Zadok (High Priest)
Encyclopedia
Zadok was a priest
descended from Eleazar
the son of Aaron
, who aided King David during the revolt of his son Absalom
, and was consequently instrumental in bringing King Solomon to throne. After Solomon's building of The First Temple
in Jerusalem, Zadok was the first High Priest
to serve there.
The prophet Ezekiel
extols the sons of Zadok as staunch opponents of paganism
during the era of its pagan worship and indicates their birthright to unique duties and privileges in the future Third Temple (Ezekiel 42:13, 43:19).
the son of Aaron
the high priest
.(2 Samuel
8:17; 1 Chronicles
24:3) The lineage of Zadok is presented in the genealogy of Ezra
(his descenedant) as being of ninth generation of direct patrilineal descent from Phineas
the son of Eleazar; Ezra 7:1, see 1 Chronicles 5:30 where he is placed ninth in descent from Phineas.
In chronological order, Zadok is first mentioned as coming to take part with David
at Hebron
. During the rebellion of Absalom
, Zadok is mentioned as He and the Levites wished to accompany the fleeing David and bring along the Ark of the Covenant
, but the king instructed them to remain at Jerusalem, where they could do him better service ), so that it actually happened that Ahimaaz
, the son of Zadok, along with Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, brought the fleeing king a life saving message. In all these passages Zadok is mentioned in precedence to Abiathar.
Both Zadok and Abiathar
were functioning in tandem as high priests at the time of David's hasty exit from Jerusalem. But, when King David sought advice from the Urim and Thummim
by way of Abiathar a divine response was not given, leading to his dismissal from high-priesthood. Subsequently, when Adonijah
endeavoured to secure the throne, Abiathar
sided with him, leading king Solomon
(David's son) to expel him from Jerusalem and reinforce Zadok's high-priesthood, who, along with Nathan the Prophet, supported King Solomon's ascension to throne.
ceremony of Solomon as king.
The Hebrew Bible
records how before the death of Aaron
(At Hor HaHar), Aaron was accompanied by his brother Moses
, as well as his (Aaron's) elder son Elazar and younger son Ithamar
. Upon entry to the cave wherein Ahron passed away, he witnessed as his brother Moshe dressed his elder son Elazer with the clothes of the High priesthood, as initiation to high priesthood. Jewish commentaries on the Bible
express that this initiation ceremony served as the catalyst for the stipulation that all future candidates of high priesthood be patrilineal descendants of Eleazar the elder son of Aaron and not Ithamar, the younger son.
Similarly, the Hebrew Bible relates how, at the time Phineas son of Eleazar appeased God's anger, he merited the divine blessing of God; .
portray a central role for 'the sons of Zadok the Priests' within the community; the 'Teacher of Righteousness
' (Moreh Zedek) named as founder may point to a Zadokite. while the phrase "To be as one in following the Law and (sharing) wealth and reconcilling (based on) the mouth of the sons of Tzadok the keepers of the covenant" from the Community Rule
document suggest that the leaders of the community were sons of Zadok.
from this noted verse. According to some rabbinical commentators Phineas sinned due to his not availing his servitude of Torah instruction to the masses at the time leading up to the Battle of Gibeah
. In addition, he also failed to address the needs of relieving Jephthah of his vow
. As consequence, the high priesthood was taken from him and given to the offspring of Ithamar
, essentially Eli and his sons.
prophecized the return of high priesthood to the sons of Eleazar
;
A number of scholars indicate that Zadok was the subject of the prophecy of Elkanah when Zadok of the progeny of Eleazar was ultimately appointed as high priest.
Zadok, as a patrilineal descendant of Phinehas
(son of Elazar) resumed the high priesthood. His sons were Ahimaaz
and Azariah followed by his descendants who held the high priesthood up to the destruction of The First Temple and, following the building of the second temple, resumed the high priesthood, as per Joshua the High Priest
(along with Ezra
) being of Zadokite lineage.
The attempt to trace his genealogy back to Eleazar
, the third son of Aaron
, as opposed to Abiathar, his contemporary and colleague, who was regarded as a descendant of Eli and considered a member of the house of Ithamar
, was first made by the Chronicler (I Chronicles 5:30-34 [A. V. vi. 4-8]; comp. 6:35-38 [A. V. 6:50-53]), thus assuring the preeminence of the Zadokites over the descendants of Eli. In the beginning of his career he was associated with Abiathar (2 Samuel 20:25) and with his son (ib. 8:17; I Chron. 24:3, 6, 31). The hypothesis has accordingly been advanced that Zadok officiated in the Tabernacle at Gibeon (I Chron. 16:39; comp. I Kings 3:4), while the sons of Eli were stationed as high priests at Jerusalem or, more probably, at Shiloh (compare Keil on I Kings 1:8) Such a division of functions is very doubtful, however; and it is more plausible to suppose that Zadok gradually won equality of rank with the sons of Eli by his good fortune in gaining the favor of David
.
According to the Chronicler, a certain Zadok, as a young man, had been one of those who joined David at Hebron
and helped him win the crown of all Israel
, his house then including twenty-two captains; (I Chron 12:29) and Josephus
expressly identifies this Zadok with the high priest of the same name (Antiquities of the Jews 7:2, § 2).
According to the Masoretic Hebrew text, David addressed the priest with the words "ha-Kohen ha-ro'eh attah," ("You are the seer-priest") (II Sam. 15:27) and the Vulgate consequently regards Zadok as a seer, although this interpretation is regarded by many scholars as incorrect. These two difficult words are emended by Wellhausen to "ha-Kohen ha-Rosh Atta" ("You are the chief priest"), thus implying the promise of the high-priesthood to him. On the suppression of the rebellion, the king sent Zadok and Abiathar to the elders of Judah, urging them to hasten to bring the monarch back (ib. 19:12) Zadok again manifested his loyalty to the king when he espoused the cause of Solomon against Adonijah, (I Kings 1:8 et seq.) and in his gratitude the new king appointed him sole high priest (ib. ii. 35). In his account of this event Josephus
states (Antiquities 8,1, § 3) that Zadok was a scion of the house of Phinehas
, and consequently a descendant of Eleazar.
, in about 167 BCE. The descendants of Zadok increased in rank and influence, so that his son Azariah was one of the princes of Solomon,(1 Kings 4:2) and the Ahimaaz
who married a daughter of Solomon was probably another of Zadok's children (1 Kings 4:15) Either Zadok himself or his grandson was the ruler of the Aaronite priests (1 Chronicles 27:17), and Jerusha, the mother of Jotham, is apparently termed the daughter of Zadok to emphasize her noble lineage, since her father may have been a descendant of the first Zadok (2 Kings 15:33; 2 Chronicles 27:1).
A Zadok is also mentioned in the genealogy of Joseph, the father of Jesus (Matthew 1:4).
A Rabbi Zadok is also mentioned as saved in Talmud
(Bavli Gittin 56B) by Yohanan ben Zakkai, when he makes his deal with Vespasian
.
The house of Zadok occupied the high priesthood through much of the Second Temple's time, from Jehoshua ben Jehozadak after the Exile, down to Simon II
(much praised in Ben Sira
50), his eldest son Onias III
, and his usurping second son Jason (or Jehoshua), who introduced the programme of Hellenization that eventually led to the Maccabean Revolt.
Josephus records that Onias IV
went to Leontopolis
in the Egyptian nome of Heliopolis
with a significant following, and for lending military support to the Ptolemaic Pharaoh was given land to build a temple to rival the Temple in Jerusalem
(although Josephus also ascribes this to Onias III, while dating the project so as to suggest Onias II). It has been suggested that Onias or members of his Zadokite house may have also founded the community at Qumran
.
, Abraham Geiger
, was of the opinion that the Sadducee ("Tzadoki" in Mishnaic pronunciation) sect of Judaism drew their name from Zadok
, with the leaders of the sect proposed as the sons of Zadok.
However, based on Chazal
ic sources, the origination of the Sadducee group initiated in tandem with the Boethusian group, with their founders, Zadok and Boethus, both being individual students of the Antigonus of Sokho
, who preceded the Zugot era during the Second Temple period
(Avoth deRabbi Nathan 5:2).
Chazalic literature took a dim view of both the Sadducees and Boethusian groups not only due their perceived carefree approach to keeping to written Torah and oral Torah
law, but also due their attempts to persuade common-folk to join their ranks (Sifri to Deuteronomy)
Maimonides
, in his treatise to Pirkei Avot, views the Sadducees as Gonvei Da'at
("stealers of knowledge") of the greater Jewish nation and of intentionally negating the Chazalic interpretation of Torah (Torah Shebal Peh Rambam to Avoth chap. 2). Likewise, in his Mishneh Torah
treatise the Rambam defines the Sadduccees as "Harming Israel and causing the nation to stray from following God" (Hilchoth Avodah Zarah 10:2).
Considering the lack of Chazalic documentary indicating a connection between Zadok the first high priest and Zadok the student of Antignos of Sokho, along with the 13 plus generations between the two Zadok's, Rabbinic figures tend to put a damper on that association. Additional aspects disproving that association include a Chazalic mention that the Sadduccee and Boethusian groups favored using vessels of gold and silver whereas the common vessel usage of priests, to negate transmission of impurity, were typically of stone.
priest co-opted into the Israelite
state religion
. Harvard Divinity School Professor Frank Moore Cross
refers to this theory as the "Jebusite Hypothesis," criticizes it extensively, but terms it the dominant view among contemporary scholars, in Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel.
Elsewhere in the Bible, the Jebusites are described in a manner that suggests that they worshipped the same God (El Elyon) as the Israelites, in the case of Melchizedek
. Further support for this theory comes from the fact that other Jebusites or residents of pre-Israelite
Jerusalem bore names invoking the principle or god Zedek
(Tzedek) (see, e.g., Melchizedek and Adonizedek
). Under this theory the Aaronic lineage ascribed to Zadok
is a later, anachronistic interpolation.
Kohen
A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
descended from Eleazar
Eleazar
Eleazar , was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second Kohen Gadol - succeeding his father Aaron. He was a nephew of Moses.-Life:...
the son of Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
, who aided King David during the revolt of his son Absalom
Absalom
According to the Bible, Absalom or Avshalom was the third son of David, King of Israel with Maachah, daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur. describes him as the most handsome man in the kingdom...
, and was consequently instrumental in bringing King Solomon to throne. After Solomon's building of The First Temple
Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was the main temple in ancient Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount , before its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar II after the Siege of Jerusalem of 587 BCE....
in Jerusalem, Zadok was the first High Priest
Kohen Gadol
The High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem...
to serve there.
The prophet Ezekiel
Ezekiel
Ezekiel , "God will strengthen" , is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet...
extols the sons of Zadok as staunch opponents of paganism
Avodah Zarah
Avodah Zarah is the name of a tractate in the Talmud, located in Nezikin, the fourth Order of the Talmud dealing with damages...
during the era of its pagan worship and indicates their birthright to unique duties and privileges in the future Third Temple (Ezekiel 42:13, 43:19).
Hebrew Bible
Zadok was a patrilineal descendant of EleazarEleazar
Eleazar , was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second Kohen Gadol - succeeding his father Aaron. He was a nephew of Moses.-Life:...
the son of Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
the high priest
Kohen Gadol
The High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem...
.(2 Samuel
Books of Samuel
The Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
8:17; 1 Chronicles
Books of Chronicles
The Books of Chronicles are part of the Hebrew Bible. In the Masoretic Text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim . Chronicles largely parallels the Davidic narratives in the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings...
24:3) The lineage of Zadok is presented in the genealogy of Ezra
Ezra
Ezra , also called Ezra the Scribe and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra. According to the Hebrew Bible he returned from the Babylonian exile and reintroduced the Torah in Jerusalem...
(his descenedant) as being of ninth generation of direct patrilineal descent from Phineas
Phineas
In Greek mythology, Phineas was a Phoenician King of Thrace.The name 'Phineas' or 'Phineus' may be associated with the ancient city of Phinea on the Thracian Bosphorus.-Phineas, Son of Agenor:...
the son of Eleazar; Ezra 7:1, see 1 Chronicles 5:30 where he is placed ninth in descent from Phineas.
In chronological order, Zadok is first mentioned as coming to take part with David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
at Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
. During the rebellion of Absalom
Absalom
According to the Bible, Absalom or Avshalom was the third son of David, King of Israel with Maachah, daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur. describes him as the most handsome man in the kingdom...
, Zadok is mentioned as He and the Levites wished to accompany the fleeing David and bring along the Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
, but the king instructed them to remain at Jerusalem, where they could do him better service ), so that it actually happened that Ahimaaz
Ahimaaz
Ahimaaz was son and successor of Zadok in the office of high priest . On the occasion of the revolt of Absalom he remained faithful to David, and was of service to him in conveying to him tidings of the proceedings of Absalom in Jerusalem...
, the son of Zadok, along with Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, brought the fleeing king a life saving message. In all these passages Zadok is mentioned in precedence to Abiathar.
Both Zadok and Abiathar
Abiathar
Abiathar , in the Hebrew Bible, son of Achimelech or Ahijah, High Priest at Nob, the fourth in descent from Eli and the last of Eli's House...
were functioning in tandem as high priests at the time of David's hasty exit from Jerusalem. But, when King David sought advice from the Urim and Thummim
Urim and Thummim
In ancient Israelite religion and culture, Urim and Thummim is a phrase from the Hebrew Scriptures or Torah associated with the Hoshen , divination in general, and cleromancy in particular...
by way of Abiathar a divine response was not given, leading to his dismissal from high-priesthood. Subsequently, when Adonijah
Adonijah
Adonijah was the fourth son of King David according to the book of Samuel , which is contained in the Bible.-Life:After the death of his elder brothers Amnon and Absalom, he became heir-apparent to the throne, but Solomon, a younger brother, was preferred to him. Adonijah, however, when his father...
endeavoured to secure the throne, Abiathar
Abiathar
Abiathar , in the Hebrew Bible, son of Achimelech or Ahijah, High Priest at Nob, the fourth in descent from Eli and the last of Eli's House...
sided with him, leading king Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
(David's son) to expel him from Jerusalem and reinforce Zadok's high-priesthood, who, along with Nathan the Prophet, supported King Solomon's ascension to throne.
Annointing Solomon
According to 1 Kings 1:39, Zadok officiated at the anointingAnointing
To anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil, milk, water, melted butter or other substances, a process employed ritually by many religions. People and things are anointed to symbolize the introduction of a sacramental or divine influence, a holy emanation, spirit, power or God...
ceremony of Solomon as king.
The Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
records how before the death of Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
(At Hor HaHar), Aaron was accompanied by his brother Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, as well as his (Aaron's) elder son Elazar and younger son Ithamar
Ithamar
In the Torah, Ithamar is mentioned as the youngest son of Aaron the High Priest. After the death of his two eldest brothers Nadab and Abihu when they had been punished by the Lord for performing an unauthorized sacrificial offering, Ithamar served as a priest along with his elder brother, Eleazar...
. Upon entry to the cave wherein Ahron passed away, he witnessed as his brother Moshe dressed his elder son Elazer with the clothes of the High priesthood, as initiation to high priesthood. Jewish commentaries on the Bible
Jewish commentaries on the Bible
This article describes the first printing of the Hebrew Bible with major Jewish commentaries, notes concerning translations into Aramaic and English, lists some universally accepted Jewish commentaries with notes on their method of approach and lists modern translations into English with notes.-...
express that this initiation ceremony served as the catalyst for the stipulation that all future candidates of high priesthood be patrilineal descendants of Eleazar the elder son of Aaron and not Ithamar, the younger son.
Similarly, the Hebrew Bible relates how, at the time Phineas son of Eleazar appeased God's anger, he merited the divine blessing of God; .
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea ScrollsDead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
portray a central role for 'the sons of Zadok the Priests' within the community; the 'Teacher of Righteousness
Teacher of Righteousness
The Teacher of Righteousness is a figure found in some of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, most prominently in the Damascus Document. This document speaks briefly of the origins of the sect, probably Essenes, 390 years after the Babylonian exile and after 20 years of 'groping' blindly for the way...
' (Moreh Zedek) named as founder may point to a Zadokite. while the phrase "To be as one in following the Law and (sharing) wealth and reconcilling (based on) the mouth of the sons of Tzadok the keepers of the covenant" from the Community Rule
Community Rule
The Community Rule , which was previously referred to as the Manual of Discipline and in Hebrew Serekh ha-Yahad is one of the first scrolls to be discovered near khirbet Qumran, the scrolls found in the eleven caves between 1947 and 1954 are now referred to simply as the Dead Sea Scrolls...
document suggest that the leaders of the community were sons of Zadok.
In rabbinical literature
Rabbinical commentators explain that the continuity of high priesthood is put forth to the descendants of PhineasPhineas
In Greek mythology, Phineas was a Phoenician King of Thrace.The name 'Phineas' or 'Phineus' may be associated with the ancient city of Phinea on the Thracian Bosphorus.-Phineas, Son of Agenor:...
from this noted verse. According to some rabbinical commentators Phineas sinned due to his not availing his servitude of Torah instruction to the masses at the time leading up to the Battle of Gibeah
Battle of Gibeah
The Battle of Gibeah is an episode in the Book of Judges. The battle was triggered by an incident of gross inhospitality on part of the Tribe of Benjamin, in which a concubine belonging to a man from the Tribe of Levi was raped to death by a rowdy mob, after the Levite had offered his concubine to...
. In addition, he also failed to address the needs of relieving Jephthah of his vow
Neder
In Judaism, a neder is a declaration, using the name of God, of the acceptance of a self-made pledge, stating that the pledge must be fulfilled with the same importance as a halakha. The neder may be to fulfill some act in the future or to refrain from a particular type of activity of the...
. As consequence, the high priesthood was taken from him and given to the offspring of Ithamar
Ithamar
In the Torah, Ithamar is mentioned as the youngest son of Aaron the High Priest. After the death of his two eldest brothers Nadab and Abihu when they had been punished by the Lord for performing an unauthorized sacrificial offering, Ithamar served as a priest along with his elder brother, Eleazar...
, essentially Eli and his sons.
Priesthood transition
Upon the sin of Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, ElkanahElkanah (husband of Hannah)
Elkanah was, according to the Books of Samuel, the husband of Hannah, and the father of her children including her first, Samuel. Elkanah practised polygamy; his other wife, less favoured but bearing more children, was named Peninnah. The names of Elkanah's other children apart from Samuel are...
prophecized the return of high priesthood to the sons of Eleazar
Eleazar
Eleazar , was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second Kohen Gadol - succeeding his father Aaron. He was a nephew of Moses.-Life:...
;
A number of scholars indicate that Zadok was the subject of the prophecy of Elkanah when Zadok of the progeny of Eleazar was ultimately appointed as high priest.
Zadok, as a patrilineal descendant of Phinehas
Phinehas
-Biblical figures:*Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the High Priest*Phinehas, son of the High Priest Eli. He was a priest at Shiloh, and died when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant-Other :*Pinchas, the 41st weekly Torah portion....
(son of Elazar) resumed the high priesthood. His sons were Ahimaaz
Ahimaaz
Ahimaaz was son and successor of Zadok in the office of high priest . On the occasion of the revolt of Absalom he remained faithful to David, and was of service to him in conveying to him tidings of the proceedings of Absalom in Jerusalem...
and Azariah followed by his descendants who held the high priesthood up to the destruction of The First Temple and, following the building of the second temple, resumed the high priesthood, as per Joshua the High Priest
Joshua the High Priest
Joshua the High Priest was, according to the Bible the first person chosen to be the High Priest for the reconstruction of the Jewish Temple after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity The name is also spelled 'Jeshua' in some English versions , and, as with the earlier Joshua, is...
(along with Ezra
Ezra
Ezra , also called Ezra the Scribe and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra. According to the Hebrew Bible he returned from the Babylonian exile and reintroduced the Torah in Jerusalem...
) being of Zadokite lineage.
The attempt to trace his genealogy back to Eleazar
Eleazar
Eleazar , was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second Kohen Gadol - succeeding his father Aaron. He was a nephew of Moses.-Life:...
, the third son of Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
, as opposed to Abiathar, his contemporary and colleague, who was regarded as a descendant of Eli and considered a member of the house of Ithamar
Ithamar
In the Torah, Ithamar is mentioned as the youngest son of Aaron the High Priest. After the death of his two eldest brothers Nadab and Abihu when they had been punished by the Lord for performing an unauthorized sacrificial offering, Ithamar served as a priest along with his elder brother, Eleazar...
, was first made by the Chronicler (I Chronicles 5:30-34 [A. V. vi. 4-8]; comp. 6:35-38 [A. V. 6:50-53]), thus assuring the preeminence of the Zadokites over the descendants of Eli. In the beginning of his career he was associated with Abiathar (2 Samuel 20:25) and with his son (ib. 8:17; I Chron. 24:3, 6, 31). The hypothesis has accordingly been advanced that Zadok officiated in the Tabernacle at Gibeon (I Chron. 16:39; comp. I Kings 3:4), while the sons of Eli were stationed as high priests at Jerusalem or, more probably, at Shiloh (compare Keil on I Kings 1:8) Such a division of functions is very doubtful, however; and it is more plausible to suppose that Zadok gradually won equality of rank with the sons of Eli by his good fortune in gaining the favor of David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
.
According to the Chronicler, a certain Zadok, as a young man, had been one of those who joined David at Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
and helped him win the crown of all Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, his house then including twenty-two captains; (I Chron 12:29) and Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
expressly identifies this Zadok with the high priest of the same name (Antiquities of the Jews 7:2, § 2).
According to the Masoretic Hebrew text, David addressed the priest with the words "ha-Kohen ha-ro'eh attah," ("You are the seer-priest") (II Sam. 15:27) and the Vulgate consequently regards Zadok as a seer, although this interpretation is regarded by many scholars as incorrect. These two difficult words are emended by Wellhausen to "ha-Kohen ha-Rosh Atta" ("You are the chief priest"), thus implying the promise of the high-priesthood to him. On the suppression of the rebellion, the king sent Zadok and Abiathar to the elders of Judah, urging them to hasten to bring the monarch back (ib. 19:12) Zadok again manifested his loyalty to the king when he espoused the cause of Solomon against Adonijah, (I Kings 1:8 et seq.) and in his gratitude the new king appointed him sole high priest (ib. ii. 35). In his account of this event Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
states (Antiquities 8,1, § 3) that Zadok was a scion of the house of Phinehas
Phinehas
-Biblical figures:*Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the High Priest*Phinehas, son of the High Priest Eli. He was a priest at Shiloh, and died when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant-Other :*Pinchas, the 41st weekly Torah portion....
, and consequently a descendant of Eleazar.
The Zadokite dynasty
Historical data show that the high-priesthood remained in the progeny of the Zadokites from the time of Zadok up until the rise of the MaccabeesMaccabees
The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence...
, in about 167 BCE. The descendants of Zadok increased in rank and influence, so that his son Azariah was one of the princes of Solomon,(1 Kings 4:2) and the Ahimaaz
Ahimaaz
Ahimaaz was son and successor of Zadok in the office of high priest . On the occasion of the revolt of Absalom he remained faithful to David, and was of service to him in conveying to him tidings of the proceedings of Absalom in Jerusalem...
who married a daughter of Solomon was probably another of Zadok's children (1 Kings 4:15) Either Zadok himself or his grandson was the ruler of the Aaronite priests (1 Chronicles 27:17), and Jerusha, the mother of Jotham, is apparently termed the daughter of Zadok to emphasize her noble lineage, since her father may have been a descendant of the first Zadok (2 Kings 15:33; 2 Chronicles 27:1).
A Zadok is also mentioned in the genealogy of Joseph, the father of Jesus (Matthew 1:4).
A Rabbi Zadok is also mentioned as saved in Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(Bavli Gittin 56B) by Yohanan ben Zakkai, when he makes his deal with Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
.
The house of Zadok occupied the high priesthood through much of the Second Temple's time, from Jehoshua ben Jehozadak after the Exile, down to Simon II
Simon II (High Priest)
Simon II was a Jewish High Priest during the time of the Second Temple. He was the son of Onias II. Some identify him with Simeon the Just....
(much praised in Ben Sira
Ben Sira
Jesus ben Sirach , commonly known simply as ben Sirach or Sirach and also rendered "Jesus son of Sirach" or "Jesus Siracides", was the author of the deuterocanonical Wisdom of Sirach and possibly the rabbinical Alphabet of Sirach...
50), his eldest son Onias III
Onias III
Onias III was a Jewish High Priest, the son of Simon II. He is described as a pious man who, unlike the Hellenizers, fought for Judaism. Seleucus Philopator defrayed all the expenses connected with the sanctuary and was friendly to the Jews...
, and his usurping second son Jason (or Jehoshua), who introduced the programme of Hellenization that eventually led to the Maccabean Revolt.
Josephus records that Onias IV
Onias IV
Onias IV is the designation given to the son of Onias III and the lawful heir of the legitimate high priests. He had reason to hope that the victory of the national party under Judas Maccabeus would place him in the office of his fathers; but being disappointed in his expectations by the election...
went to Leontopolis
Leontopolis
Leontopolis or Leonto or Latin: Leontos Oppidum or Egyptian: Taremu, was an Ancient Egyptian city that is known as Tell al Muqdam today.-History:The city is located in the central part of the Nile Delta region...
in the Egyptian nome of Heliopolis
Heliopolis (ancient)
Heliopolis was one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt, the capital of the 13th Lower Egyptian nome that was located five miles east of the Nile to the north of the apex of the Nile Delta...
with a significant following, and for lending military support to the Ptolemaic Pharaoh was given land to build a temple to rival the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
(although Josephus also ascribes this to Onias III, while dating the project so as to suggest Onias II). It has been suggested that Onias or members of his Zadokite house may have also founded the community at Qumran
Qumran
Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalia...
.
Sadducee connection
The popular founder of Reform JudaismReform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
, Abraham Geiger
Abraham Geiger
Abraham Geiger was a German rabbi and scholar who led the founding of Reform Judaism...
, was of the opinion that the Sadducee ("Tzadoki" in Mishnaic pronunciation) sect of Judaism drew their name from Zadok
Zadok
Zadok was a high priest of the Israelites in Jerusalem after it was conquered by David.Zadok may also refer to:*Rabbi Zadok, tanna of the 1st-century CE*Zadok the Priest, an 18th-century coronation anthem by Handel...
, with the leaders of the sect proposed as the sons of Zadok.
However, based on Chazal
Chazal
Chazal or Ḥazal is an acronym for the Hebrew "Ḥakhameinu Zikhronam Liv'rakha",...
ic sources, the origination of the Sadducee group initiated in tandem with the Boethusian group, with their founders, Zadok and Boethus, both being individual students of the Antigonus of Sokho
Antigonus of Sokho
Antigonus of Sokho was the first scholar of whom Pharisee tradition has preserved not only the name but also an important theological doctrine. He flourished about the first half of the third century BCE. According to the Mishnah, he was the disciple and successor of Simon the Just...
, who preceded the Zugot era during the Second Temple period
Second Temple period
The Second Temple period , in Jewish history, is the period between 530 BCE and 70 CE, when the Second Temple of Jerusalem existed. It ended with the First Jewish–Roman War and the Temple's destruction....
(Avoth deRabbi Nathan 5:2).
Chazalic literature took a dim view of both the Sadducees and Boethusian groups not only due their perceived carefree approach to keeping to written Torah and oral Torah
Oral Torah
The Oral Torah comprises the legal and interpretative traditions that, according to tradition, were transmitted orally from Mount Sinai, and were not written in the Torah...
law, but also due their attempts to persuade common-folk to join their ranks (Sifri to Deuteronomy)
Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
, in his treatise to Pirkei Avot, views the Sadducees as Gonvei Da'at
Geneivat da'at
Geneivat da'at or g'neivat daat or genebath da'ath is a concept in Jewish law and ethics that refers to a kind of dishonest misrepresentation or deception...
("stealers of knowledge") of the greater Jewish nation and of intentionally negating the Chazalic interpretation of Torah (Torah Shebal Peh Rambam to Avoth chap. 2). Likewise, in his Mishneh Torah
Mishneh Torah
The Mishneh Torah subtitled Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka is a code of Jewish religious law authored by Maimonides , one of history's foremost rabbis...
treatise the Rambam defines the Sadduccees as "Harming Israel and causing the nation to stray from following God" (Hilchoth Avodah Zarah 10:2).
Considering the lack of Chazalic documentary indicating a connection between Zadok the first high priest and Zadok the student of Antignos of Sokho, along with the 13 plus generations between the two Zadok's, Rabbinic figures tend to put a damper on that association. Additional aspects disproving that association include a Chazalic mention that the Sadduccee and Boethusian groups favored using vessels of gold and silver whereas the common vessel usage of priests, to negate transmission of impurity, were typically of stone.
Other theories
Some have speculated that as Zadok does not appear in the text of Samuel until after the conquest of Jerusalem, he was actually a JebusiteJebusite
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Jebusites were a Canaanite tribe who inhabited and built Jerusalem prior to its conquest by King David; the Books of Kings state that Jerusalem was known as Jebus prior to this event...
priest co-opted into the Israelite
Israelite
According to the Bible the Israelites were a Hebrew-speaking people of the Ancient Near East who inhabited the Land of Canaan during the monarchic period .The word "Israelite" derives from the Biblical Hebrew ישראל...
state religion
State religion
A state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
. Harvard Divinity School Professor Frank Moore Cross
Frank Moore Cross
Frank Moore Cross, Jr. is Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages Emeritus at Harvard University, notable for his work in the interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls, his 1973 magnum opus Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic, and his work in Northwest Semitic epigraphy...
refers to this theory as the "Jebusite Hypothesis," criticizes it extensively, but terms it the dominant view among contemporary scholars, in Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel.
Elsewhere in the Bible, the Jebusites are described in a manner that suggests that they worshipped the same God (El Elyon) as the Israelites, in the case of Melchizedek
Melchizedek
Melchizedek or Malki Tzedek translated as "my king righteous") is a king and priest mentioned during the Abram narrative in the 14th chapter of the Book of Genesis....
. Further support for this theory comes from the fact that other Jebusites or residents of pre-Israelite
Israelite
According to the Bible the Israelites were a Hebrew-speaking people of the Ancient Near East who inhabited the Land of Canaan during the monarchic period .The word "Israelite" derives from the Biblical Hebrew ישראל...
Jerusalem bore names invoking the principle or god Zedek
Zedek
Sydyk was the name of a deity appearing in a theogeny provided by Roman era Phoenician writer Philo of Byblos in an account preserved by Eusebius in his Praeparatio Evangelica and attributed to the still earlier Sanchuniathon.-Etymology and role in the Phoenician theogeny:Philo of Byblos gave the...
(Tzedek) (see, e.g., Melchizedek and Adonizedek
Adonizedek
Adonizedek Adonizedek Adonizedek (variously transliterated as Adoni-zedec or Adoni-Zedek (in Hebrew, Adoni-Tzedek) was, according to the Book of Joshua, king of Jerusalem at the time of the Israelite invasion of Canaan...
). Under this theory the Aaronic lineage ascribed to Zadok
Zadok (High Priest)
Zadok , was a priest descended from Eleazar the son of Aaron, who aided King David during the revolt of his son Absalom, and was consequently instrumental in bringing King Solomon to throne...
is a later, anachronistic interpolation.
See also
- Zadok the PriestZadok the PriestZadok the Priest is a coronation anthem composed by George Frideric Handel using texts from the King James Bible. It is one of the four Coronation Anthems that Handel composed for the coronation of George II of Great Britain in 1727,The other Coronation Anthems Handel composed are: The King Shall...
(coronation anthem by George Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
) - List of High Priests of Israel