The High Priests of the Samaritans

Larry Rynearson

History of the Sons of Aaron

“And take thou unto thee Aaron they brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazer and Ithamar, Aarons sons” (Ex.28:1) Aaron was given the High Priest-hood, the Kohein Gadol. When Aaron died his priesthood went to his oldest living son Eleazar (Nu. 20:24-29). Eleazar’s older brothers, Nadab and Abihu were dead at the time and had no descendants (Nu.3:4) leaving only Eleazar and Ithamar. It was written that the high Priesthood’s office upon his death went to his son (Ex 29:29). There-fore the priesthood went to Phinehas (Ex 6:25). Because of his zeal (Nu. 25:6-13) was given the High Priesthood. Phinehas was given a covenant of peace and his seed after him an everlasting priesthood. In the last book of Joshua of the Bible is were it is to be found that Phinehas dies (Jos.24:33).

The Division of the Priesthood

A brief review of the history of the Israelite tribes from the days of Joshua son of Nun onwards, as told in the Samaritan chronicles, and a comparison to the Jewish sources, will reveal that all points of controversy refer to Mount Gerizim. It was here that the high priests of the house of Phinehas, to whom the high priesthood was given, officiated for 260 years. The priesthood list corresponds, for the most part, to the biblical list of high priests of the house of Phinehas, quoted in Chronicles. According to the Samaritan chronicles, these were the days of grace, of the Shekhina. When Uzi son of Buki, one of the sons of Phinehas, is appointed high priest on Mount Gerizim, it is actually Eli the priest, a dominant, older man, who officiates as high priest. Eli, who refused to accept the authority of the younger Uzi, withdrew from Mount Gerizim to Shiloh and founded there a new religious center, where a part of the Israelite people began to worship. This severe division in the nation was used to good advantage by the Philistines, who destroyed the Shiloh temple, forty years after its foundation. The Bible glosses over the priesthood of the sons of Itamar and the causes that had led to their appointment. Jewish traditions associate the removal of the priest of the house of Phinehas with the incident of the daughter of Jephth, or the incident of the concubine in Gibeah, and its hard bloody aftermath. Historian Josephus Flavius, however, in his book, "The Antiquities of the Jews", V:318 writes "Following Samson's death, the Israelites were led by high priest Eli". Ibid 361 - "Eli was the first ruler of the house of Itamar, the second house of the sons of Aaron, at first the priesthood was given to the house of Elazar...the latter handed it down to his son Phinehas, who handed it down to his son Abiezer (Abisha), who gave it to his son Buki, whose son Uzi received it from him, and afterwards the priesthood was given to Eli". Josephus Flavius makes no attempt to explain the reasons for the removal of Phinehas's family, the significance and centrality of the removal and its consequences.

Samaritan history denotes that the period of grace and shekhina, (in Aramaic 'Rehuta") lasted 260 years, from the day the ark of the covenant was placed on mount Gerizim, to the foundation of the new Mishkan (tabernacle) in Shiloh, by Eli, when, in the words of the Bible, (Deuteronomy 25:17): "and I will hide my face from them". This act of Eli's led to the foundation of numerous religious centers throughout the nation, and in the words of the book of Judges: "Every man did that which was right in his own eyes", (Judges 21). There is an article by the High Priest Jacob, son of Aaron in our articles section that discusses Eli. His work is ‘Mount Gerizim, the One True Sanctuary.’

The High Priesthood Today

The leadership of the Priesthood that consists of the three heads of its three branches: the High Priest Levi b. Abisha, Deputy High Priest Shalom b. Amram (now current High Priest and the Priest Aaron b. Ab-Hisda. The senior priesthood is not only the senior authority in religious matters, but also the largest family in the community. Therefore, Yiftach, Yaakob, Yakkir, Tabia, Ovadiah, Yefet, Asher (Wassef), Asher Suhale), Aaron, Pinhas, Mushi and Abisha all agree on a religious consensus within the priestly family first, and then the High Priest is the final arbiter.

)

The late High Priest before Levi b. Abisha, Yossef b. Av-Hisda Ha`abta`ai (died May 23, 2001), a direct descendant, generation no. 124, to Itamar the son of priest Aharon the brother of Moshe, served a full 11 yearss. The High Priest Yossef began to serve in this duty on 26th of Jan. 1987, the same day when the previous High Priest Ya`akov B. Azi son of the High Priest Ya`akov Ha`abta`ai was brought to his final resting place. He was chosen by heaven because he being the oldest priest among the priesthood family. He was the 16th priest, eight according to this principle, since 1624 - the year when the High Priest the Rabban Shelmaya b. Pinchas died in Shechem, the last descendant of the high priesthood family, sons of Pinehas, grandson of Aharon, who was promised - he, Pinehas and all his descendants - the high priesthood, as a circumcision. The last descendant did not produce a son. So then the high priesthood of the sons of Pinehas was transfered to the priestly family, the sons of Itamar, son of Aharon - and by this changing itself the principle - of the son inheriting the high priesthood from his father - was changed (a custom which was firm and abiding since arriving to Israel with Yehoshoo`a Bin Noon, through 112 generations) to the principle of “the eldest priest of the Ithamar family”, which the Samaritans have became accustomed to for the last 16 generations, since the second quarter of the 17th century. The Samaritan sages were very consistent in using this principle, in order to prevent leaving the selection of the high priest, to human hands.

The current High Priest is Shalom b. Amram is the 130^th High Priest since Priest Elazar b. Aharon. He took over the High Priesthood office after the funeral of the late High Priest Levi b. Abisha (blessed be he). There are three priestly families, the house of Pinhas, house of Yaacaq and house of Yitzhaq. Shalom is from the house of Yitzhaq. Shalom is currently seventy-nine years old.

Past High Priests

1624-1650 Tsedaka b. Tabia Ha’abta’ai

1650-1694 Yitzhaq b. Tsedaka

1694-1732 Abraham b. Yitzhaq

1732-1752 Tabia b. Yiszhaq Ben Avraham

1752-1787 Levi b. Avraham

1787-1855 Shalma b. Tabia

1855-1874 Amram b. Shalma

1874-1916 Yaacov b. Aaharon b. Shalma

1916-1932 Yitzhaq b. Amram b. Shalma b. Tabia

1933-1943 Matzliach b. Phinhas b. Yitzhaq b. Shalma

1943-1961 Abrisha b. Phinhas b. Yittzhaq b. Shalma

1961-1980 Amram b. Yitzhaq b. Amram b. Shalma

1980-1982 Asher b. Matzliach b.Phinhas

1982-1984 Phinhas b. Matzliach b. Phinhas

1984-1987 Yaacov b. Ezzi b. Yaacov b. Aaharon

1987-1998 Yosseph b. Ab-Hisda b. Yaacov. Aaharon

1998- 2001 Levi b. Abisha b. Phinhas b. Yitzhaq

2001- Shalom b. Amram b. Yitzhaq

Please note that a portion wrote above in this article is from “The Division of the Priesthood” is credited to the Samaritan, Israel Tsedaka’s article “Mount Gerizim Bet El and Jerusalem” Worth the read! You can locate it in our article section of our web site. Of “The High Priesthood Today” we must give credit to the Samaritan, Benjamim Tsedaka of the A.B. Samaritan Newspaper, for parts of this section were taken from two of his articles. Benny also volunteered the list of High Priests. Thank you!