TITHE; FIRSTLING; FIRST-FRUITS; LEVITICAL CITIES; AGRARIAN LAWS; see further CHEMARIM; NETHINIM; SOLOMON'S SERVANTS; SINGERS; DOORKEEPER;SERVING-WOMEN ; JUDGE.
LITERATURE.
Wellhausen, Prolegomena, chapter iv, for the Graf-Wellhausen view; Wiener, Wiener, Pentateuchal Studies, 230-89, for the view taken above; S.I. Curtiss, Levitical Priests, for the conservative view. This writer afterward changed to the critical view. James Orr, POT; A. Van Hoonacker, Le sacerdoce levitique (important); W. Baudissin, article "Priests and Levites" in HDB, IV, for mediating views. The best account in English of the details of the priestly duties is contained in Baudissin's article, where a further bibliography will be found.
Harold M. Wiener