High Priest of Israel
Religious official of the Temple in Jerusalem / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the position in historic Israel. For the religious leaders of current-day Israel, see Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
In Judaism, the High Priest of Israel (Hebrew: כהן גדול, romanized: Kohen Gadol, lit. 'great priest'; Aramaic: Kahana Rabba)[1] was the head of the Israelite priesthood. He played a unique role in the worship conducted in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem, as well as in some non-ritual matters. Like all priests, he was required to be descended from Aaron (the first biblical priest). But unlike other priests, the high priest followed more restrictive laws, wore unique priestly garments, and was the only priest allowed to perform certain ceremonies.