The next incident in the history is, that Moses receives a command to consecrate Aaron and his sons to the priests' office (Exod. xxviii. 41), with the following ceremonies. They were to be washed at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation (xxix. 4), where the altar of burnt-offering stood (xl. 6, 29). Aaron was then robed in his pontifical garments (vers. 4-6), and anointed with a profusion of oil (ver. 7) ; whence he was called `the priest that is anointed' (Lev. iv. 3, etc. ; Ps. cxxxiii. 2). This last act was the peculiar and only distinguish ing part of Aaron's consecration ; for the anointing of his sons (xxx. 3o) relates only to the unction (xxix. 31), by a mixture made of the blood of the sacrifice and of the anointing oil, which was sprinkled upon both Aaron and his sons, and upon their garments, as part of their consecration. Hence then Aaron received two unctions. In after times the high-priest took an oath (Heb. vii. 21) to bind him, as the Jews say, to a strict adherence to established customs (Atishna, tit. Yoma, i. 5). The other details of this ceremony of consecration are all contained in one chapter (Exod. xxix.), to which we must be content to refer the reader. The entire ceremony lasted seven days, on each of which all the sacrifices were repeated (Lev. viii. 33), to which a promise was added, that God would sanctify Aaron and his sons—that is, declare them to be sanctified, which he did, by the appearance of his glory at their first sacrifice, and by the fire which descended and consumed their burnt-offer ings (Lev. ix. 23, 24). Thus were Aaron and his sons and their descendants separated for ever, to the office of the priesthood, from all other Israelites. There was consequently no need of any further consecration for them or their descendants. The first-born son of Aaron succeeded him in the office, and the elder son among all his descendants ; a rule which, though deviated from in after times, was ultimately resumed. The next successor was to be anointed and consecrated in his father's holy garments (ver. 29), which he must wear seven days when he went into the tabernacle of the con gregation to minister (ver. 30 ; comp. Num. xx. 26-28 ; xxxv. 25), and make an atonement for all things and persons (Lev. xvi. 3z-34), and for himself (comp. ver. 1), besides the offering (vi 20-22). The common priests were required to prove their descent from Aaron. No age was prescribed for their entrance on their ministry, or retirement from it.
We shall now give a summary of the duties end emoluments of the high-priest and common priests respectively. Besides his lineal descent from Aaron, the high-priest was required to be free from every bodily blemish or defect (Lev. xxi. 16-23) ; but though thus incapacitated, yet, his other qualifica tions being sufficient, he might eat of the food appropriated to the priests (ver. 22). He must not marry a widow, nor a divorced woman, or profane, or that had been a harlot, but a virgin Israelitess (ver. 14). In Ezekiel's vision a general permis sion is given to the priests to marry a priest's widow (xliv. 22). The high-priest might not observe the external signs of mourning for any person, or leave the sanctuary upon receiving in telligence of the death of even father or mother (ver. 10-12 ; comp. x. 7). Public calamities seem to have been an exception, for Joacim the high-priest and the priests in such circumstances ministered in sackcloth with ashes on their mitres (Judith iv. 14, 15 ; comp. Joel i. 13). He must not eat anything that died of itself, or was torn of beasts (Lev. xxii. 8) ; must wash his hands and feet when he went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and when he came near to the altar to minister (Exod. xxx. 19-21). At first Aaron was to burn incense on the golden altar every morning when he dressed the lamps, and every evening when Ile lighted them, but in later times the common priest performed this duty (Luke i. S, 9) ; to offer, as the Jews understand it, daily, morning and evening, the peculiar meat offering he offered on the clay of his consecration (Exod. xxix.) ; to perform the ceremonies of the great day of expiation (Lev. xvi.) ; to arrange the shew-bread every Sabbath, and to eat it in the holy place (xxiv. 9) ; must abstain from the holy things during his uncleanness (xxii. 1-3) ; also if he became leprous, or contracted uncleanness (ver. 4-7). If he committed a sin of ignorance lie must offer a sin-offering for it (iv. 15, 16) ; and so for the people (ver. 12-22) ; was to eat the remainder of the people's meat-offerings with the inferior priests in the holy place (vi. 16) ; to judge of the leprosy in the human body or garments (xiii. 2-59) ; to ad judicate legal questions (Dent. xvii. 12). Indeed when there was no divinely-inspired judge, the high-priest was the supreme ruler till the time of David, and again after the captivity. He must be present at the appointment of a new ruler or leader (Num. xxvii. 19), and ask counsel of the Lord for the ruler (ver. 21). Eleazar with others distributes the spoils taken from the Midianites (Num, xxxi. 21, 26). To the high-priest also belonged the appointment of a maintenance from the funds of the sanctuary to an incapacitated priest (r Sam. ii.
36, margin). Besides these duties, peculiar to himself, he had others in common with the inferior priests. Thus, when the camp set forward, 'Aaron and his sons' were to take the tabernacle to pieces, to cover the various portions of it in cloths of various colours (iv. 5-15), and to appoint the Levites to their services in carrying them ; to bless the people in the form prescribed (vi. 23-27), to be responsible for all official errors and negligences (xviii. i), and to have the general charge of the sanctuary (ver. 5).
Emoluments of the High-priest.—Neither the high-priest nor common priests received any in heritance' at the distribution of Canaan among the several tribes (Num. xviii. 20 ; Deut. xviii. 1, 2), but were maintained, with their families, upon certain fees, dues, perquisites, etc., arising from the public services, which they enjoyed as a com mon fund. Perhaps the only distinct prerogative of the high-priest was a tenth part of the tithes assigned to the Levites (Num. xviii. 28 ; comp. Neh. x. 3S) ; but Josephus represents this also as a common fund (Antiq. iv. 4. 4).
Duties of the Priests.—Besides those duties al ready mentioned as common to them and the high priests, they were required to prove their descent from Aaron, to be free from all bodily defect or blemish (Lev. xxi. 16-23) ; must not observe mourning, except for near relatives (xxi. 1-5) ; must not marry a woman that bad been a harlot, or divorced, or profane. The priest's daughter who committed whoredom was to be burnt, as profaning her father (xxi. 9). The priests were to have the charge of the sanctuary and altar (Num. xviii. 5). The fire upon the altar being once kindled (Lev. i. 7), the priests were always to keep it burning (vi. 13). In later times, and upon ex traordinary occasions, at least, they flayed the burnt-offerings (2 Chron. xxix. 34), and killed the Passover (Ezra vi. 20). They were to receive the blood of the burnt-offerings in basins (Exod. xxiv. 6), and sprinkle it round about the altar, arrange the wood and the fire, and to burn the parts of the sacrifices (Lev. i. 5-to). If the burnt-sacrifice were of cloves, the priest was to nip off the head with his finger-nail, squeeze out the blood on the edge of the altar, pluck off the feathers, and throw them with the crop into the ash-pit, divide it down the wings, and then completely burn it (ver. 15-17). Ile was to offer a lamb every morning and evening (Num. xxviii. 3), and a double number on the Sab bath (ver. 9), the burnt-offerings ordered at the be ginning of months (ver. it), and the same on the feast of unleavened bread (ver. 19), and on the day of the first-fruits (ver. 26) ; to receive the meat offering of the offerer, bring it to the altar, take of it a memorial, and burn it upon the altar (Lev. ii.) ; to sprinkle the blood of the peace-offerings upon the altar round about, and then to offer of it a burnt-offering (iii.) ; to offer the sin-offering for a sin of ignorance in a ruler or any of the common people (iv. 22-25) ; to eat the sin-offering in the holy place (vi. 26; comp. x. 16-18) ; to offer the trespass-offering (ver. 6-19 • vi. 6, 7), to sprinkle its blood round about the altar (vii. 2), to eat of it, etc. (ver. 6) ; to eat of the shew-bread in the holy place (xxiv. 9) ; to offer for the purification of women after child-birth (xii. 6, 7) ; to judge of the leprosy in the human body or garments ; to decide when the leper was cleansed, and to order a sacri fice for him (xiv. 3, 4) ; to administer the rites used at pronouncing him clean (ver. 6, 7) ; to present him and his offering before the Lord, and to make an atonement for him (ver. so-32) ; to judge of the leprosy in a house (xiv. 33-47), to decide when it was clean (ver. 48), and to make an atonement for it (ver. 49-53) ; to make an atonement for men cleansed from an issue of uncleanness (xv. 14, 15), and for women (ver. 29, 30) ; to offer the sheaf of first-fruits (xxiii. so, I I) ; to estimate the com mutation in money for persons in cases of a sin gular or extraordinary vow (xxvii. 8), or for any devoted unclean beast (ver. t I, 12), or for a house (ver. 14), or field (xviii. 23) ; to conduct the ordeal of the bitter water (Num. v. 12-31) [ JEALOUSY, WATER OF] ; to make an atonement for a Nazarite who had accidentally contracted uncleanness (vi. 13) ; to offer his offering when the days of his separation were fulfilled (ver. 14, 16) ; to blow with the silver trumpets on all occasions appointed (vi. 13-17), and ultimately at morning and even ing service (I Chron. xvi. 6) ; to make an atone ment for the people and individuals in case of erroneous worship (Num, xv. 15, 24, 25, 27) (see Outram, de Sacrificiis, i. 14. 2); to make the ointment of spices (x Chron. ix. 3o) ; to prepare the water of separation (Num. xix. 1-11) ; to act as assessors in judicial proceedings (Deut. xvii. 9 ; xix. 7) ; to encourage the army when going to battle, and probably to furnish the officers with the speech (xx. 1-4) ; to superintend the expiation of an uncertain murder (xxi. 5), and to have charge of the law (xxxi. 9).