In the previous article, I have mentioned that the priest was an important person in the society and one belonged to the highest social class. So what actually did a priest in general do besides helping the kings and nobles rule the country?

In Mesoamerica, the high priest also had the job of carrying out religious ceremonies in temples and writing sacred books. He also had to teach other priests the method of keeping ancient calendars, how to cure the sick, write with hieroglyphs, study the stars and record what they understood and predict the future. In addition, the priests had to pursue intellectual studies so that they would be wise and knowledgeable. Thus, they were well respected by the people.

In Mesopotamia, the priest was in charge of dividing the farmers into groups to farm and take care of the land. He also ensured that the crops that they grew, such as barley, beans, and wheat were harvested and distributed among the people. In Egypt, the priests were in charge of making a record of their kings, or pharaohs and marking the most significant happenings of their reigns. In India, the priests performed religious ceremonies, interpreted the Vedas and also charged the farmers a fee for storing their grains in the great granary, of which these fees served as a source of income for the priests.

Thus, we can see how important the priest was in each of the different ancient civilisations. However, in today's society, do the priests still enjoy such high status like those in the ancient times? How actually is the priest of today different? In present-day India, priests are generally the heads of mosques, temples or churches, or any highly religious people. They are still well respected by the public as they are the ones who perform religious ceremonies for the people. However, in many countries all over the world, where Christianity is one of the dominating religions, the priests do have any special status as all Christians are seen to be equal before God in one "priesthood of all believers."

The role of a priest today, in general, is to perform religious rites such as baptism and to witness a marriage between a man and a woman. He also perform sermons and act as missionaries in spreading his religion to people all over the world. A priest in the modern world is not, in general, involved in politics, but rather, devotes himself to taking care of the people in the society and helping them in anyway he can. Thus, he is seen more as a friend and advisor in the eyes of his fellow men instead of a leader or a person of high authority as in the past.

So, would being a priest in the past, with all the status and respect he commanded of the public as ruler of the country and religious leader, be much better off than the priest of today, who has the same status as everyone else but who involves himself socially instead?

Indian Priest-king

Priests of the Greek Orthodox Church lead an Easter procession on the island of Patmos.