PRIEST (Saxon, preost, from the Oreek epsafltIssper, an cider), in its popular acceptation, is the name of a minister of religion in all ages and countries.
Priest is used to express the Greek hiercus (tepee's) and the Latin sacerdos, which signify in general a sacrificer. Whatever may be the primitive meaning of the Hebrew word cohen, it is rendered in the Septuagint by tepein, and its usage plainly shows that it denotes a sacrificer. An elder, zaken, has irpeaBirrepos as Its corresponding word. In Wycliffe's New Testament, which is a translation from the Vulgate, priest, answering to the Latin presbyter, several times occurs, where the authorised version has elder.
Priest in the formularies of the Church of England is used in its original sense of presbyter, and points out the second degree of the ministers, to be admitted to which a man must be, according to the 34th canon, of the age of " four and twenty years complete." The existence of an official person to act in some way between the Deity and man appears among the earliest notices of history, whether sacred or profane. In the Book of Genesis, 3Ielchisedee is named
" Priest of the most high God." Among the Jews an order of men existed who were especially appointed by God to minister in holy things, and whose qualifications and functions are set forth at large in the writings of Moses. The Egyptians had great numbers of priests, who had lands in the time of Joseph. (Gen. xlvii. 22.) In thefirst ages of the Greeks, the same person was mostly their priest and king. In the course of time the office of priest became distinct, and sometimes women, as well as men, were appointed to this office. It is probable, however, that the most ancient priesthood among all nations was that which fathers or heads of families exercised over their own dependents ; and thus it will appear that kingly government and sacerdotal authority of some kind or other would naturally spring from the paternal relation. (Shuckford's ' Connection of Sacred and Profane History.')