The groupings by which priests took turns to serve in the temple, especially in the daily sacrifices, both in OT and NT times.
By the time of King David, the number of priests had grown so large that it became necessary to reorganize the priestly clans more effectively. 1 Chron 24 records how David "with the help of Zadok and Ahimelech" reorganized them into 24 divisions for their appointed order of services (v4). By NT time, each division would come up to Jerusalem and take over the duties in the Temple for a week twice a year, in addition to the three major festivals when all eligible priests would be on duty. In this way, e.g., Zechariah found himself on duty "serving as priest before God and he was chosen by lot to go into the temple of the Lord to burn incense" (Lk 1:9). The large number of priests—NT scholar, J. Jeremias (Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus) estimates that there were some 8,000 priests in Palestine about the time of Jesus—meant that each one of them very likely had only one such opportunity to serve in such an appointed duty in a lifetime. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptiser, "who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah" (Lk. 1:5 NIV), was, therefore, struck dumb for his unbelief on the highlight of his career (way to go!).
The house of Hasmon, the leaders in the Maccabean Revolt, belonged to the order of Jehoiarib, the first to take the lot under David (1 Macc 2:1; 1 Chron 24:7). Of his own pedigree, Josephus, the Jewish historian, says, "Now in my case, my ancestry is not merely from priests; it is also from the first day-course of the twenty-four—an enormous distinction, this—and indeed, from the most elite of the divisions within this [course]" (Life of Josephus) This suggests that he belonged to the division of Jehoiarib, but also how far the sense of pride now coloured the priesthood, when 1 Chon 24:5 clearly reported the divisions as "all alike" (NRS). There can be little doubt that the accomplishments of the Hasmoneans had encouraged this sense of elitism among those of the Jehoiarib division. But it also meant that God chose to pick a lowly priest from an otherwise undistinguished priestly division to bring forth the Elijah to "testify concerning the true light."
©ALBERITH
170119lch