Attendants of Yahweh's House: Priesthood in the Old Testament ∗

Priests have been the target of such sustained attacks in modern theology, philosophy, sociology and biblical studies that a thorough reconsideration of the meaning of priestly ministry is required. Common scholarly descriptions of priests as mediators, sacrificial experts, oracular consultants or sanctuary guardians fail to encompass all the biblical data. Arguing from ancient Near Eastern parallels, the usage of in conjunction with and , and the usage of these verbs in non-liturgical contexts, this article concludes that priests are essentially ‘personal attendants to Yahweh in his house’ and briefly underscores the significance of priesthood for ecclesiology and a theology of vocation.