Aaron is appointed high priest (Exodus 28:1-43)

Aaron was the older brother of Moses and Israel’s first high priest. He served as Moses’ spokesperson and played a key role in leading the Israelites out of Egypt.

According to the Book of Exodus, God himself told Moses to appoint Aaron as the first high priest. This special role involved acting as mediator between the people and God. Once a year, the high priest entered the holiest part of the Temple, the Holy of Holies. This was where the Ark of the Covenant, a wooden chest containing sacred items, was kept.

Entering the sanctuary, the high priest took with him the blood of sacrificed animals, to atone for the sins of the people. For the ceremony, he wore holy vestments that matched the materials that decorated the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:1-34).

Aaron’s sons – and their male descendants – were appointed as regular priests. Their role was to worship God in the Temple on a daily basis, offering a series of animal and grain sacrifices. After the Exodus from Egypt but long before the Temple was built, Aaron and his sons began all these rituals  (Leviticus 9:1-24).

Although Scripture describes Aaron as a “holy man”, he did have flaws. For example, he led the Israelites in worshipping a golden calf instead of God. Along with his sister Miriam, he also later questioned the authority of Moses. Because he lacked trust in God at a critical moment, he did not survive long enough to enter the Promised Land. After his death, the role of high priest was passed on to one of his sons, Eleazar.

The New Testament explains that Aaron’s role as high priest paved the way for Christ, who was to be the mediator between God and all people – not just Israel. The Book of Hebrews goes into detail about how Christ became the eternal high priest by his death on the cross, discontinuing the priesthood of Aaron in the process (Hebrews 7:11-9:28).

This stained glass window of Aaron in his glorious priestly robes is found in Cathedral of Our Lady and St Philip Howard, in Arundel. Stylistically, it seems to be the work of Nathaniel Westlake and Hardman & Co, who produced other stained glass for the cathedral. The image is based on a passage from the book of Exodus, which describes Aaron’s priestly vestments (28:1-43).

Aaron is pictured wearing a turban with the world ‘holiness’ on it, as God had commanded. He is also wearing a breastplate of twelve precious stones, symbolising the twelve tribes of Israel. Above and below this image are smaller scenes of the Ark of the Covenant and Aaron offering sacrifice.

See the full image:

Detail of the angels on the Ark of the Covenant:

Detail of Aaron offering sacrifice:

Where to find this work of art
Cathedral of Our Lady and St Philip Howard, Arundel

Read the relevant passage
Exodus 28:1-43

On a similar theme

• From the Old Testament: Aaron was also the brother of Miriam, who together with Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt.
• From the New Testament: Aaron’s priestly descendent, St Zechariah, was the father of St John the Baptist.