Editing Aaron's rod

{{Short description|Staves carried by Moses's brother, Aaron, in the Torah}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:Figures Aarons rod budding.jpg|thumb|Aaron's rod budding]]
'''Aaron's rod''' ({{langx|he|מַטֶּה אַהֲרֹן}}) refers to any of the [[walking stick]]s carried by [[Moses]]' brother, [[Aaron]], in the [[Torah]]. The Bible tells how, along with [[Staff of Moses|Moses's rod]], Aaron's rod was endowed with miraculous power during the [[Plagues of Egypt]] that preceded the [[The Exodus|Exodus]]. Later, his rod miraculously sprouted blossoms and [[almond]]s to symbolize God's choice of Aaron and his tribe for holy service.

The flowering staff of Aaron in the biblical narrative may be an [[etiology]] of the [[asherah]] cultic object.<ref>{{cite web |last=Eichler |first=Raanan |title=Aaron’s Flowering Staff: A Priestly Asherah? |url=https://www.thetorah.com/article/aarons-flowering-staff-a-priestly-asherah |website=TheTorah.com |access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref> Aaron’s rod, originally associated with priestly and magical powers, may have been later transferred to Moses in various biblical accounts, demonstrating his authority and divine empowerment.<ref>{{cite book
|author=Thomas Römer
|title=The Relationship between Moses and Aaron and the Question of the Composition of the Pentateuch
|editor=J. Jeon
|series=The Social Groups behind the Pentateuch
|location=Atlanta, GA
|publisher=SBL Press
|pages=67
|url=https://www.academia.edu/68416529/T_Römer_The_Relationship_between_Moses_and_Aaron_and_the_Question_of_the_Composition_of_the_Pentateuch_in_J_Jeon_ed_The_Social_Groups_behind_the_Pentateuch_SBLAIL_43_Atlanta_GA_SBL_Press_55_72
|access-date=2025-01-05
}}</ref>

==Biblical references==
[[File:Tissot The Rod of Aaron Devours the Other Rods.jpg|thumb|[[James Tissot]], ''The Rod of Aaron Devours the Other Rods'']]
In [[Israelites|Israelite]] culture, the rod ({{Langx|he|מַטֶּה}} ''maṭṭeh'') was a natural symbol of authority,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Psalms|2:9|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Psalms|89:33|HE}}; {{Bibleverse|Isaiah|10:24|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Isaiah|11:4|HE}}; {{Bibleverse|Ezekiel|20:37|HE}}.</ref> as the tool used by the [[shepherd]] to correct and guide his [[Herd|flock]].<ref>{{Bibleverse|Psalms|23:4|HE}}.</ref> [[Moses]], in fact, initially carried [[Staff of Moses|his rod]] while tending his sheep,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|4:2|HE}}.</ref> and later it became his symbol of authority over the Israelites.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|4:20|HE}}.</ref>

The rods of both Moses and Aaron were endowed with miraculous power during the [[Plagues of Egypt]].<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|7:17|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Exodus|8:12-13|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Exodus|9:23|HE}}, {{Bibleverse-nb|Exodus|10:13|HE}}.</ref> God commanded Moses to raise his rod over the [[Red Sea]] when [[The crossing of the Red Sea#Narrative|it was to be split]]<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|14:16|HE}}.</ref> and in prayer over Israel in battle;<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|17:9|HE}}.</ref> at [[Meribah]] Moses brought forth water from a stone using his rod.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|17:5–6|HE}}.</ref>

[[File:Hirschvogel The Blossoming of Aarons Rod.jpg|thumb|right|''The Blossoming of Aaron's Rod'', etching by [[Augustin Hirschvogel]]]]
Aaron's rod – perhaps a different rod – reappears in {{Bibleverse|Numbers|16-17|HE}}. Here [[Korah]]'s rebellion against Moses's proclamation of the [[tribe of Levi]] as the [[priesthood]] has been quashed and the entire congregation's ensuing rebellion has resulted in a [[Plague (disease)|plague]], ended only by the intercession of Moses and Aaron. In order to "stop the complaints" of the Israelites, God commands that each of the [[Israelites#Biblical narrative|Twelve Tribes]] provide a rod; and only that of the tribe chosen to become priests will miraculously sprout overnight.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|17:17-20|HE}}.</ref> Aaron provides his rod to represent the tribe of Levi, and "it put forth buds, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds",<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|17:23|HE}}.</ref> as an evidence of the exclusive right to the priesthood of the tribe of Levi. In commemoration of this decision, it was commanded that the rod be stored "before the testimony".<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|17:10|HE}}.</ref>

Aaron's rod is cited as exhibiting miraculous power on its own, when not physically held by its owner. In {{Bibleverse|Exodus|7:10-1|HE}}, Aaron "cast down his rod" and it became a [[serpent (symbolism)|serpent]]. When he does so, the Pharaoh's [[Magician (paranormal)|sorcerer]]s counter by similarly casting down their own rods, which also become serpents, but Aaron's rod swallowed them all. Similarly, in {{Bibleverse|Numbers|17:23|HE}} it sprouted blossoms when not being held.<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia">{{Jewish Encyclopedia|url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=A&artid=5|article=Aaron's rod|year=1906|inline=1}}</ref>

[[File:Sarejevohagadah (Aron's rod).gif|thumb|From the [[Sarajevo Haggadah]]]]
[[File:Schnorr von Carolsfeld Bibel in Bildern 1860 060.png|thumb|right|''Aaron's Staff Buds'', 1860 woodcut by [[Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld]]]][[File:Unicorn annunciation.jpg|thumb|Hunt of the Unicorn Annunciation (c. 1500) from a Netherlandish [[book of hours]]. In the [[hortus conclusus]], [[Gideon]]'s fleece is worked in, and the altar at the rear has Aaron's rod that miraculously flowered in the centre. Both are [[Typology (theology)|types]] for the Annunciation.<ref name="schiller54"/>]]
[[File:Al-Tha`labi - Qisas al-Anbiya - Moses and Aaron.png|thumb|Moses and Aaron conjuring a Dragon which attacks the Magician Servants of the Pharaoh, [[al-Tha'labi]]'s ''[[Qisas al-Anbiya|Stories of the Prophets]]'' in the [[Persian language]]]]

==In Rabbinical literature==
Rabbinic [[midrash]] described attributes of Aaron's rod beyond those in the Biblical text.

It is reported that the rod was made of [[sapphire]], weighed forty seahs (a seah = 10.70 pounds), and bore the inscription דצ״ך עד״ש באח״ב (the initials of the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] names of the [[Ten Plagues]]).<ref>[[Tanhuma]] Vaera 8, ed. Buber.</ref>

God created it in the twilight of the sixth day of Creation,<ref name="pa">[[Pirkei Avot]] 5:9.</ref><ref name="mek">Mekhilta, Beshallaḥ, ed. Weiss, 4:60 (on Exodus 16:33).</ref> and delivered it to [[Adam and Eve|Adam]] when the latter was driven from paradise. After it had passed through the hands of [[Shem]], [[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]], [[Abraham]], [[Isaac]], and [[Jacob]] successively, it came into the possession of [[Joseph (Hebrew Bible)|Joseph]]. On Joseph's death the Egyptian nobles stole some of his belongings, and, among them, [[Jethro (Bible)|Jethro]] appropriated the staff. Jethro planted the staff in his garden, when its marvelous virtue was revealed by the fact that nobody could withdraw it from the ground (compare "[[Excalibur#The Sword in the Stone and the Sword in the Lake|the sword in the stone]]"); even to touch it was fraught with danger to life. This was because the Ineffable Name of God was engraved upon it. When Moses entered Jethro's household he read the Name, and by means of it was able to draw up the rod, for which service [[Zipporah]], Jethro's daughter, was given to him in marriage. Her father had sworn that she should become the wife of the man who should be able to master the miraculous rod and of no other.<ref>[[Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer]] 40; Sefer ha-Yashar; [[Yalkut Shimoni]] Exodus 168, end.</ref>

Aaron's rod, together with its blossoms and fruit, was preserved in the Ark. King [[Josiah]], who foresaw the impending national catastrophe, concealed the Ark and the objects stored with it (Aaron's rod, a vial of [[manna]], and the [[holy anointing oil]]).<ref>[[Tosefta]] Yoma 2:13, Sotah 13:2.</ref> The length of the rod can be determined by the size of the ark of the covenant as stated in Exodus 37:1. The length of the staff would be from 3.75 FT (2.5 cubits) to 4.65 FT because the ark had a length of 3.75 FT (2.5 cuts), a depth of 2.75 FT (1.5 cubits), and a height of 2.5 FT (1.5 cubits). Therefore, the largest length would be the hypotenuse length of 4.65 FT. Assuming, of course, that the cubit length is 18 inches. Their whereabouts will remain unknown until, in the Messianic age, the prophet Elijah shall reveal them.<ref name=mek/>

As discussed, the Bible ascribes similar miraculous powers to rods of Aaron and Moses. One midrash goes a step further, and identifies them as being the same rod:
<blockquote>The rod with which Jacob crossed the Jordan ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|32:11|HE}}) is the same rod which was in Judah's hand ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|38:18|HE}}), which was in Moses's hand ({{Bibleverse|Exodus|4:20|HE}}), which was in Aaron's hand ({{Bibleverse|Exodus|7:10|HE}}), which was in David's hand ({{Bibleverse|1 Samuel|17:40|HE}}). which was in the hand of each king until the destruction of the Temple, when it was hidden. When the Messiah comes it will be given to him for a scepter in token of his authority over the nations.<ref>[[Yalkut Shimoni]], Psalms, 869.</ref></blockquote>

According to one midrash, Moses split a tree trunk into twelve portions, and gave one portion to each tribe. When the Rod of Aaron produced blossoms, the Israelites could not but acknowledge the significance of the token.<ref>[[Numbers Rabbah]] 18:23.</ref> This opinion seemingly assumes that the rod in Korach's rebellion was separate from the rod used for the plagues.<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/>

==Christian use==
[[Hebrews 9:4]] states that Aaron's rod was kept in the [[Ark of the Covenant]].<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/>

The account of the blossoming of Aaron's rod contained in [[Pope Clement I|Clement]]'s [[First Epistle of Clement|first letter to the Corinthians]] (ep. 43) is in haggadic-midrashic style, and may probably be ascribed to Jewish or, more strictly speaking, Jewish-Hellenistic sources. According to that account, Moses placed upon each of the twelve staffs the corresponding seal of the head of a tribe. The doors of the sanctuary were similarly sealed, to prevent anyone from having access to the rods at night.<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/>

The miraculous flowering of the rod was also considered a type of the [[Incarnation of Christ]] and his [[Virgin birth of Jesus|Virgin Birth]], and appears in scenes of the [[Annunciation to Mary]].<ref name="schiller54">{{cite book |last=Schiller |first=Gertrud |title=Iconography of Christian art. Vol.1, Christ's incarnation, childhood, baptism, temptation, transfiguration, works and miracles |author2=Selgman, Janet |publisher=Lund Humphries |year=1971 |volume=1 |location=London, England |page=54 |language=en-uk |oclc=59999963 |author-link=Gertrud Schiller}}</ref>

In the Ethiopian fourteenth-century text of the [[Kebra Nagast]], Aaron's rod is broken in three and probably a symbol of the Trinity: "The rod of Aaron which sprouted after it had become withered though no one watered it with water, and one had broken it in two places, and it became three rods being [originally only] one rod."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Budge (Sir) |first=Ernest Alfred Wallis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MpIGQQAACAAJ |title=The Queen of Sheba & Her Only Son Menyelek: Being the History of the Departure of God & His Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem to Ethiopia, and the Establishment of the Religion of the Hebrews & the Solomonic Line of Kings in that Country : a Complete Translation of the Kebra Nagast with Introduction |date=1922-01-01 |publisher=M. Hopkinson |language=en}}</ref>

== Islamic literature ==
Accounts of Aaron's rod appear in Islamic literature. A depiction from [[al-Tha'labi]]'s (d. 1035, AH 427) [[Qisas al-Anbiya|Stories of the Prophets]] depicts [[Harun]] (Aaron) leaning on his rod, while his brother [[Moses in Islam|Musa]]'s (Moses) [[staff of Moses|staff]] miraculously turned into a snake-dragon to defeat [[Pharaoh]]'s magicians.

== In modern literature ==
[[D. H. Lawrence]] entitled a novel ''[[Aaron's Rod (novel)|Aaron's Rod]]'' in 1922. This book describes a flautist, Aaron Sissons, and his experiences as he journeys through a Europe exhausted by the [[First World War]]. The biblical eponymous reference, with the flute representing a magic rod, is intended to be [[irony|ironic]].

==See also ==
*[[Caduceus]]
*[[Korach (parsha)|Korach]] (the Torah reading in which Aaron's rod blooms)
*[[Nehushtan]]
*[[Ningizzida]]
*[[Rod of Asclepius]]
*[[Margna]] used by Mandaean priests

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/jasher/77.htm Jasher 77] A history of the sapphire stick from Adam to Moses is given in the Book of Jasher.

{{Ark of the Covenant}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aaron's Rod}}
[[Category:Aaron]]
[[Category:Book of Exodus]]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible objects]]
[[Category:Walking sticks]]
[[Category:Ark of the Covenant]]