Texts in Conversation
Leviticus describes the priestly role as distinguishing between holy and common, clean and unclean, and teaching these rules to Israel. Malachi later echoes this by saying that the lips of a priest should guard knowledge and people should seek instruction from him.
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Leviticus 10:10
Hebrew Bible
8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, 9 “Do not drink wine or strong drink, you and your sons with you, when you enter into the Meeting Tent, so that you do not die. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations, 10 as well as to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, 11 and to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.” 12 Then Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his remaining sons, “Take the grain offering which remains from the gifts of the Lord and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Malachi 2:7
Hebrew Bible
5 “My covenant with him was designed to bring life and peace. I gave its statutes to him to fill him with awe, and he indeed revered me and stood in awe before me. 6 He taught what was true; sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin. 7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek instruction from him because he is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 8 You, however, have turned from the way. You have caused many to violate the law; you have corrupted the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 9 “Therefore, I have caused you to be ignored and belittled before all people to the extent that you are not following after me and are showing partiality in your instruction.”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... In the Qumran literature in general, the revealed truths of God come through the sect's teachings. Within the Qumran community it is specifically the inner group of priests who teach the community as a whole (1QS 6:3-8; CD 13:2-8; 1QM 10-12, compare 4Q175 14-20). The view of priests as the teachers within true Israel is a deeply Biblical one, with ample post-Biblical attestation exemplified by Josephus' hierocratic portrayal of Judaism (See Leviticus 10:10-11, Deuteronomy 33:8-11, Jeremiah 18:18, Malachi 2:6-7, etc...) ..."
Fletcher-Louis, Crispin H. T.
All the Glory of Adam: Liturgical Anthropology in the Dead Sea Scrolls
(pp. 283-284) Brill, 2002
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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