chief priest
Sanctuary's leading cleric
Chief priest is the principal religious leader of a temple, cult, or religious community—the one who presides over sacrifices, rituals, and other sacred duties.
The term appears frequently in biblical contexts, where the chief priest (or high priest) held supreme authority over Jewish worship: The chief priests plotted against Jesus.
In ancient religions generally, the chief priest served as intermediary between the people and their gods.
- templeSacred worship structure
- Holy of HoliesTemple's innermost sacred chamber
- altarSacred ritual table
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
- burnt offeringSacrifice consumed by flames
scapegoat ritual · vestments · incense · holy · sacred · sacred duty · ritual · Caiaphas · Sanhedrin · Aaron · tabernacle · breastplate · anoint · blessing · sanctuary · ceremonial · robes · intercession
- Hebrew PriestsAaron, Eli, Ezra, Caiaphas, Annas
- Shinto shrinestorii, torii gate, jinja, haiden, main hall
- temple priests
- ritual officialsofficiant, celebrant, hierophant, abbot, abbess
- traditional religionancestors, ancestral spirits, deities, rituals, sacrifices
- ancient clergyflamen, pontifex, vestal, augur, druid
chief priestking
Male crowned ruler
emperor · civil authority · politician · magistrate · governor
chief priestlayperson
Non-specialist or unordained person
layman · laywoman · lay minister · congregant · parishioner
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