From Sacred Priesthood to Political Representative

Abstract

At the beginning of Jewish history, there was no distinct class of clergy. After the diversification and detailing of Jewish worship during the time of Moses, the need for a class of clergy arose, and eventually, the Jewish priests (kohanim) emerged to perform religious duties. Generally occupied with religious tasks, the Jewish priests had a hierarchy among themselves, with the Jewish high priest (kohen gadol) at the top. Originally emerging as a religious office, the Jewish high priesthood maintained its existence and function along these lines until the Babylonian exile of the Jews in 586 BCE. However, developments such as the absence of a Jewish state or monarch after the exile led to an expansion of the authority and nature of the Jewish high priesthood. In this study, the aforementioned changes in the office of the Jewish high priesthood have been examined within the framework of the politicization concept, from the post-exilic period to the Jewish-Roman War of 66-73 CE. The process of politicization of the Jewish high priesthood begins with the Persian rule over the Jews. With the conquest of Judea by Alexander the Great, the Jews came under the rule of Hellenistic culture, and the Jewish high priesthood, influenced by the Hellenistic high priestly model, continued to politicize. In the subsequent period under the rule of the Seleucids, this sacred office of the Jews became a political tool of the new authority. Under the Hasmonean rule established after the Seleucids, the office, deviating significantly from its traditional line, was endowed with political powers and eventually served Roman policies after the establishment of direct Roman rule in the region. Ultimately, the office of the Jewish high priesthood underwent significant politicization in the post-exilic period. The politicization of the office occurred in two directions: politicization carried out by foreign administrations and politicization carried out by Jews. © 2024, Sabit Dokuyan. All rights reserved.