Cohen, Kohen, Cohn…
Meaning and etymology
The noun kohen is used in the Torah to refer to priests, whether Jewish or pagan, such as thekohanim ("priests") of Baal(2 Kings 10:19) or Dagon, though Christian priests are referred to in Hebrew by the term komer (כומר). Kohanim can also refer to the Jewish nation as a whole, as in Exodus 19:6, part of the Parshath Yithro, where the whole of Israel is addressed as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation". The word kohen originally derives from a Semitic root common at least to the Central Semitic languages; In the ancient polytheistic religion ofPhoenicia, the word for “priest“ was khn (𐤊𐤄𐤍). The cognate Arabic word kāhin means “priest“, or "soothsayer, augur".
Translations in the paraphrase of the Aramaic Targumic interpretations include "friend" in Targum Yonathan to 2 Kings 10:11, "master" in Targum to Amos 7:10, and "minister" in Mechilta to Parshah Jethro (Exodus 18:1–20:23). As a starkly different translation the title "worker" (Rashi on Exodus 29:30) and "servant" (Targum to Jeremiah 48:7), have been offered as a translation as well.
Biblical origins[edit]
Main article: Priesthood (Ancient Israel)
Illustration of Aaron's lineage from the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle.
The status of priest kohen was conferred on Aaron, the brother of Moses, and his sons as an everlasting covenant[2] or a covenant of salt. During the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and until the Holy Temple was built in Jerusalem, the priests performed their priestly service in the portable Tabernacle. (Numbers 1:47–54, Numbers 3:5–13, Numbers 3:44–51, Numbers 8:5–26) Their duties involved offering the daily and Jewish holiday sacrifices, and blessing the people in a Priestly Blessing, later also known as Nesiat Kapayim ("Raising of the hands").
In a broader sense, since Aaron was a descendant of the Tribe of Levi, priests are sometimes included in the term Levites, by direct patrilineal descent. However, not all Levites are priests.
When the Temple existed, most sacrifices and offerings could only be conducted by priests. Non-priest Levites (i.e. all those who descended from Levi, the son of Jacob, but not from Aaron) performed a variety of other Temple roles, including ritual slaughter of animals, song service by use of voice and musical instruments, and various tasks in assisting the priests in performing their service.
Torah law[edit]
Main article: Torah Laws
The Torah mentions Melchizedek king of Salem, identified by Rashi as being Shem the son of Noah, as a "priest" kohen to El Elyon (the supreme God) Genesis 14:18. The second is Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, then Jethro, priest of Midian both pagan priests of their era.[3]
When Esau sold the birthright of the first born to Jacob, Rashi explains that the priesthood was sold along with it, because by right the priesthood belongs to the first-born. Israel was supposed to become “a kingdom of priests and an holy nation,” Exodus 19:6, but when Israel (except the Tribe of Levi) sinned in the incident of the golden calf, Moses broke the tablets containing the higher law Exodus 32:19, and then returned up the mountain after making two new tablets Exodus 34:4 to receive commandments which would form the basis of the lesser law which Israel would now have to follow. The lesser priesthood was given to the Tribe of Levi, which had not been tainted by this incident Exodus 32:26[4]
Moses received the priesthood under the hand of his father-in-law, Jethro, after which he spoke to the Lord via the burning bush. As a prophet, (one who speaks with God) he held this higher office within the priesthood. Aaron was ordained as the High Priest of the lesser priesthood or Aaronic Priesthood; which includes the Levitical; to parallel the lesser law the Israelites would now have to follow due to the Golden Calf incident and the subsequent revised covenant. Exodus 34:10.[citation needed][5]
Moses is referred to as a priest in Psalms 99:6, this refers to his being a prophet, which is an office within the higher Priesthood.
Aaron received the priesthood along with his children and any descendants that would be born subsequently. However, his grandson Phinehas 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 25:7–13). Thereafter, this lesser priesthood has remained with the descendants of Aaron. "
priest = sorcerer, mind worker
cohen