Aaron: Difference between revisions

{{About|the biblical figure}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}

{{primary sources|find=Aaron|find2=brother of Moses|reason=this article relies almost exclusively on the bible rather than modern scholarship|date=June 2021}}

{{Infobox religious biography

| title              = {{Plainlist|

|child=yes

|feast_day = [[Latin Church]]: July 1<br />The Sunday before [[Nativity of Jesus|Nativity]] (Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Old Testament) ([[Eastern Orthodox Church]])<br />[[Maronite Church]]: September 4

| parents            = {{Plainlist|

* [[Amram]] (father)

}}

| spouse            = [[Elisheba]]

| birth_place        = [[Land of Goshen|Goshen]], [[Lower Egypt]], [[Ancient Egypt]]

| children          = {{Plainlist|

}}

The Hebrew Bible relates that, unlike Moses, who grew up in the Egyptian royal court, Aaron and his elder sister [[Miriam]] remained with their kinsmen in the [[Land of Goshen|northeastern region of the Nile Delta]]. When Moses first confronted the Egyptian king about the [[Slavery in ancient Egypt|enslavement]] of the Israelites, Aaron served as his brother's spokesman to the Pharaoh.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Exodus 7:1 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.7.1 |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref> Part of the [[Law given to Moses at Sinai]] granted Aaron the priesthood for himself and his male descendants, and he became the first [[High Priest of Israel|High Priest]] of the Israelites.<ref>{{harvnb|Rockwood|2007|p=1}}</ref> [[Levite|Levitical]] priests or ''[[Kohen|kohanim]]'' are traditionally believed and [[halakha|halakhically]] required to be of direct [[Patrilineality|patrilineal descent]] from Aaron.<ref name=Leuchter2021>{{cite web|last=Mark Leuchter|first=Mark Leuchter|title=How All Kohanim Became Sons of Aaron|work=TheTorah.com|year=2021|url=https://www.thetorah.com/article/how-all-kohanim-became-sons-of-aaron|access-date=June 29, 2021}}</ref>

The books of [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]], [[Book of Leviticus|Leviticus]] and [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] maintain that Aaron received from God a monopoly over the priesthood for himself and his male descendants.<ref>Exodus 28:1</ref> The family of Aaron had the exclusive right and responsibility to make offerings on the altar to [[Yahweh]]. The rest of his tribe, the [[Levite]]s, were given subordinate responsibilities within the sanctuary.<ref>Numbers 3</ref> Moses anointed and consecrated Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, and arrayed them in the robes of office.<ref>Leviticus 8; cf. Exodus 28–29</ref> He also related to them God's detailed instructions for performing their duties while the rest of the Israelites listened.<ref>Leviticus 1–7, 11–27</ref> Aaron and his successors as high priest were given control over the [[Urim and Thummim]] by which the will of God could be determined.<ref>Exodus 28:30</ref><ref name=Olson>{{harvnb|Olson|2000|pp=1–2}}</ref> God commissioned the Aaronide priests to distinguish the holy from the common and the clean from the unclean, and to teach the divine laws (the [[Torah]]) to the Israelites.<ref>Leviticus 10:10–11</ref> The priests were also commissioned to bless the people.<ref>Numbers 6:22–27</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Mariottini|2006}}</ref><ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|6:22–27|KJV}}</ref> When Aaron completed the altar offerings for the first time and, with Moses, "blessed the people: and the glory of the {{LORD}} appeared unto all the people: And there came a fire out from before the {{LORD}}, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat [which] when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces".<ref>Leviticus 9:23–24</ref><ref>{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|9:23–24|KJV}}</ref> In this way, the institution of the Aaronide priesthood was established.<ref name=phod>{{harvnb|Souvay|1913|p=7}}</ref>

===Conflicts===

On the day of Aaron's consecration, his oldest sons, [[Nadab and Abihu]], were burned up by divine fire because they offered "strange" incense.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|10:1|3||HE}}</ref> Most interpreters think this story reflects a conflict between priestly families some time in Israel's past. Others argue that the story simply shows what can happen if the priests do not follow God's instructions given through Moses.<ref name=Watts2011/>

According to Numbers 16–17, a Levite named [[Korah]] led many in challenging Aaron's exclusive claim to the priesthood. When the rebels were punished by being swallowed up by the earth,<ref>{{Cite web |title=oremus Bible Browser : Numbers 16-17 |url=https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=614192350 |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=bible.oremus.org}}</ref> [[Eleazar]], the son of Aaron, was commissioned to take charge of the [[censer]]s of the dead priests. And when a plague broke out among the people who had sympathized with the rebels, Aaron, at the command of Moses, took his censer and stood between the living and the dead until the plague abated (Numbers 16:36, 17:1), atoning in the process.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Holy Bible |publisher=Thomas Nelson |year=1984 |edition=King James Red Letter |page=736}} Secondary source material written by Thomas Nelson.</ref>{{rs|date=March 2025}}

===Death===

===Descendants===

==Historicity==

{{Main|Moses#Historicity|The Exodus#Origins and historicity}}

==In religious traditions==

In fulfillment of the promise of peaceful life, symbolized by the [[Anointing|pouring of oil upon his head]],<ref>[[Leviticus Rabbah]] 10, [[Midrash Tehillim]] 133:1</ref> Aaron's death, as described in the [[aggadah]], was of a wonderful tranquility.<ref name=jd4>{{harvnb|Kohler|1906|p=4}}</ref> Accompanied by Moses, his brother, and by Eleazar, his son, Aaron went to the summit of Mount Hor, where the rock suddenly opened before him and a beautiful cave lit by a lamp presented itself to his view. Moses said, "Take off thy priestly raiment and place it upon thy son Eleazar!" said Moses; "and then follow me."<ref name=jd4/> Aaron did as commanded; and they entered the cave, where was prepared a bed around which angels stood. "Go lie down upon thy bed, my brother," Moses continued; and Aaron obeyed without a murmur.<ref name=jd4/> Then his soul departed as if by a kiss from God. The cave closed behind Moses as he left; and he went down the hill with Eleazar, with garments rent, and crying: "Alas, Aaron, my brother! thou, the pillar of supplication of Israel!"<ref name=jd4/> When the Israelites cried in bewilderment, "Where is Aaron?" angels were seen carrying Aaron's bier through the air.<ref name=jd4/> A voice was then heard saying: "The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found on his lips: he walked with me in righteousness, and brought many back from sin."<ref>Malachi 2:6</ref><ref name=jd4/> He died on the first of [[Av (month)|Av]].<ref name=sorh/><ref name=jd4/> The [[Pillars of fire and cloud|pillar of cloud]] which proceeded in front of Israel's camp disappeared at Aaron's death.<ref name=sorh/><ref name=jd4/> The seeming contradiction between Numbers 20:22 et seq. and Deuteronomy 10:6 is solved by the rabbis in the following manner: Aaron's death on Mount Hor was marked by the defeat of the people in a war with the king of Arad, in consequence of which the Israelites fled, marching seven stations backward to Mosera, where they performed the rites of mourning for Aaron; wherefore it is said: "There [at Mosera] died Aaron."<ref name=jd4/><ref group = "note">See [[Mekhilta]], Beshallaḥ, Vayassa, 1; [[Tanhuma]], Hukkat, 18; Yerushalmi Sotah, 1 17c, and [[Targum Pseudo-Jonathan]] Numbers and Deuteronomy on the above mentioned passages.</ref>

The rabbis particularly praise the brotherly sentiment between Aaron and Moses. When Moses was appointed ruler and Aaron high priest, neither betrayed any jealousy; instead they rejoiced in each other's greatness. When Moses at first declined to go to Pharaoh, saying: "O my Lord, send, I pray, by the hand of him whom you will send",<ref>Exodus 4:13</ref> he was unwilling to deprive Aaron of the high position the latter had held for so many years; but the Lord reassured him, saying: "Behold, when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|4:14|JPS}}</ref><ref name=jd4/> Indeed, Aaron was to find his reward, says [[Shimon bar Yochai]]; for that heart which had leaped with joy over his younger brother's rise to glory greater than his was decorated with the [[Urim and Thummim]], which were to "be upon Aaron's heart when he goeth in before the Lord".<ref>[[Canticles Rabbah]] 1:10</ref><ref name=jd4/> Moses and Aaron met in gladness of heart, kissing each other as true brothers,<ref>Exodus 4:27; compare [[Song of Solomon|Song of Songs]] 8:1</ref> and of them it is written: "Behold how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity!"<ref>[[Psalm 133]]:1</ref><ref name=jd4/> Of them it is said: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed [each other]";<ref>Psalm 85:10</ref> for Moses stood for righteousness<ref>Deuteronomy 33:21</ref> and Aaron for peace.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Malachi|2:6|JPS}}</ref> Again, mercy was personified in Aaron, according to Deuteronomy 33:8, and truth in Moses, according to Numbers 12:7.<ref name=jd4/><ref>([[Tanhuma]], Shemot, ed. Buber, 24–26)</ref>

In Eastern Orthodox Church he is commemorated on 20 July, 12 March, [[Nativity Fast#Sunday of the Forefathers|Sunday of the Forefathers]], [[Nativity Fast#Sunday of the Holy Fathers|Sunday of the Fathers]] and on April 14 with all saint [[Sinaia Monastery|Sinai]] monks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Святой Ааро́н Первосвященник |url=https://azbyka.ru/days/sv-aaron-pervosvjashchennik |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=Православный Церковный календарь |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ААРОН ПЕРВОСВЯЩЕННИК – Древо |url=http://drevo-info.ru/articles/2353.html |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=drevo-info.ru |language=ru}}</ref>

The ''Moses and Aaron Church'' ({{langx|nl|[[Mozes en Aäronkerk]]}}), in the [[Waterlooplein]] neighborhood of [[Amsterdam]], is one of the most well-known [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] churches in the city.