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According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron (/ ˈ ɛər ən / AIR-ən or / ˈ ær ən / ARR-ən) was a Jewish prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Information about Aaron comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament (Luke, Acts, and Hebrews), and the Quran.
As documented in the Torah, Aaron ( Aharon in Hebrew) was the son of Amram and Yocheved, and the elder brother of Miriam and Moses—the prophet chosen by G‑d to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and communicate the Torah to them in the desert. Read: Moses: The Greatest Prophet.
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.
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.
He was 83 years old when God summoned him to join Moses in the desert near Horeb. Cooperating with his brother in the exodus from Egypt, Exodus 4:1-16:36, he held up his hands in the battle with Amalek, Exodus 17:1-16; and ascended Mount Sinai with him to see the glory of God, Exodus 24:1 ,2,9-11.
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.
