{
  "id": "dict_002806",
  "term": "Ithamar",
  "slug": "ithamar",
  "letter": "I",
  "entry_type": "biblical_person",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Ithamar was Aaron’s youngest surviving son and a priest in Israel’s wilderness period.",
  "simple_one_line": "Aaron’s youngest surviving son, Ithamar served as a priest and became the ancestor of a priestly line.",
  "tooltip_text": "Aaron’s youngest surviving son; a priest associated with tabernacle service and later priestly lineage.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Aaron",
    "Eleazar",
    "Nadab",
    "Abihu",
    "Aaronic priesthood",
    "priesthood",
    "tabernacle"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Aaronic priesthood",
    "Eleazar",
    "Eli",
    "Levites",
    "tabernacle worship"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Ithamar is a biblical person, not a theological concept. He was the youngest son of Aaron and one of the two sons who remained after Nadab and Abihu died under God’s judgment. Scripture presents him as serving in priestly and tabernacle-related responsibilities during Israel’s wilderness period.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Aaron’s youngest surviving son and a priest in Israel.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Son of Aaron and brother of Nadab, Abihu, and Eleazar",
    "Served in priestly and tabernacle-related oversight",
    "Later priestly history includes a line associated with Ithamar"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Ithamar was one of Aaron’s sons who survived after the judgment on Nadab and Abihu. He served in priestly and tabernacle-related responsibilities during Israel’s wilderness period, including oversight connected to the Levites’ work. Later priestly history includes a line associated with Ithamar, though the details should be handled with caution.",
  "description_academic_full": "Ithamar is a biblical person, not a theological term. He was the youngest surviving son of Aaron and one of the two sons who remained after Nadab and Abihu died under God’s judgment (Lev. 10). Scripture presents him as serving in priestly and tabernacle-related responsibilities during Israel’s wilderness period, including oversight connected with the Levites’ work (Exod. 38:21; Num. 4:28, 33). Later priestly history includes both the line of Eleazar and a line associated with Ithamar; Eli is commonly understood to belong to Ithamar’s line, though genealogical details should be stated carefully. The entry belongs among biblical people rather than theological concepts.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Ithamar appears in the Pentateuch as one of Aaron’s sons and as a priestly figure in the wilderness administration of Israel. His life is tied to the holiness of priestly service, the judgment on unauthorized worship in Leviticus 10, and the orderly care of the tabernacle in Exodus and Numbers.",
  "background_historical_context": "In Israel’s early history, priestly service was organized through Aaron’s descendants. Ithamar’s name later appears in discussions of priestly divisions in 1 Chronicles 24, showing that his line continued to matter in Israel’s worship life. The historical record is brief, so later reconstructions should remain cautious where Scripture is not explicit.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Later Jewish and historical tradition remembers Ithamar chiefly as an early Aaronide priest and as the ancestor of one of the major priestly lines. Scripture itself gives the core account, while later tradition fills in limited historical context without adding doctrinal authority.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Exod. 6:23",
    "Lev. 10:1-7, 12-16",
    "Exod. 38:21",
    "Num. 4:28, 33",
    "1 Chr. 24:1-6"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Num. 3:2-4",
    "Num. 26:60-61"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew: אִיתָמָר (Iṯāmār). The name is traditionally taken to be related to palms or palm trees, though the exact etymology is not certain.",
  "theological_significance": "Ithamar’s place in the priestly line highlights God’s concern for holy service, covenant order, and continuity in the Aaronic priesthood. His account also shows that priestly office was a matter of divine appointment and stewardship, not personal ambition.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a biblical person, Ithamar illustrates how individual lives are situated within covenant history, family lines, and responsibilities before God. His example underscores that vocation and legacy are received, accountable, and morally weighty.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not overstate details Scripture does not fully supply, especially in later genealogical reconstruction. Eli is commonly associated with Ithamar’s line, but the Bible’s brief data should be handled carefully and without dogmatism where it is silent.",
  "major_views_note": "The main points are not disputed: Ithamar was Aaron’s son and a priest. The only area needing caution is the exact reconstruction of later priestly genealogy, especially the line associated with Eli.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Do not infer salvation, holiness, or spiritual rank merely from priestly lineage. Ithamar’s office reflects divine appointment and covenant service, not automatic moral approval.",
  "practical_significance": "Ithamar’s life points readers to faithful service, reverence in worship, and the importance of handling sacred responsibility with obedience. His example also reminds ministry leaders that legacy can shape later generations.",
  "meta_description": "Ithamar was Aaron’s youngest surviving son and a priest in Israel’s wilderness period, later associated with a priestly line in Israel.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/ithamar/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/ithamar.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}