Moses's older brother (by three years, Exodus 7:7), the first HIGH PRIEST of Israel and head of the priestly line — the Levite family through whom all legitimate sacrifice would run. In Exodus he is Moses's mouthpiece before Pharaoh ('he shall be your spokesman,' Exodus 4:16), his arms held up over the battle with Amalek, and the maker of the golden calf — the one grave failure the text never hides. In Leviticus he comes into his office: 'Aaron's sons, the priests' are the ones who dash the blood and tend the altar-fire in the very first chapter (1:5, 7, 8, 11), and chapters 8–10 ordain him and his sons, then strike two of them (Nadab and Abihu) dead for 'strange fire.' He dies on Mount Hor (Numbers 20:28); his priesthood passes to his son Eleazar and endures as the Aaronic (or Levitical) priesthood, the office the letter to the Hebrews measures against a greater priest 'after the order of Melchizedek.'