Aabed-El ben Asher ben Matzliach (

Samaritan Hebrew Samaritan Hebrew () is a reading tradition used liturgically by the Samaritans for reading the Ancient Hebrew language of the Samaritan Pentateuch, in contrast to Tiberian Hebrew among the Jews. For the Samaritans, Ancient Hebrew ceased to be a ...

: ''ʾĀbədʾēl ban ʾĀ̊šər ban Maṣlīyaʾ''; born 1935 in

Nablus Nablus ( ; ar, نابلس, Nābulus ; he, שכם, Šəḵem, ISO 259-3: ; Samaritan Hebrew: , romanized: ; el, Νεάπολις, Νeápolis) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a populati ...

, is the current

Samaritan High Priest The Samaritan High Priest is the high priest (''kohen gadol'') of the remaining Samaritan community in the Levant. According to Samaritan tradition, the office has existed continuously since the time of Aaron, the brother of Moses, and has been ...

. He assumed office on April 19, 2013. According to Samaritan tradition, he is the 133rd high priest since

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

and in accordance with Samaritan custom, upon his death, the office automatically transfers to the oldest surviving descendant of

Ithamar In the Torah, Ithamar () was the fourth (and the youngest) son of Aaron the High Priest."Ithamar", ''Encyclopaedia Biblica'' Following the construction of the Tabernacle, he was responsible for recording an inventory to ensure that the constructed ...

. Aabed-El is married and has two sons and two daughters. A successful business man, Aabed-El is the grandson of

Matzliach ben Phinhas ben Yitzhaq ben Shalma Matzliach ben Phinhas ben Yitzhaq ben Shalma was the 122nd Samaritan High Priest from 1933-1943 He was succeeded by his brother Abisha III ben Phinhas ben Yitzhaq ben Shalma, both of them being members of the clan of Phinhas, descendants of Phinha ...

, who was Samaritan high priest from 1933 to 1943.

References

Living people 1935 births Samaritan high priests People from Nablus Samaritans {{Reli-bio-stub