Priesthood

In Judaism, priests are believed to be the descendants of Aaron. In the Bible, they are charged with doing the ritual work in the Mishkan and later the Temples, under the leadership of a high priest. In Temple times, priests were also entitled to certain gifts and portions of sacrifices. Today, some people of priestly descent recite a special blessing in the synagogue and are careful to avoid contact with corpses, among other responsibilities and restrictions. The Hebrew word for priest is kohen.