I don't mean this to be a question for Christians to answer that it is Jesus or the Pope.
The reason I ask has to do with violence in the Middle East, to know whether or not the office still exists and if not what or rather who is the closest thing to it.
kaganate
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The office exists - but no High Priest is annointed without there being anything for him to do.
Until Jews are able to perform services on the Temple Mount, there is nothing for the High Priest to do.
Note to other posts -- the Jewish priests (the Cohanim, descendents of Aaron)
do most certainly exist today.
But they have very limited local roles in the synagogue and community.
There is no single national place of service for the whole Jewish people - and thus none of them are appointed as High Priest.
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How does this question relate to the violence in the Middle East?
Israel today is a secularly governed state.
In any case, the High Priest's role never included a military component.
In fact, when Pompey broke into the temple, he recounts with amazement that the priests completely ignored the Roman soldiers -- even as soldiers slaughtered them at their service.
The Jewish law has a division of authority in social roles --
the priests carry on worship services,
the king (or other executive) is the leader of the armed forces and coordinates with the legislature and judiciary,
then there is also the legislature and judiciary - which makes and enforces law (a law that the king is subject to as well)
Mark S, JPAA
No there isn't. As noted, the priestly organization existed only while the Temple was standing in Jerusalem because their purpose was to attend to Temple duties. When the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70, the priestly organization vanished.
Anonymous
Not at the moment, but as soon as there is a temple again in Jerusalem there will be.
BUT Yehoshua Ha Mashiach when He returns will be the High Priest and King of Israel from Yerushalayim!!
Ishtar
No. There will not be a High Priest until/unless the Temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt.
Possum
No. There were only Jewish priests when the Temple existed in Jerusalem. It hasn't existed in 2,000 years.