Priestly caste

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In certain societies, particularly nomadic and tribal a priestly caste is a social group responsible for officiating over sacrifices, leading prayers and other religious functions.

In some cases, as with the Brahmins of Vedic India and the Kohanim and Levites of ancient Israel, the caste was a hereditary one, with a person's position as a priest depending on his biological descent. In other cases, as with the Druids of the Celtic world and the shamans of ancient Eurasian nomads, the position within the caste may have depended more upon apprenticeship; the exact nature of the "caste" in these cases is difficult to ascertain due to our lack of primary sources.