The priesthood of ancient Israel was the class of male individuals, who, according to the Hebrew Bible, were patrilineal descendants from Aaron (the elder brother of Moses) and the tribe of Levi, who served in the Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple and Second Temple until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Their temple role included animal sacrifice. The priests (Hebrew kohanim) are viewed as continuing in the Kohen families of rabbinical Judaism.
Hebrew Bible
The earliest priest mentioned in the Bible, Melchizedek, was a priest of the Most High and a contemporary of Abram.[1] The first priest mentioned of another god is Potipherah priest of On, whose daughter Asenath married Joseph in Egypt. The third priest to be mentioned is Jethro, priest of Midian, and Moses' father in law.[2]
The first mention of an Israelite priesthood occurs in Exodus 40:15: "And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father [Aaron], that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations." (KJV, 1611) Among these priests a High Priest was anointed (first mentioned in Leviticus 21:10), to serve in unique functions, such as entering the Holy of Holies once yearly on the Day of Atonement. The priesthood was associated with the tribe of Levi, from whom Aaron descended.
However, Wellhausen's views depend on some critical, but unproven, assumptions, and some scholars consider that the study of the cult and priesthood of ancient Israel is still in its infancy compared to other areas of biblical studies.[4]
Cross, Frank Moore (1997) [1973]. "8: The Priestly Houses of Early Israel: The Classical View of Israel's Early Priesthood". Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel (reprinted.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p.195. ISBN9780674091764. Retrieved 16 January 2023. One of the pillars of Julius Wellhausen's great synthesis of the history of Israelite religion was his reconstruction of the history of the [...].
Priesthood and cult in ancient Israel ed. Gary A. Anderson, Saul M. Olyan - 1991 "PREFACE The study of the cult and priesthood of ancient Israel is still very much in its infancy. This is surprising in light of how the field of biblical studies has grown over the last century and the myriads of publications it has ..."