Aaron

Aaron (אַהֲרֹן;, Aharon—"bearer of martyrs", also related to the Egyptian Aha Rw, "Warrior Lion"), was the elder brother of Moses and Miriam and founder of the Jewish priesthood, as well as a prophet and powerful miracle-worker. Aaron was the eldest son of Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6:16 ff.; Numbers 33:39) of the tribe of Levi. Together with Moses, led the Israelites out of Egypt after confronting the Pharaoh who had enslaved them. His story is preserved in the biblical narratives of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Although Aaron is particularly famous for his role in forging the idolatrous Golden Calf, he is revered in rabbinical tradition for his faithful support of Moses in other ways, and especially for his role as the first high priest of the Tabernacle, the sacred shrine of the Israelites until the establishment of the Temple of Jerusalem. In Christian tradition, Aaron was an ancestor of Jesus and Mary, as well as of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist.

Aaron in Edoxus

In the Book of Exodus, Aaron first enters the story when Moses, standing in front of the burning bush on Mount Sinai, asks God for help, fearing that the Hebrew slaves in Egypt will not believe him. God appoints Aaron to be Moses' spokesperson. God speaks to Aaron and commands him to meet Moses at "the mountain of God." The two then return to Egypt and gather the elders of the Israelites. Aaron speaks to them and performs miraclous signs, leading them to believe in Moses' message of God's concern for their suffering. (Exodus 4:29-31)

Miracles and plagues

Aaron, aged 83, (Exodus 7:7) goes with Moses to approach the king of Egypt and demands that he allow God's people to leave for a three-day pilgrimage to offer sacrifice to "the Lord" (Yahweh). When the Pharoah refuses, Aaron takes the lead in demonstrating God's power before the king. First, Aaron throws down his staff, and it becomes a snake. The king's magicians, however, perform the same feat. Aaron's snake swallows the Egyptian serpents, but this only hardens the heart of the king against the Israelites.

Next Aaron turns the Nile to blood, killing its fish. Again, the Egyptian magicians accomplish the same feat, and again Pharaoh refuses to relent. Aaron then causes frogs to emerge from the Nile to plague the land. The Egyptian magicians do the same. This time Pharaoh asks Moses to pray to Yahweh to take the frogs away. God responds to Moses' entreaty, but the king again hardens his heart. Aaron now performs a miracle that the Eyptians cannot duplicate: a plague of gnats. The magicians testify, "this is the finger of God," but Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to listen. The pattern of miracles now shifts away from Aaron, and Moses takes the lead in bringing about the remain plagues that finally force the Pharoah to allow the Israelites to leave.

The Exodus

God gives his instruction concerning the Exodus and the commemoration of Passover to both Moses and Aaron. (Exodus 12:31, 43) Likewise, the Israelites obey "Moses and Aaron" during the initial Exodus and also rebel against them jointly. (Exodus 16:2)

When God provides manna for the people's food needs, Aaron preveres some in a jar for posterity and places it in front of a God's altar. (Exodus 16:34) In battle against the Amalekites, Aaron holds Moses' hands aloft, allowing the Israelites to prevail. (Exodus 17:12) When Moses' father-in-law Jethro visits the encampment and offers sacrifices to Yahweh, Aaron comes "with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God." (Exodus 18:12)

Aaron on Sinai

Aaron alone is commanded to join Moses when Moses first ascends Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments verbally, while other priests, elders, and the people generally are forbidden to do so. (Ex. 19:24)

After this, Aaron ascends the sacred mountain again with Moses and the 70 elders of Israel, at which time God's covenant with the Israelites is confirmed and the priesthood is formally initiated. This version of the story relates that Aaron is among those who actually "saw the God of Israel."

Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself... They saw God, and they ate and drank. (Ex. 24:10-11)

Interesting, other passages in the Book of Exodus indicate that no one can see God directly and live.

Aaron's priesthood

Moses leaves Aaron and Hur in charge as he ascends the mountain once more, this time with Joshua, to receive the Ten Commandments in written form. The majority of God's communication to Moses during his 40 days on the mountain concerns priestly issues such as the Tabernacle, the [[Ark of the Covenant[[, the sacred altars, and detailed instructions concerning priestly vestments. The role of Aaron is particularly emphasized.

Have Aaron your brother brought to you... along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor... Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of a skilled craftsman... Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. Also put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites. (Ex. 28:1-30)

God further instructs Moses to formally initiate Aaron and his sons as the official priests of Israel:

Make tunics, sashes and headbands for Aaron's sons, to give them dignity and honor. After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests."(Exodus 28:40-41)

Moses receives detailed instructions on the process of consecration, as well as on the offering of sacrifices, incense, and other priestly duties to be carried out by Aaron and his descendants.

The Golden Calf

Ironically, just as Moses is receiving these commands which give Aaron's lineage the place of highest honor, Aaron himself is about to commit the sin for which he will always be remembered. The people lose faith in Moses because of his long absence, demanding that Aaron make them an image of God for them to worship. While most English translations read "make us gods," the Hebrew is `asah 'elohiym—"elohim" being the same word normally translated as "God." Aaron complies with their demand by fashioning a golden calf out of their jewelry, declaring, "This is 'elohiym, who led you out of Egypt." Although he does not seem to be intending the worship of "other gods" than Yahweh, his act nevertheless leads the people into idolatry, for God has already commanded them not to make "graven images." Moreover, the text makes it plain that in their worship of Elohim's image, the people not only offer burnt offerings fellowship offerings, but "indulge in revelry" and "run wild."

Moses descends the mountain at this very moment, breaking the tablets that bear the Ten Commandments and reprimanding Aaron for allowing the people to sin so grievously. (Ex. 32:21) Aaron excuses himself on the grounds that the people are "prone to evil." He receives no immediate punishment for the deed. In fact Moses seems to accept the explanation. The Levites (including Aaron) rally to Moses and conduct a mass slaughter of 3,000 people at Moses' command. Moses praises them for the act. Confirming the Levites special status he declares: "You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day." (Ex. 32:29)

The rest of the Book of Exodus deals mainly with the construction of the Tabernacle, for which purpose the people are now completely united. The sin of Aaron seems to be forgotten as he and his sons are solemnly consecrated as priests and clothed in the rich sacred garments prepared to confer honor and holiness upon them. Then, "the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" and God continues to lead His people through the wilderness.

Leviticus

As the name implies the Book of Leviticus is largely concerned with the tribe of Levi and its role as Israel's priests. Aaron and his son play an even greater role in this book than even Moses does. Their sacrificial duties, vestments, and their rights to deat a share of various offerings are described in minute detail. (Lev. 1-7)

In Leviticus 8, Aaron and his sons are formally ordained. Moses ceremonially washes and dresses them, and then anoints Aaron, as the chief priest. Moses sacrifices a bull as a sin offering, a ram as a burnt offering. He then slaughters a second ram in token of Aaron's consecration, placing some of its blood "on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot." Moses then consecrates Aarons sons but sprinking them with blood and anointing oil. To complete the acts of atonement and consecration, Aaron and his sons must remain in the the Tent of Meeting for seven days after consuming a sacraficial meal.

On the eighth day Aaron assumes his duties as priest, carefully conducting various offerings. God signals his approval by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices Aaron has offered. (Lev 9:24)

The importance of carrying out the priestly duties meticlously is emphasized when Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu use "unathorized fire" in attending the altar and are immediately slain by God for this sin. (Lev. 10:1) Upon hearing Moses' explanation that this was done to show God's absolute holiness, Aaron "remains silent"—neither mourning, nor protesting, nor agreeing. Moses appoints Mishael and Elzaphan, his cousins, to replace the slain priest. He commands them not to tear their clothes—traditional Jewish signs of mourning—upon pain of death. However he allows the rest of the people to mourn them normally. He further commands the priests to refain from drinking alcololic beverages in the Tent of Meeting.

At Moses direction, Aaron conveys to the people various dietary laws. God reveals to Moses and Aaron new instructions concerning skin diseases, mildew in a house, ritual impurity, and bodily discharges. Through Moses, God instructs Aaron, on pain of death, to enter the Holy of Holies only once a year on the Day of Atonement. Moses gives Aaron detailed instructions on the proper sacrifices to offer on this holy day, known to Jews today as Yom Kippur. Including in these commands is the sending of the scapegoat into the wilderness (Lev. 16:10) Aaron's descendants are not allowed to serve at the sacrificial altar if they have various physical defects, although they may still partake of the sacrifice itself. (Lve 21:17:22)

Numbers

The Book of Numbers begins with God ordering Moses and Aaron to carry out a census of the Israelite men who can serve as soldiers. Interestingly King David would later be punished by God for the same act. In Numbers 3, the role of the broader Levite tribe as assistants to the Aaronic priests is spelled out. The Levites are to be dedicated to God in place of the firstborn males of all Israel. However, the Israelite parents must pay a redemption fee for their firstborn sons. The fee amounts to 1,365 silver shekels, and this sum is given to Aaron and his sons.

In Numbers 12, Aaron and Miriam speak against Moses because he has married a Cushite woman. They claim that they two are prophets. God calls them and Moses to him at the Tent of Meeting, where he explains that Moses' position is above that of all other prophets, since to Moses alone does God speak "face to face." God grows angry with Aaron and Miriam, and Miriam turns leprous. Aaron pleads for her with Moses, and Moses declares that she must spend seven days confined alone outside of camp as punishment.

For the rest of the narrative, Aaron and Moses stand united again. When God speaks, he often speaks to Moses and Aaron together. When spies are sent to Canaan, they bring their report to Moses and Aaron. When the people grumble, they grumble against Moses and Aaron.

Korah's rebellion

In Numbers 16, the a Levite spokesmen Korah, together with a large group of respected Israelites, protests the special status of Aaron's sons, saying "The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?" Moses declares that it is against God and not Aaron that this complaint is made. Moses challenges Korah to bring his upstart priests to the Tent of Meeting and let Yahweh himself decide the matter. The rest of Korah's followers are soon killed as "the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households... They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned." God also sends fire to consume the disciples of Korah who, standing at the Tent of Meeting, had attempted to usurp the priesthood. In the aftermath, Aaron's son Eleazer begins to emerge as a faithful successor to his father. Meanwhile, God has sent a plague against the Israelites generally killing anothr 14,700 in addition to those killed earlier. Aaron makes atonement for them, and soon the plague stops.

To further demonstrate God's support for Aaron's priesthood, Moses collects one staff from each of the 12 tribes. On Levi's staff, Aaron's name is inscribed. The staves are place before God's altar in the holy tent, and the next day, Aaron's staff had miraculously sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced almonds. (Num. 17:8)

At the Waters of Meribah

Even still, the people continue to complain against Moses and Aaron, especially so when they stay at Kadesh. There, Miriam dies and is buried. To make matters worse, they is not water. In response to the people's complaint, God tells Moses and Aaron to take the staff and "Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water." (Num. 20:8)

Now, it is Moses who commits the sin for which he will be remembered. Instead of speaking to the rock, he excoriates the people as rebels and strikes the rock, not once but twice. Abundant water is produced, but God harshly punishes both Moses and Aaron for this act, saying to them both: "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."

As the Israelites prepare finally to enter Canaan, God tells Moses to bring Aaron to Mount Hor togther with his son Eleazer. There, Aaron is to die, and Eleazer is to be invested with the office and garments of the high priest. The writer reports: "when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days." (Num. 20:29)

Unity between Aaron and Moses was crucial for the success of Moses' mission. Hence, when at the incident of the Golden Calf, it was for Aaron to stand firm as Moses' representative. But he failed, and out of weakness he acceded to the people's demands to lead them in building the idol. This disunity was one of the reasons why the Israelites continued to murmur against Moses and why they had to wander for 40 years in the wilderness. In the end it is not Aaron but Joshua who rises to the occasion as Moses' firm supporter and successor.

Nevertheless, Aaron retains his position as the founder of Israel's priesthood. In the book of Numbers there are a number of controversy stories concerning the legitimacy of priestly lineages; some passages favor Moses and others favor Aaron. Aaron's position as the ancestor of the Israelite priesthood was sealed by his grandson Phineas, who at the plague of Baal Peor (Num. 25) stood strongly with Moses to stop the Israelites from sliding into idolatry. His courage and righteousness in that situation earned for his family, and for Aaron his grandfather, the status of Israel's priests.

Due to Aaron's ambiguous relationship to Moses, the biblical representation of his character is negative and shadowy. Scholars who accept the documentary hypothesis distinguish various portrayals of Aaron in different sources, making for a confusing composite:

Aaron as fallible (Elohist [E]). These passages do not represent Aaron as a sacrosanct priest. He comes to meet Moses (Exodus 4:14), supports him in war (Exodus 17:12) and jurisprudence (Exodus 24:14). He yields to the people and makes the calf (Exodus 32), and, with Miriam, criticises Moses for marrying a Cushite woman. Miriam is subsequently punished (Numbers 12). He is present at the sacrificial covenant meal between Israel and the Kenites (Exodus 18:12). In this aspect, Joshua, instead of Aaron, serves in the Tent (Exodus 33:11).
Aaron as Moses's prophet (Jahwist [J]). This representation concerns the covenant meal on Sinai (Exodus 24:1, 2, 9-11) and the vague charge that Aaron "let the people loose" (Exodus 32:25). Aaron seems to be an afterthought in the plague narrative (Exodus 8:25). In both this and the last view, Moses is the viceregent of God and Aaron is Moses' prophet (Exodus 4:16, 7:1).
Aaron as idolatrous (Deuteronomist [D]). In Deuteronomy 9, Aaron is partly responsible for the building of the Golden Calf. The story says that Yahweh is so angry toward Aaron that he was about to destroy him. It appears that it is only Moses's intercessory prayer and his destruction of the Golden Calf which saves Aaron. The account of his death in Deuteromy 10:6 is different from that in Numbers 20:22. According to Deuteronomy it occurred at Moserah, seven stations from Mount Hor (Numbers 33:30), in the early months of the wandering because of the sign of the Golden Calf. The only other passage in reference to Aaron in Deuteronomy merely states that he is the brother of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:50).
Aaron as subordinate (Priestly source [P]). The first three, simpler, plagues Aaron brings on at Moses' command; thereafter Moses himself is the actor. In the narratives (Numbers 16, 17) it is Moses in each case who vindicates him. Aaron dies at Mount Hor in the fortieth year of the Exodus (Numbers 20:22, 33:38), because of rebellion at Meribah (cf. Deuteronomy as above).
Aaron as non-priestly (Holiness Code [H]). In Leviticus 17-26, Aaron appears only in redactional passages connecting the Holiness Code with its context in the narrative.
Representative Priest In Exodus 25-30 and 35-40, and in Leviticus and Numbers, Aaron's name occurs frequently, but evidently as a convenient priestly symbol demonstrating the priestly function to the people. What was done to and for Aaron was what whould be done with any high priest. The ceremonial enduement prescribed in Exodus 28, 29 and Leviticus 8 is a manual for the sanctuary ritual. The prominence of Aaron's name in Exodus and Numbers reveals and emphasizes the necessity felt for prescriptive rights for the priesthood.

Although Aaron was said to have been sent by the Lord to meet Moses at the "mount of God" (Horeb, Exodus 4:27), he plays only a secondary part in the incidents at Pharaoh's court. After the "exodus" (from Greek, going out) from Egypt a striking account is given of the vision of the God of Israel vouchsafed to him and to his sons Nadab and Abihu on the same holy mount (Exodus 24:1; 9-11), and together with Hur he was at the side of Moses when the latter, by means of his wonder-working rod, enabled Joshua to defeat the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16). Hur held up the right hand of Moses while Aaron lifted up his brother's left hand. With their help, Moses was able to hold the rod up high in supplication to God.

Hur and Aaron were left in charge of the Israelites when Moses and Joshua ascended the mount to receive the Tables of the Law (Exodus 24: 12-15), and when the people, in dismay at the prolonged absence of their leader, demanded a god, and persuaded Aaron to fashion the golden calf. This was regarded as an act of apostasy which, according to one tradition, led to the consecration of the Levites, and almost cost Aaron his life (Deuteronomy 9:20). Hur was, according to legend and tradition, murdered by the mob when he refused to go along with the people's idolatrous demands. Aaron, wishing to avoid such a fate for himself, acceded to their demands and built the calf. The incident paves the way for the account of the preparation of the new tables of stone which contain a series of laws quite distinct from the first Ten Commandments (Exodus 33 and following).

Aaron was given the priesthood when Moses, who was supposed to receive the priesthood along with the leadership of the Jewish people, argued with God that he should not be the leader. It was then given to Aaron. Aaron received the priesthood along with his children and any descendents that would be born subsequently. However, his grandson Pinchas (Phineas) had already been born, and did not receive the priesthood until he killed the prince of the Tribe of Simeon and the princess of the Midianites (Numbers 31:11–12).

It was for striking a rock in anger at Kadesh that both Aaron and Moses were prohibited from entering the Promised Land (Numbers 20). Aaron is said to have died at Moserah (Deuteronomy 10:6), or at Mount Hor; the latter is an unidentified site on the border of Edom (Numbers 20:23, 33:37; for Moserah see Numbers 30-31), and consequently not in the neighbourhood of Petra, which has been the traditional scene from the time of Josephus (Antiquities iv.4.7).

Aaron's son Eleazar was buried in an Ephraimite locality known after Aaron's grandson as the hill of Phinehas (Joshua 24:33). Little historical information has been preserved of either. The name Phinehas (apparently of Egyptian origin, Pi Nehas, "the Nubian") is better known as that of a son of Eli, a member of the priesthood of Shiloh, and Eleazar is only another form of Eliezer the son of Moses, to whose kin Eli is said to have belonged. The close relation between Aaronite and Levitical names and those of clans related to Moses is very noteworthy, and it is a curious coincidence that the name of Aaron's sister Miriam appears in a genealogy of Caleb (1 Chronicles 4:1) with Jether and Heber.

Recently, the tradition that Kohanim are actually descended from Aaron was supported by genetic testing (Skorecki et al., 1997). Since all direct male lineage shares a common Y chromosome, testing was done across sectors of the Jewish population to see if there was any commonality between their Y chromosomes. There was proven to be certain distinctions among the "Kohen" Y chromosomes, implying that the Kohanim do share some common ancestry. This information was used to support the claim of the Lemba (a sub-Saharan tribe) that they were in fact, a tribe of Jews.

In the Qur'an he is known as Harun.

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