Aaron in Egypt
Aaron was the great-grandson of Levi (Ex. 6:16-20) the oldest son of Amram and Jochebed from the tribe of Levi. He was the brother of Moses and Miriam, being three years older than the great law-giver (Ex. 6:20; 7:7; Num. 26:59); born probably around 1574 B.C. Aaron is first mentioned in Exodus 4:14 during the account of Moses’ vision of the burning bush when Moses recognized his lack of persuasive speech. When bringing this concern before God, he was informed by the Lord that Aaron possessed this faculty and would speak on his behalf. Aaron then would regularly appear with Moses before the Egyptian Pharoah, performing miracles by Moses’ command to confounded Pharaoh and his magicians (Ex. 7:8, etc). Moses was eighty and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh (Ex. 7:7)
Aaron in the Wilderness
Later, during the absence of Moses in Midian, Aaron married Elisheba (or Elizabeth) the daughter of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah (Ex. 6:23), Elisheba would bear him four sons — Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Eleazar later became the father of Phinehas before Moses returned (Ex. 6:23-25). In Exodus 17:8-13, Aaron and Hur were the ones who held up Moses’ hands during Joshua’s battle with Amalek. When Israel was camped at Mt. Sinai, Aaron, his four sons, and seventy elders went part way up the mountain with Moses when he received the tables of the law (Ex. 24:1, 2, 9-11). When Moses returned from the mount Aaron was the one who made the Golden Calf (Ex. 32:1-4).
Aaron the High Priest
Despite the Golden Calf incident, Aaron and his sons were consecrated and anointed priests and Aaron was the first to occupy the position of high-priest and continued to hold the office for around forty years. (Lev. 8:12) Aaron’s priesthood was confirmed by the blossoming of the rod in Numbers 17:1-10. As the High Priest, he alone was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, once a year. (Lev. 16:2, 34). Soon after becoming high-priest, his two sons, Nadab and Abihu, were struck dead for conducting the ceremonies with foreign fire on the altar. (Lev. 10:1, 2). Subsequently, (likely around 1452 B.C.), an unsuccessful conspiracy was formed against Moses, Aaron, and his sons by the important chiefs: Korah from the tribe of Levi, and Dathan, Abiram and On from the tribe of Reuben (Num. 16:1-19, 35, 40; Num. 26:9, 10).
The Death of Aaron
Aaron, like Moses, was not permitted to enter the Promised Land, because of the distrust shown when the rock was struck at Meribah (Num. 20:8-13). Obeying the divine mandate, Aaron, with Moses, and his son Eleazar, ascended into Mt. Hor so that he could transfer his priestly office to Eleazar there and then die. (Num. 20: 23-29) Aaron died at the age of 123, dying around 1451 B.C. (Num. 33:39) In Deut. 10:6, Aaron is reported to have died at Mosera, and to have been buried there. Mosera Is not on Mt. Hor, apparently, but appears near, because Numbers 33:31-37 speaks of seven travel stages between Moseroth (or Mosera) and Mt. Hor. After his death, The Israelites mourned Aaron for thirty days. The Arabs still show the traditional site of his grave, which, in the time of Eusebius, was reputed to be situated in Petra, in the modem Wadi Mousa. In Psa. 106:16, Aaron is remembered as, “The Saint of the Lord.”