Among the first books to approach the role of the Old Testament priesthood with a critical eye, Baudissin here presents a history of the institution. Dividing the biblical material according to the emerging documentary hypothesis, he first looks at the place of the priesthood in the priestly writings in the Pentateuch. A chapter is dedicated to the role of the priesthood in the Yahwistic material of the Pentateuch, and the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Ezekiel. The understanding of the priesthood in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah also receives extensive attention. Briefer reference is made to the institution in the historical books, the remaining prophets, and the poetical books. A classic in the exploration of the official religious life in biblical Israel, this book classifies and examines separately the various forms that priesthood took in the ancient world. Long out of print and increasingly difficult to find, this study continues to be cited for its insights into the sacerdotal life of Israelite priests.

Wolf Wilhelm Friedrich Graf von Baudissin (1874-1926) was a German biblical scholar. His education included the Universities of Erlangen, Heidelberg, Berlin, Leipzig, and Kiel. He served as a professor in Strassburg and Marburg before moving on the become Rector of the Humboldt University in Berlin.