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According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron [note 1] ( / ˈɛərən / AIR-ən or / ˈærən / ARR-ən) [2] was a Jewish prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses.
We read that “Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh,” 1 which tells us that Aaron was older than Moses by three years. (It also tells us that it is never too late to embark on a new career).
Aaron was the traditional founder and head of the Israelite priesthood, who, with his brother Moses, led the Israelites out of Egypt. The figure of Aaron as it is now found in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, is built up from several sources of traditions.
The two brothers were already old men–Aaron was 83 years old, and Moses was 80–when Pharaoh finally yielded to their request, and let the Israelites go. After the march out of Egypt, Aaron was no longer a central figure in the events but only a secondary player at Moses’ side.
As the older brother of Moses, Aaron played a major role in the Jews' escape from Egypt and their wanderings in the desert for 40 years. Aaron acted as Moses' spokesman to Pharaoh in Egypt, because Moses complained to God that he could not do it himself, being slow of speech.
Aaron the High Priest (Aharon Hakohen) was the first high priest of the Israelites, as recorded in the Hebrew Bible. He was born in Egypt and served in the Tabernacle throughout most of the 40 years that the Jews traveled through the desert.
