Shoftim (Part 2) - Deut 16:18-21:9

The Power of the Priesthood

In verses 17:8-12 we read about an incompetent judge who cannot arrive at a decision, and so he brings the people having the argument (and, perhaps, the witnesses), before someone far more capable and powerful to make that judgement.

And if someone doesn't like the judgement, there's no higher court to go to. And if that person refuses to accept it, then he or she is put to death. To refuse is considered an evil within Israel's midst.

So who is this high and mighty person who has so much power? 

It's the priest.

But not just any priest, but a priest from the tribe of Levi!

"But wait?! Aren't all priests from the tribe of Levi?"

Well, during the period of this story, yes. But much later, that wasn't always the case. (See Judges 17:5, 2 Samuel 8:18, 1 Chron. 18:17, etc.). Many apologists try to render "Kohain" into something less official because of these references. Yet many Christians are willing to have the Messiah be a priest who is not a Levite, citing Psalm 110:4. 

So there is this special expression that you can scan for, which speaks of Levitical Priests, which is הכהנים הלוים, or "HaKohanim HaLevi'im", which renders the second word as a modifier of the first.

This expression occurs more than 80 times in the Tanach, of which 5 are in the Book of Deuteronomy (17:9, 17:18, 18:1, 24:8, and 27:9).

The very idea was not even considered in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, or Numbers.

And so, by saying, "You will come to the Levitical Priests...who will be there in those days..." is akin to saying, "You must not come to a priest who is not a Levite...in those days...".

So the Deuteronomist was a supporter of the Aaronoid Priests, supported their absolute power, and was against giving such power to the non-Levitical priests who would either existed during his time, or had existed.

This, of course, sets the authorship of Deuteronomy much later than literalists are willing to accept.

And as I noted in the previous blog post, the Deuteronomist was well aware of the stories in Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles.

It's not a problem if you see Deuteronomy as literature that was authored about 2500 years ago.

It's only a problem if you see Deuteronomy as having been authored by Moses.