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Durham E-Theses Durham E-Theses The role of the priesthood in the preservation and propagation of law Budd, P. J. How to cite: Budd, P. J. (1971) The role of the priesthood in the preservation and propagation of law, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9552/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk P . J . B u d d THE ROLE OF THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE PRESERVATION AND PROPAGATION OF LAW (Abstract Copy) M.Litt. Thesis. 1971 Form-critical work on the origins of law, and a fuller appreciation of the place of the cult are two factors which have tended to undercut the older idea that prophecy was the fundamental factor in Yahwistic religion. Some re-assessment of the priestly- role is therefore necessary, particularly as the priest in pre-exilic Israel was supremely a revealer of the divine will. In such a wide-ranging field the scope of this study is basically to map out the necessary ground for such investigation, but also to point out a genuinely creative role, and in certain areas a distinctive theological contribution. Natural tendencies towards conservatism and traditionalism in the priestly office are acknowledged, but consideration of its history shows that the idea of the priest as an "institution- traditionalist" and the prophet as a "charisma-radical" is too simple. Many of the historical details remain elusive, but the fact of the priesthood as a dynamic influential group of men is clear. v Four types of priestly guidance are distinguished - "advice" (the answer of the oracle), "direction" (instruction on "holiness"), "proclamation" (recitation in a cultic assembly), and "verdict" (a declaration of guilt/innocence). Detailed consideration of the content, form and life-setting of these various types of guidance shows these distinctions to be justified. In each instance conclusions are drawn about the character of priestly influence, and the distinctiveness of its contribution. This influence is shown to have flowered in the post-exilic theocracy, and in the theological structure given to the Law. The main areas of creative priestly influence in that era are then defined. P . J . B u d d THE ROLE OF THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE PRESERVATION AND PROPAGATION OF LAW M.Litt. Thesis CONTENTS List of Abbreviations Chapter 1. Introduction. The Priest as Teacher 1 Chapter 2. The Priestly Office 12 Chapter 3» Priestly Advice 53 Chapter k. Priestly Direction 91 Chapter 5. Priestly Proclamation 142 Chapter 6. Priestly Verdict 185 Chapter 7. The Post-Exilic Era 212 Chapter 8. Concluding Observations 25^ Bibliography 257 Index of Old Testament References 271 General Index 286 Abbreviations A.B. Anchor Bible. A.N.E.T. Ancient Near Eastern Texts relating to the Old Testament (ed. J. B. Pritchard 1955 (2nd edition)). A. S.T.I. Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute. B. A. The Biblical Archaeologist. B.A.S.O.R. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research. B.Z. Biblische Zeitschrift. B. Z.A.W. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft. C. B. Cambridge Bible, col. column. E.B. Encyclopaedia Biblica. ed. edited. E.T. English Translation. Ev. Th. Evangelische Theologie. Ex. T. Expository Times. H.C.L. Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon (W. Gesenius (rev. by S. P. Tregelles 1857)). H.D.B. Hastings Dictionary of the Bible. H. U.C.A. Hebrew Union College Annual. I. C.C. International Critical Commentary. I.D.B. Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. J.A.O.S. Journal of the American Oriental Society. J.B.L. Journal of Biblical Literature. J.N.E.S. Journal of Near Eastern Studies. J.T.S. Journal of Theological Studies. n. note. N.C.B. New Century Bible. N.E.B. New English Bible. O.T.S. Oudtestamentische Studien. para. paragraph. P.E..Q. Palestine Exploration Quarterly, rev. revised. R.S.V. Revised Standard Version. S.V.T. Supplement to Vetus Testamentum. T.C. Torch Commentary. U.H. Ugaritic Handbook (C.H. Gordan 19^7). V.T. Vetus Testamentum Z.A.W. Zeitschrift fur die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Z.Th.K. Zeitschrift fur Theologie und Kirche. Notes English translations of Old Testament texts are those of the R.S.V. with "Yahweh" substituted for "the Lord". Illustrative notes are to be found at the end of each Chapter. The transliteration of Hebrew words follows the pattern in H. H. Rowley (ed.) - "The Old Testament and Modern Study " 1951. In other Semitic languages vowel length is indicated by a circumflex accent alone. Where possible the Notes and Bibliography give details of English translations of German and French literature. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction. The Priest as Teacher "For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law." (2 Chronicles 15 v. 3) This particular grouping of concepts implies for the Chronicler a profound interrelationship between them. The "teaching priest" ("kohen moreh") and "law" ("torah") are virtually synonymous (1), and both are a pre-requisite for a proper knowledge of God. The priest had not always been a teacher of law in the post-exilic sense, but behind the Chronicler's assertion there stands the abiding fact that the priest had always had a decisive role in communicating the divine will. He who preserved and propagated law in the Chronicler's day was one whose word had always carried divine authority. This is a fact which Old Testament study has been quick to recognise. Writing of the pre-exilic period J. WeUhausen observed that:- "not because they sacrifice but because they teach do the priests appear as pillars of the religious order of things" (2). S. R. Driver suggested that priestly functions consisted largely "in pronouncing Torah ... pointing out what was to be done in some special cases" (3). G. Buchanan Gray is making substantially the same point when he claims that:- "the priesthood, especially in pre- exilic Israel, was one of the most important organs of' revelation11/ (k) 2 H. Wheeler Robinson also warns against underestimation of this priestly teaching function (5), while G. Ostborn, in a comprehensive study, shows that, next to the divinity, "priest" is the most frequently recurring subject with the hiphil of the verb "yarah", meaning "to teach" or "to impart torah" (6). In the ancient near-east as a whole all communicators of the divine will were in some sense "priestly" - that is, they were men of the sanctuary. In spite of the wealth of material from Ras Shamra detailed information about the Canaanite priests is disappoint• ingly small. Nevertheless it does appear that they were organised in guilds, that they were sanctuary-custodians, and that they lived off tithes (7). We can also be reasonably sure that the Ugaritic "khnm" revealed the will of the gods. They probably had a part in the sophisticated divinatory procedures, and one of the texts (8) specifically cites the High Priest as an authority for a certain version of the Baal myth (9). The priest Atnprln is said to have "taught" ("lmd") the version of the myth inscribed by El-mlk. At Hittite temples the priests were first and foremost the deity's domestic staff ministering to his needs, but if the god was angry the priests would be questioned, and would teach the reason why:- "The feast ... has been neglected; the sittar (?) has not been decorated" (10). One of the key functions of the so-called "baru"- priests of Mesopotamia was their capacity to communicate the will of the gods (11). The word "baru" itself suggests "one who sees" or "one who has a vision", and in practice these men delivered oracles 3 concerning future events. There are a number of synonymous expressions describing their work:- "b&rGta epesu" - "to perform divination"; "arkata parasu" - "to decide the future"; "purussa parasu11 - "to declare a decision"; "amata sakanu" - "to establish a word". This kind of expertise involved divination rather than the teaching of divine regulations or laws, and yet it is perfectly clear that priesthood and the communication of the divine will are thought of as belonging together. That the same held good for the Hebrews is easily demonstrated, quite apart from the testimony of the Chronicler. An obvious starting-point is Deuteronomy 33 v. 10, where it is stated that the Levites are to:- "teach ("horah") Jacob thy ordinances ("mispatim") and Israel thy law ("torot")". This particular verse is easily detached from its context along with v. 9b, but the testimony to a pre-exilic priest-teaching relation• ship is indisputable (12). The same fact is frequently asserted or implied in the prophetic literature. Hosea speaks of the priests who have forgotten the "torah" of their Qod (k v. 6), and Micah complains of priests who teach ("horah") "for hire" (3 v. 11). The Book of Jeremiah makes it plain that in popular thinking "priest" and "torah" go together as closely and naturally as do the wise man and his wisdom, or the prophet and his word (18 v.
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