Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/452

* PKIEST. 390 PKIEST. they were divided into 2-t classes {I. Chron. xxiv.), the iudividuals eoniiiig xip to Jerusalem at their appointed seasons. (Cf. Luke i.) The priests alone had access into the Holy Place, the high priest alone into the Holy of Holies. For the dress of the priests, see Exod. xxviii.; for general regulations, Levit. xxi., and passim in the Priestly Code. Consult the works mentioned in the article Levites ; and Schiirer, History of the Jcuish People (Edinburgh, 1885-90) ; Well- hausen, Proleyoinenu ~ur (Icschichtc Israels (4th cd., Berlin, 1805). See Aaron; Levites; High Priest. The Egyptian Priesthood. From the earliest times each Egyptian nome had its own local cult administered by a priestliood who formed a .sort of collegiate body and were divided into several classes. The most numerous, and at the same time the highest, class were the priests called by Egyptians hen nuicr, or 'servants of the god.' Their fmictions are not very clearly defined, but it wouhl seem tluit they conducted the temple services with the aid of the inferior clergy, and delivered the oracles of the god. The duty of the kheri-heb (i.e. 'lie with the book') or 'reciter priest' was to recite from the ancient sacred iiooks, and he usually officiated at funerals, where he read over the deceased the appropriate chapters of the Book of the Dead (q.v. ). As these old religious texts were believed to possess magical powers, the klieri-hch came to be re- garded by the people as a magician. Lowest in order of rank stood the ice'b, a name which signifies 'pure.' The ne'6 was reipiired to ex- amine into the purity of sacrificial animals before they ".vere laid upon the table of offerings; he also poured out drink oli'erings and performed the rites of ceremonial purification by sprinkling with holy water. At the head of the priestly college of each nome stood the chief prophet or high priest, who in some localities bore a dis- tinctive title. Thus the high priest of ilemphis was called the 'ilaster Craftsman,' and the high priest of Heliopolis was the 'C4reat Seer' or 'He wlio sees the secrets of Heaven.' Under the Old and Jliddle Empires niemljership in the local priestly guild was hereditary, and the office of chief prophet was usually, tlinugh not neces- sarily, held by the ruling nomarch. During this period brotherhoods of pious laymen, termed Unniit, or 'hour-priests,' were attached to the various temples. Each member devoted a cer- tain portion of his time to the temple services and the association took part in a body on stated occasions. Nobles and high officials usually held one or more priestly offices, but it is prob- able that in the majority of cases their duties were more or less perfunctory-. The funerary chapels attached to the tombs of important per- sonages were served by priests entitled 'servants of the Ka' {hen ka), and in the temples con- nected with the pyramids of Eg>-ptian kings the worship of the deceased monarclis was conducted by priests styled 'prophets of the pyramid.' I'nder the New Empire the position of the priesthood changed considerably, though to a less extent in the smaller country temples and in the ancient sanctuaries than in the great temples of the new capital, Thebes. The priesthood of Amnion, which may be considered as fairly rep- resentative of the later period, contained five gradations of rank: the first, second, and third prophets, the divine father, and the we'b. The high priest or first prophet of Amnion held a very exalted jjosition ; he not only directed the affairs of the gieat national sanctuaiy, at the head of which he stood, but also exercised a sort of pontificate over all the temples of Egypt. The second proiihet of Amnion had, among other duties, the superintendence of the artists belong- ing to the temple, and the we'b officiated as 'reciter priest.' The priestly office was no longer hereditary, as in the older period, and though the sons of priests often followed their fathers' profession, this was largely due to per- sonal or family influence. A young man might be appointed to the priesthood in his fifteenth or sixteenth year, and his subsequent progress depended upon his abilities and upon the influ- ence he could exert. Priests of all classes were bound to observe rigid personal cleanliness. They shaved their heads, wore pure linen garments, and, in case of contact with anj-thing ceremonially unclean, must j)erform the necessary rites of purification before they could exercise their sacred functions. Under the Old Emjiire they do not seem to have worn a characteristic dress, but in the time of the Xew Empire the ecclesiastical costume is quite distinctive. The details of the dress varied with the rank and functions of the wearer, but all wore a white linen skirt of ancient fashion. Some wore over this a wide cape which hung from just below the armpits, while others en- veloped the body in a great cloak. Certain priests officiating at funerals are represented as wearing a panther skin, and the high priest of Heliopolis wore a panther skin dotted with stars, in allusion to his title of 'He who sees the secrets of Heaven.' The high priest of Memphis wore about his neck a curious necklace of elabo- rate design, and judges, who were all priests of .1/rt'^, wore an image of the goddess when on the bench. In the older period noble ladies frequently bore priestly titles ; they were usually pro- phetesses of Neith or Hathor, though to what extent thej' actually took part in the temple services is diflicult to say. It is probalde that such titles were chiefly honorary. Under the New Empire women of all ranks were connected with the various temples, especially that of Amnion of Thebes, as singers or musicians. They were regarded as forming the harem of the god and held ditTerent degrees of rank. Certain women of high rank, for example, bore the title of 'chief concubine' of the god. and at the head of the mystical harem of Thebes stood the 'legiti- mate wife of the god,' usually the Queen herself, who represented the goddess Mut, the heavenly consort of Amnion. Connected with the Serapeum (q.v.) of Jlem- phis and with other temples of Serapis in Egypt was a regularly organized monastic .system. The monks lived in cells, which they were not per- mitted to leave, and received their food through air-holes in the wall, their solp channel of com- munication with the outer world. They called each other brethren, and sought by pious medita- tion to overcome their passions and attain a condition of insensibility to external impressions. Consult: 'BrwgfiQ'h. Aefinptolofjie (Leipzig, 1801); Wilkinson, Manners ami Customs of the Ancient Effpptians (London, 1878) ; Erman, Life in An- I