High Priets Aaron’s Tomb (Jordan)

High Priets Aaron’s Tomb (Jordan)

The believed place of burial of the Old Testament high priest Aaron is on the Mount Jabal-Harun five kilometers west of Petra, in Jordan. Even at the time of Josephus Flavius Jabal-Harun was identified with the Biblical Mount Hor, the place of Aaron’s Death (“Antiquities of the Jews”), near Petra of Nabataea.

In 1999, the church complex related to the supposed tomb of Aaron was studied by a Finnish archeologist Yaakko Frösen. Remains of a big monastery, a three-nave one-apse basilica of Byzantine times mentioned in a papyrus of VI century as “The House of Aaron,” a chapel with remains of a monument and a well preserved inscription «ΑΑΡΩΝ» in Greek were found.

On the top of the mountain (1336 meters above the sea level) an Islamic sanctuary dedicated to Aaron stood built with what was left of the walls of an earlier Christian temple of the Emperor Justinian epoch.

Aaron — is the first Jewish high priest. Son of Amram and Jochebed out of the tribe of Levi, the older brother of Moses (he was three years older) and his associate at liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery.

High Priets Aaron’s Tomb (Jordan)

Aaron served as Moses’ mouthpiece before Israel and the pharaoh, and worked miracles before the pharaoh. In particular, Aaron’s rod turned into a serpent and then consumed the serpents, into which rods of Egyptian magicians turned. Together with Moses Aaron participated in invoking of the first, second, third and sixth of the ten Egyptian plagues.

He was the first high priest and the establisher of the unique authorized tribe of priests Kohens among the Jews, and the priestly rank became a heritage in his tribe — Korah rebelled against it to no avail being a representative of the Levites together with his associates. Choosing of Aaron was confirmed by God, when Aaron’s rod miraculously blossomed. At the time of service worship Aaron and his sons gave Aaron’s blessing to the people. Aaron was at the same time the supreme judge of Israel as well as a teacher of the people. While Moses was on the Mount Sinai, Aaron was tempted by the people and made for them a golden calf.

High Priets Aaron’s Tomb (Jordan)

In the Bible such traits of Aaron’s character as his skill for reconciliation, meekness and softness are of particular note.

Aaron had four sons, among whom the two oldest — Nadab and Abihu — died during the life of their father by a scorching fire after their disobedience to God; and the office of the high priest was passed down to his third son Eleazar; the youngest one was called Ithamar.

The Lord called Aaron into his service when he was 83. Aaron died at 123 years of age on the fortieth year after the Jews’ exodus from Egypt on Mount Hor near the boundary of Edom, south of Israel, close to an ancient Idumean city of Petra. The people bemoaned Aaron for thirty days.

Among Aaron’s descendants was Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, spoken of in the Gospel of Luke 1:5.