Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
Priests Of Ancient Israel - Papers

Priests Of Ancient Israel

In ancient Israel the priests were a special people set apart by God's revealed directives. The priests were drawn from descendants of Aaron and were members of the tribe of Levy. They were not allowed to own land or serve as civil or military leaders . They lived off the sacrificial offerings of the people and served as judges in the more difficult cases. They were not allowed to marry women of questionable background. They guarded the Ark of the Covenant, served in the Temple, and ran towns of refuge where fugitives could seek protection before having their cases heard. (Over 1200 years after God directed this special status for priests in the Pentateuch, Christ was tried and condemned ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

could hear his case. Priests were a class apart. They did not marry; they took vows of chastity and obedience to the bishop and Pope. Many even took vows of poverty. Most important, priests were not allowed to accept positions of temporal leadership. No matter how "high born", priests were not authorized to serve as a king, duke or baron. They might aspire to the office of abbot, bishop, cardinal or even Pope, but their influence over the hearts and minds of the people rested on their special connection to God and their special expertise in the area of faith and morals. (A vestige of these century old limitations was seen recently. Even though priests and bishops have lost their special standing relative to the total community, a few years ago, Rev. Robert Drinan, S.J., a U S Congressman from Boston, was forced to resign his seat because the Pope did not want a Catholic priest holding a position of temporal power.)
In America today, lawyers (and judges) serve these "priestly" ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.

Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE:

APA
MLA
Chicago
Turabian

Priests Of Ancient Israel. (2006, March 18). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Priests-Of-Ancient-Israel/42918

"Priests Of Ancient Israel." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 18 Mar. 2006. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Priests-Of-Ancient-Israel/42918>

"Priests Of Ancient Israel." Essayworld.com. March 18, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Priests-Of-Ancient-Israel/42918.

JOIN NOW

Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays

PAPER DETAILS

Added: 3/18/2006 12:24:22 AM
Category: Religion
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 624
Pages: 3

Save |

Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS

Save and find your favorite essays easier