Kapłaństwo w świetle Księgi Kapłańskiej

Abstract

The priests were one of the basic institutions of the social and religious life in ancient Israel. Although they were playing erocial role in cult and society, biblical information concerning priesthood is quite comp lex. The Book of Leviticus is one of the most important sources of knowledge about the cult and 'priests in Israel, being considered as a part of the Priestercodex (P-source) of the Pentateuch. The image of the priests and the priesthood in the Book of Leviticus is quite consequent. But on one hand, the Book contains most of the appearances of the word kohen of all the books of the Hebrew Bible, on the other band, there are not many texts within the Book that consider priesthood itself. There are several texts directly on priests: Lev 8-1 O ‒ narrative story of the beginnings of the priesthood in Israel (ordination and consecration of Aaron as high priest and his sons as priests ‒ ch. 8; inauguration of the cult ‒ ch. 9; the tragic aftermath of the inaugural service: death of Nadab and Abihu ‒ ch.10). Regulations directed specifically to the priests: Lev 6,1-7,2; Lev 10,8-15; Lev 16. Regulations of the Holiness Code concerning priests: Lev 21-22. The specific context of those texts shows that the priests were in service of the Temple. All the texts in Leviticus on priesthood are considered as a part of the youngest source of the Pentateuch ‒ so the story and regulations concernmg priests have the theological and ideological value more than the historical one.