Priest

===Judaism===
[[File:Synagoge, Enschede, Mozaiek.jpg|thumb|left|Kohanim's hands: [[Priestly Blessing]] gesture depicted on a mosaic in the synagogue of [[Enschede]]]]
{{Main|Kohen}}

====Historical====
{{Main|Priesthood (ancient Israel)}}
After [[the Exodus|the departure of the Israelites from Egypt]], priests in [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|ancient Israel]] were required by the [[Law of Moses]] to be direct [[patrilineal descent|patrileneal descendants]] of [[Aaron]], the elder brother of [[Moses]]. In Exodus 30:22–25 [[JHWH|God]] instructs Moses to make a [[holy anointing oil|holy anointing-oil]] to consecrate the priests "for all of eternity". During the times of the two Jewish [[Temple in Jerusalem |Temples in Jerusalem]], the Aaronic priests performed the daily and special [[Jewish holiday|Jewish-holiday]] offerings and sacrifices within the temples; these offerings are known as the ''[[korbanot]]''.

In Hebrew, the word for "priest" is ''[[kohen]]'' (singular כהן ''kohen'', plural כּהנִים ''kohanim''), hence the family names [[Cohen (surname)|''Cohen'']], ''[[Cahn]]'', ''[[Kahn]]'', ''[[Kohn]]'', ''[[Kogan]]'', etc. Jewish families with these names belong to the [[tribe of Levi]] ([[Levites]] - descended from [[Levi]], the great-grandfather of Aaron) and in twenty-four instances are called by scripture as such.<ref>[[Jerusalem Talmud]] to [[Mishna]]ic tractate Maaser Sheini p.&nbsp;31a.</ref>{{Request quotation|date=January 2023}} In Hebrew, the word for "priesthood" is ''kehunnah''.

The Hebrew word ''kohen'' comes from the [[Hebrew root|root]] KWN/KON כ-ו-ן 'to stand, to be ready, established'<ref name=":0">
{{cite book |last=Even-Shoshan |first=Avraham |title=Even-Shoshan Dictionary |year=2003 |pages=Entry "כֹּהֵן" (Kohen)}}</ref> in the sense of "someone who stands ready before God",<ref>{{cite web |title=Klein Dictionary, כֹּהֵן |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Klein_Dictionary,_כֹּהֵן |access-date=2020-08-01 |website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref> and has cognates in other [[Semitic languages]], e.g. [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] [[Tabnit sarcophagus#Inscription|KHN 𐤊𐤄𐤍 "priest"]] or [[Arabic]] ''kahin'' كاهن "priest".

====Modern Judaism====
{{See also|List of disqualifications for the Jewish priesthood}}
Since the [[destruction of the Second Temple]], and (therefore) the cessation of the daily and seasonal temple ceremonies and sacrifices, [[kohanim]] have become much less prominent. In traditional Judaism ([[Orthodox Judaism]] and to some extent, [[Conservative Judaism]]) a few priestly and [[Levitical]] functions, such as the ''[[pidyon haben]]'' (redemption of a first-born son) ceremony and the [[Priestly Blessing]], have been retained. Especially in Orthodox Judaism, kohanim remain subject to a number of restrictions concerning matters related to marriage and [[tumah and taharah|ritual purity]].

[[Orthodox Judaism]] regard the kohanim as being held in reserve for a future [[Third Temple|restored Temple]]. Kohanim do not perform roles of propitiation, sacrifice, or sacrament in any branch of [[Rabbinical Judaism]] or in [[Karaite Judaism]]. The principal religious function of any kohanim is to perform the [[Priestly Blessing]], although an individual kohen may also become a [[rabbi]] or other professional religious leader.

=====Beta Israel=====
The traditional [[Beta Israel]] community in Israel had little direct contact with other Jewish groups after the destruction of the temple and developed separately for almost two thousand years. While some Beta Israel now follow Rabbinical Jewish practices, the Ethiopian Jewish religious tradition ([[Haymanot]]) uses the word [[Kahen]] to refer to a type non-hereditary cleric.