Originally the office of high-priest was regarded as being held for life and hereditary; 31

but the troubles of later times made it a matter of cabal, crime, or bribery.

Without here entering into the complicated question of the succession to the high-

priesthood, the following may be quoted from the Talmud (Talmud Jer. Ioma, I.), without,

of course, guaranteeing its absolute accuracy: 'In the first Temple, the high-priests

served, the son succeeding the father, and they were eighteen in number. But in the

second Temple they got the high-priesthood for money; and there are who say they

destroyed each other by witchcraft, so that some reckon 80 high-priests during that

period, others 81, others 82, 83, 84, and even 85.' The Rabbis enumerate 18 high-priests

during the first Temple; Lightfoot counts 53 from the return from Babylon to Matthias,

when the last war of the Jews began; while Relandius reckons 57. But there is both

difficulty and confusion amid the constant changes at the last.

There was not any fixed age for entering on the office of high-priest, any more than on

that of an ordinary priest. The Talmudists put it down at twenty years. But the unhappy

descendant of the Maccabees, Aristobulus, was only sixteen years of age when his

beauty, as he officiated as high-priest in the Temple, roused the jealousy of Herod, and

procured his death. The entrance of the Levites is fixed, in the sacred text, at thirty

during the wilderness period, and after that, when the work would require less bodily

strength, but a larger number of ministers, at twenty-five years of age. 32

No special disqualifications for the Levitical office existed, though the Rabbis insist that

a good voice was absolutely necessary. It was otherwise with the priest's office. The

first inquiry instituted by the Sanhedrim, who for the purpose sat daily in 'the Hall of

Polished Stones,' was into the genealogy of a candidate. Certain genealogies were

deemed authoritative. Thus, 'if his father's name were inscribed in the archives of

Jeshana at Zipporim, no further inquiry was made.' If he failed to satisfy the court about

his perfect legitimacy, the candidate was dressed and veiled in black, and permanently

removed. If he passed that ordeal, inquiry was next made as to any physical defects, of

which Maimonides enumerates a hundred and forty that permanently, and twenty-two

which temporarily disqualified for the exercise of the priestly office. Persons so

disqualified were, however, admitted to menial offices, such as in the wood-chamber,

and entitled to Temple support. Those who had stood the twofold test were dressed in

white raiment, and their names properly inscribed. To this pointed allusion is made in

Revelation 3:5, 'He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will

not blot out his name out of the book of life.'

Thus received, and afterwards instructed in his duties, the formal admission alike of the

priest and of the high-priest was not, as of old, by anointing, but simply by investiture.

For even the composition of the sacred oil was no longer known in the second Temple.

They were called 'high-priests by investiture,' and regarded as of inferior rank to those

'by anointing.' As for the common priests, the Rabbis held that they were not anointed

even in the first Temple, the rite which was applied to the sons of Aaron being valid also

for their descendants. It was otherwise in the case of the high-priest. His investiture was

continued during seven days. In olden days, when he was anointed, the sacred oil was

not only 'poured over him,' but also applied to his forehead, over the eyes, as tradition

has it, after the form of the Greek letter X. The coincidence is certainly curious. This

sacred oil was besides only used for anointing such kings as were of the family of