The High priest ‘Cohen Gadol’
According to the Torah and the Hebrew Bible, ‘Cohen’ means ‘devoted, dedicated’. It was the title given to Aaron, the brother of Moses of the tribe of Levi, as well as to all his male descendants.
Those priests were devoted to the service of the Temple of Jerusalem. As members of the Hebrew clergy they carried out the sacrifices, the Blessing of the People of Israel, as well as the implementation of the Divine Law under the authority of The Cohen Gadol (High Priest).
For Yom Kippur, ‘the Day of Atonement’, the Cohen gadol was the only one allowed to meet with God by entering the holy of holies of the Temple, adorned with chains and bells to make sure that in case of emergency, it would be possible to take him out of the holy sanctuary without breaking the law.
The robe of the High Priest ‘Cohen Gadol’ was of the color azure, lined with gold bells and pomegranates, a tiara and a scarf. On his breastplate he wore 12 precious stones – each representing one of the 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 tribes of Israel.
These stones were:
- Ruben the ruby
- Simeon the topaz
- Levi the emerald
- Judah the garnet
- Issachar the sapphire
- Zebulon the diamond
- Dan the opal
- Nephtali the turquoise
- Gad the crystal
- Asher The beryl
- Joseph the onyx
- Benjamin the jasper
Since the destruction of the Temple, the title has continued to be passed on from father to son. In Orthodox Communities, the Cohanim are subject to special rules and laws.
The 12 pectoral stones of the High Priest
Nicole Samuel 