In rabbinic literature, Moses is
clearly understood as high priest. Exodus Rabbah states ‘Our sages have
said that Moses ministered as High Priest all the forty years that Israel was
in the wilderness, but others hold that he only did so during the seven days of
the consecration of the tabernacle’ (37.1). Rabbinic debate appears concerned
with the fact that Moses presided as priest for the seven-day inauguration of
the Aaronic priesthood (Targum Pseudo-Jonathan reflects this tradition).
This being the case, the discussion focuses on whether Moses subsequently lost
the priesthood to his brother or whether he continued as high priest for the
rest of his life. The names of his brother or whether he continued as high
priest for the rest of his life. The names of R. Eleazar b. R. Judah and R.
Helbo occur in discussion of these traditions. See, for example, Leviticus
Rabbah 11:6; Canticles Rabbah 1:7; Exodus Rabbah 2:6; 3:17,
37:1; Midrash on the Psalms 99:4 on 99:6. For rabbis who deny Moses’
priesthood, see Genesis Rabbah 55:6 (cf. Exodus Rabbah 2:6); Deuteronomy
Rabbah 2:7 on 3:24. . . . regarding rabbinic literature [the] only point of
contention was whether Moses’ priesthood passed to Aaron or whether he
continues to hold the position, finding ‘The Mosaic priesthood itself is
(virtually) uncontested.’ (Sarah Whittle, Covenant Renewal and the
Consecration of the Gentiles in Romans [Society for New Testament Studies
Monograph Series 161; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015], 170 n. 57)
