es served in the
temple, should not "incur an uncleanness at the death" of anyone
except of those who were closely related to them, viz. their father
or mother, and others thus near of kin to them. But the high-priest
had always to be ready for the service of the sanctuary; wherefore he
was absolutely forbidden to approach the dead, however nearly related
to him. They were also forbidden to marry a "harlot" or "one that has
been put away," or any other than a virgin: both on account of the
reverence due to the priesthood, the honor of which would seem to be
tarnished by such a marriage: and for the sake of the children who
would be disgraced by the mother's shame: which was most of all to be
avoided when the priestly dignity was passed on from father to son.
Again, they were commanded to shave neither head nor beard, and not
to make incisions in their flesh, in order to exclude the rites of
idolatry. For the priests of the Gentiles shaved both head and beard,
wherefore it is written (Bar 6:30): "Priests sit in their temples
having their garments rent, and their heads and beards shaven."
Moreover, in worshipping their idols "they cut themselves with knives
and lancets" (3 Kings 18:28). For this reason the priests of the Old
Law were commanded to do the contrary.

The spiritual reason for these things is that priests should be
entirely free from dead works, i.e. sins. And they should not shave
their heads, i.e. set wisdom aside; nor should they shave their
beards, i.e. set aside the perfection of wisdom; nor rend their
garments or cut their flesh, i.e. they should not incur the sin of
schism.
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QUESTION 103

OF THE DURATION OF THE CEREMONIAL PRECEPTS
(In Four Articles)

We must now consider the duration of the ceremonial precepts: under
which head there are four points of inquiry:

(1) Whether the ceremonial precepts were in existence before the Law?

(2) Whether at the time of the Law the ceremonies of the Old Law had
any power of justification?

(3) Whether they ceased at the coming of Christ?

(4) Whether it is a mortal sin to observe them after the coming of
Christ?
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FIRST ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 103, Art. 1]

Whether the Ceremonies of the Law Were in Existence Before the Law?

Objection 1: It would seem that the ceremonies of the Law were in
existence before the Law. For sacrifices and holocausts were
ceremonies of the Old Law, as stated above (Q. 101, A. 4)