Presbyter

See next article; and articles DEACON, ELDER.

By: Richard Gottheil, Samuel Krauss

From the time of Moses down to the Talmudic period the "zeḳenim" (elders) are mentioned as constituting a regular communal organization, occasionally under the Greek name Gerusia. But the term "presbyter" (πρεσβύτερος) is found nowhere before the beginnings of Christianity, though it must have been current before that time, for the Christian institution of the presbyters was undoubtedly taken directly from Judaism (Grätz, "Gesch." 3d ed., iv. 80). In a list of officials of a Jewish community in Cilicia, archisynagogues, priests (ἱερεύς = "kohen"), presbyters ("zeḳenim"), and "azanites" ("ḥazzanim") are mentioned, and if the source (Epiphanius, "Hæres." xxx. 4) gives the sequence correctly, the presbyters were actually officials, like the azanites, and did not hold merely honorary offices in the community.

Their status, therefore, would correspond approximately to the position which presbyters occupy in the Christian Church. It may be assumed, however, that they stood in rank next to the archisynagogues, with whom elsewhere they are actually identified ("Codex Theodosianus," xvi. 8, 14—"archisynagogi sive presbyteri Judæorum"). In another passage (ib. xvi. 8, 2) they are identified with the patriarchs; in another (ib. xvi. 8, 13) the following sequence occurs: archisynagogue, patriarch, presbyter; finally ("Justiniani Novellæ," cxlvi., § 1), they are ranked with the "archipherecites" and teachers. "Presbyter" corresponds to the Latin "seniores" ("Codex Justiniani," i. 9, 15). Thus it appears that there is no uniformity even in the official designations.

The title of "presbyter" occurs frequently on Jewish tombstones of the Hellenistic diaspora—for instance, at Smyrna ("C. I. G." No. 9897), Corycus ("R. E. J." x. 76), Bithynia (ib. xxvi. 167), and in the catacombs of Venosa (Ascoli, p. 60); three times it was given to women (Ascoli, p. 49). The word has become in many European languages a general designation for "priest"; and in this sense it is also found in Jewish works of the Middle Ages (e.g., = "Prester John").

Bibliography:

Fabricius, Bibliographia Antiquaria, pp. 447-457, Hamburg, 1713;

Schürer, Gesch. 3d ed., ii. 177.

PRESBYTER (Gr. presbyteros, ‘elder’).—The word occurs only once in EV [Note: English Version.] , viz. as a RV [Note: Revised Version.] marginal alternative for ‘elders’ in Act 20:17; the Gr. presbyteros, which is of frequent occurrence, being otherwise invariably rendered ‘elder.’ In this case the Revisers doubtless put ‘presbyters’ In the margin because the passage furnishes one of the leading proofs for the identity of the presbyter or elder with the bishop or overseer (cf. Act 20:17 with Act 20:28). For treatment of the subject of the presbyter, see art. Bishop.

J. C. Lambert.

(Greek: presbyteros, elder)

In the early Church, member of a college which advised the bishop, who was himself called a presbyter; this group formed the presbytery, the governing body of the community. Outside of this presbytery, a presbyter had no official duties as an individual. He could, however, be commissioned and deputed by the bishop to perform duties much like those of a priest, as baptizing, preaching, celebrating Mass, etc. As a member of the college, administering juris- diction and discipline, the presbyter had to be of blameless life, and had to do his duty unmindful of human respect. They were usually men of advanced age, and like bishop and deacon were chosen by the congregation. The number was unrestricted; the rank was above that of a deacon and below that of a bishop; they were called co-presbyters of the bishop. Irenreus tells that at an earlier date the name of presbyter was a title of honor borne by worthy and prominent men in the congregation. He also mentions the name of presbyters in connection with that of bishops in such a manner that we can infer that at some time the bishop held a position not higher than the other members of the college. In the early congregations there was a three-fold organization: the spiritual, the administrative, and the patriarchal. The last consisted of leaders and of led, tbe former being the elder and the latter the younger members of the congregation. Out of this distinction there arose a further separation which resulted in the development of a ruling college, or presbytery.