Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!sun-barr!newstop!sundc!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: YZKCU@cunyvm.bitnet (Yaakov Kayman) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Priesthood (Re: Whose misinterpretations?) Message-ID: Date: 14 Dec 90 09:14:58 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center Lines: 22 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu This is my second of what I guess will be three posts on the subject of priesthood. The first has not yet gotten through your moderator, and the third must wait until my older daughter returns my copy of Psalms. Judaism holds Malki-Tzedek to be Shem, the son of Noah. He was, in fact, considered a priest, but as indicated by the "and *he* is/was a priest...." of the verse in Genesis, only he was and not all his sons. The priesthood, in the Judaic view, then passed to Abraham and eventually devolved upon Aaron and his sons exclu- sively. This is borne out in the Torah, which later on says (about sacrifices to be offered and other priestly duties to be performed in the Temple) "and the stranger who appoaches shall be put to death." This verse specifically includes Jewish leaders such as King David, as is explicitly stated in the Oral Torah. Yaakov K. -------- Yaakov Kayman (212) 903-3666 City University of New York BITNET: YZKCU@CUNYVM "Lucky is the shepherd, and lucky his flock Internet: YZKCU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU about whom the wolves complain"