Friday, October 17, 2008

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: The priestly blessing at the Western Wall:
Thousands attend priestly blessing
By JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP

Thousands of Jews participated in the priestly blessing, or Birkat Cohanim, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Thursday.

Birkat Ha'Cohanim at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

The Cohanim, believed to be descendants of priests who served God in the first and second Jewish Temple before they were destroyed, perform a blessing ceremony of the Jewish people once a year during the festival of Sukkot.

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There's video.

As the article notes, this blessing is also the earliest biblical text to be attested in an ancient inscription (the Ketef Hinnom silver amulets).