The Cohen Quiz

Answer: Priest

Cohen means priest, and originally the priesthood was strictly inherited in this way. Nowadays any Jew can qualify as a rabbi but Cohanim (the plural) still have certain unique privileges and duties within the religion overall.

Answer: Aaron

The first appointed priest was Aaron, the brother of Moses (Exodus 28-29). His descendants have gone on to become Cohanim in each generation since. However, the status has been described as one of service rather than one of authority.

Answer: Paternal grandfather

Although Judaism itself comes through the mother (which has not always been the case), the Cohen line comes through the father as it is tribal. Therefore only the father's father's status can determine the child's. It doesn't help me as although my lineage has twice as much of the gene as some Cohanim, it came through both my grandmothers.

Answer: Khan

Khan means the same as the other variations, but is the Islamic spelling for Kahn. Kaplan is German (Chaplain in English, hence priest), Kagan is Russian as they use a G for H which is not used in Russian. That is their version of Kahan or Kahane which is another European version, among various others.

Answer: Levi

Aaron, the first appointed Cohen, was the great grandson of Levi, and as such all Cohanim are also Levites but not the other way round. Therefore all other members of the Levites are secondary priests and teachers who assist the Cohanim. Levites continue to have their own religious regulations as do Cohanim. The Israel status is confirmed on all other Jews who are not Levites.

Under Jewish law every man who has been bar-mitzvahed (usually at 13 but can take any time after if missed) is equally entitled to take a service, although not to carry out many other official duties either of a rabbi, a Cohen or Levi.

Answer: Making sacrifices

As well as their rights Cohanim also have a number of restrictions, designed to protect their holy status from defilement. As such they are not allowed to marry divorcees, converts or prostitutes, although if they do the marriage is considered valid but the children lose their Cohen status.

Strangely enough although contact with the dead is forbidden (within the specific scope of the restrictions defining 'contact') the causing of death was restricted to the Cohanim. Maimonides argued the reason for restricting this role was to reduce the number of Jewish animal sacrifices, which was in fact the result. Nowadays it is restricted only to Kapparot, the ritual slaughter of a chicken during Yom Kippur. This is then given to the poor.

There are complex rules about contact with the dead or their organs, which are basically that they cannot enter the direct vicinity of a corpse, although if it is not Jewish the Cohen is only not allowed to touch it directly. They can only attend funerals of their close relatives, otherwise they stay in a separate room screened from the main service. Cohanim are also buried on a separate plot as they and their descendants are not permitted to enter a cemetery.

Again, practicality has meant special areas set aside for Cohanim in cemeteries both for burial and attending the service which is usually carried out in the cemetery chapel. As with most Jewish rules necessity is nearly always an exception, so if there is no one else around to bury a body then they are allowed, and also the leader of a Jewish academy (called a nassi) can uniquely be buried by a Cohen.

Answer: No

This rule has no exceptions unlike many of the others. The protection from defilement is from all divorced women, and if your own wife becomes a divorcee this status overrules any other. As mentioned already this does not make such a marriage impossible but will end the line of Cohen status for the children and their descendants.

It also explains the incidence of some non-Jews with the surname of course.

Answer: The destruction of the Second Temple

The destruction of the Second Temple in 70CE meant the Jews lost their seat of religion, and as a result the many duties associated with the Temple which were restricted to Cohanim no longer existed. Depending on how orthodox the particular movement is some specific religious rites are still assigned to Cohanim, but are not necessities since the destruction of the Temple.

Answer: True

Although Jews are all across the world, and further divided into Sephardi, the minority from around the Mediterranean, and Ashkenazi, mainly from Eastern Europe, Cohanim have been tested and found to have a common gene. Regardless of Middle-Eastern or European appearances, they have found the common origin did in fact preserve a specific gene passed on to each generation.
188 Jewish males were tested by the original theorist, Dr Karl Skorecki, himself a Cohen, and the Cohanim found to have a 98.5% incidence of the gene, whereas the others had far lower. The chances of this happening by chance were 10,000 to one.

Further tests since have confirmed over 80% of Cohanim to have the gene, whereas all other Jews tested had under a third. As all daughters of Cohanim do not pass on the status but do the gene, it can also be present within the remainder of the Jewish population.

Answer: Primacy of carrying out duties

Cohanim have the right to turn down any request for menial duties. Their three honours where they take primacy (although they are free not to take it) are taking the first prayer in synagogue, (followed by the Levis), making the first blessing (for instance over food), where if a Cohen is present they will be asked first to say it, and being offered the first portion of food. Prior to the destruction of the Second Temple and loss of associated religious duties all Levites were also allowed to take tithes from other Jews as they were not given their own land so were given part of their wealth from those in Israel who did.