Kohen

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Priesthood in Judaism
Kohen · Recognition of priestly descent Priestly covenant
show Roles Priestly blessing · Redemption of the firstborn son Tzaraath (skin disease and mildew) The Torah instruction of the Kohanim Sacrifice · Incense offering Beth din shel Kohanim Priestly divisions
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show Twenty-four kohanic gifts The ten gifts given in the Temple 1. Sin offering  · 2. Guilt offering 3. Communal peace offering 4. Fowl sin offering  · 5. Leftovers from the suspensive guilt offering 6. Oil from the offering for the leper 7. Bread from First Fruits · 8. Showbread 9. Leftovers of the meal offering 10. Leftovers of the First Sheaf. Four gifts given in Jerusalem 11. Firstborn animal · 12. Firstfruits 13. Burnt offering (Judaism) · 14. Parts of the thank offering and Nazirite's offering Ten gifts given (even) outside of Jerusalem 15. Heave offering 16. Heave offering of the Levite's tithe 17. Dough offering 18. First shearing of the sheep 19. Shoulder, cheeks and maw 20. Coins for redemption of the first born son · 21. Redemption of a donkey  · 22. Dedication of property to a priest  · 23. Field not redeemed in a Jubilee year · 24. The property of the foreigner with no heir.
show Priestly Garments All Priests Undergarments · Tunic · Turban · Sash High Priest Robe · Ephod · Frontlet Breastplate · Urim and Thummim
show Miscellaneous topics The Mitzvah of sanctifying the Kohen Kohanic disqualifications Holy anointing oil Kahen Aaron's rod Bat-Kohen (daughter of a kohen) Sons of Zadok Contact by a kohen with a dead body 13 Kohanic cities
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Kohen (Hebrew: כֹּהֵן‎, [koˈ(h)en] "priest", pl. כֹּהֲנִים‎, [koˈ(h)anim] "priests") is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronides.^[1] Levitical priests or kohanim are traditionally believed and halakhically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the biblical Aaron (also Aharon), brother of Moses.^[2]

During the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, kohanim performed the daily and holiday (Yom Tov) duties of sacrificial offerings. Today, kohanim retain a lesser though distinct status within Rabbinic and Karaite Judaism, and are bound by additional restrictions according to Orthodox Judaism.

In the Samaritan community, the kohanim have remained the primary religious leaders. Ethiopian Jewish religious leaders are sometimes called kahen, a form of the same word, but the position is not hereditary and their duties are more like those of rabbis than kohanim in most Jewish communities.

Etymology[]

The word kohen originally derives from a Semitic root common at least to the Central Semitic languages; In the ancient polytheistic religion of Phoenicia, the word for priest was khn (