Kohen Gadol or
ha-Kohen ha-Gadol (
Heb. כהן גדול "Great Priest") is the title of
High Priest of early
Israelite religion and of
classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second
Temple of Jerusalem. The high priests belonged to the
Kohen group that traced its paternal line back to
Aaron, the first Kohen Gadol and brother of
Moses.
Biblical data
Aaron, though he is but rarely called "the great priest," being generally simply designated as "
ha-kohen" (the priest), was the first incumbent of the office, to which he was appointed by
God (
Book of Exodus ; ).
The
succession was to be through one of his sons, and was to remain in his own family ().Cf.
Josephus,
Antiquities of the Jews xx. 10, § 1. If he had no son, the office devolved upon the brother next of age: such appears to have been the practise in the
Hasmonean period. In the time of
Eli, however (), the office passed to the collateral branch of
Ithamar (see
Eleazar). But
King Solomon is reported to have
deposed the High Priest
Abiathar, and to have appointed
Zadok, a descendant of Eleazar, in his stead (; ). After the
Exile, the succession seems to have been, at first, in a direct line from father to son; but later the civil authorities arrogated to themselves the right of appointment.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes for instance, deposed
Onias III in favor of
Jason, who was followed by
Menelaus.Josephus,...
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