high priest

high priest
1. a chief priest.
2. Judaism. (from Aaronic times to about the 1st century A.D.) the priest ranking above all other priests and the only one permitted to enter the holy of holies.
3. Informal. a person in a high position of power or influence, esp. one who is revered as a preeminent authority or interpreter: the high priest of the young painters.
[1350-1400; ME heiye prest]

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Hebrew  kohen gadol 

      in Judaism, the chief religious functionary in the Temple of Jerusalem (Jerusalem, Temple of), whose unique privilege was to enter the Holy of Holies (inner sanctum) once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, to burn incense and sprinkle sacrificial animal blood to expiate his own sins and those of the people of Israel. On this occasion he wore only white linen garments, forgoing the elaborate priestly vestments worn during the year whenever he chose to officiate at services. The high priest had overall charge of Temple finances and administration, and in the early period of the Second Temple he collected taxes and maintained order as the recognized political head of the nation. The high priest could not mourn the dead, had to avoid defilement incurred by proximity to the dead, and could marry only a virgin. The office, first conferred on Aaron by his brother Moses, was normally hereditary and for life. In the 2nd century BC, however, bribery led to several reappointments, and the last of the high priests were appointed by government officials or chosen by lot. According to tradition, 18 high priests served in Solomon's Temple (c. 960–586 BC) and 60 in the Second Temple (516 BC–AD 70). Since that time, there has been no Jewish high priest, for national sacrifice was permanently interrupted with the destruction of the Second Temple.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • High Priest —     The High Priest     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The High Priest     The high priest in the Old Testament is called by various names:     ♦ the priest (Num., iii, 6);     ♦ the great priest (Lev., xxi, 10);     ♦ the head priest (IV Kings, xxv,… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • HIGH PRIEST — (Heb. הַ)כּהֵן הָדֹאשׁ ,הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל ,הַכֹּהֵן), the priest at the head of the priestly affairs. In pre Exilic times the common appellation for the chief priest of a community was the priest (Heb. ha Kohen; e.g., I Sam. 14:19, 36; 21:2–10) …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • high priest — high′ priest′ n. 1) rel a chief priest 2) jud Judaism. (from Aaronic times to about the 1st century a.d.) the priest ranking above all other priests and the only one permitted to enter the holy of holies 3) a person in a high position of power or …   From formal English to slang

  • high priest — n 1.) informal someone who is famous for being the best at a type of art, music etc, and whose ideas or work change the way that other people think about and make art, music etc high priest of ▪ the high priest of modern jazz 2.) the most… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • High priest — High High, a. [Compar. {Higher}; superl. {Highest}.] [OE. high, hegh, hey, heh, AS. he[ a]h, h?h; akin to OS. h?h, OFries. hag, hach, D. hoog, OHG. h?h, G. hoch, Icel. h?r, Sw. h[ o]g, Dan. h[ o]i, Goth. hauhs, and to Icel. haugr mound, G. h[… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • High priest — (Eccl.) A chief priest; esp., the head of the Jewish priesthood. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • high priest — noun count 1. ) the most important or powerful priest 2. ) MAINLY JOURNALISM the man who has the most experience or knowledge about something: the high priest of self help …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • high priest — n. [ME heyge prest] 1. a chief priest; specif., the chief priest of the ancient Jewish priesthood 2. a person, esp. a man, who is a chief exponent of a philosophy, movement, etc. or an acknowledged leader in some field high priesthood n …   English World dictionary

  • high priest — high priests N COUNT: usu N of n If you call a man the high priest of a particular thing, you are saying in a slightly mocking way that he is considered by people to be expert in that thing. ...the high priest of cheap periodical fiction …   English dictionary

  • high priest — ► NOUN 1) a chief priest of a non Christian religion, especially of historic Judaism. 2) (also high priestess) the leader of a cult or movement …   English terms dictionary

  • High priest — The term high priest may refer to an individual who holds the office of ruler priest, or may refer to the head of a religious caste. * In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods revered by the Egyptians. * In… …   Wikipedia

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