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A '''nazirite''' or '''nazarite''' ([[Hebrew]]: '''נזיר''', ''nazir'' "separated") was a [[Judaism|Jew]] set apart for, and especially consecrated to, God through vows of abstinence. Both men and women could take the nazirite vow; married women could take the vow with the consent of their husbands. The duration of naziriteship was voluntary, and ranged from thirty days to a lifetime.<ref>[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=142&letter=N ''Nazarite''] [[Jewish Encyclopedia]] (1906)</ref> Despite the name "separated", nazirites did not lead a monastic existence apart from the community but were active participants in all familiar and communal affairs. What set them apart was their meticulous observance of the vow, which gave them a holy status similar to that of the High Priest.<ref>'''Milgrom, Jacob''' ''The JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers'' Jewish Publication Society of America (1990) ISBN 0-8276-0329-0</ref>  

A '''nazirite''' or '''nazarite''' ([[Hebrew]]: '''נזיר''', ''nazir'' "separated") was a [[Judaism|Jew]] set apart for, and especially consecrated to, God through vows of abstinence. Both men and women could take the nazirite vow; married women could take the vow with the consent of their husbands. The duration of naziriteship was voluntary, and ranged from thirty days to a lifetime.<ref>[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=142&letter=N ''Nazarite''] 1906 [[Jewish Encyclopedia]] Accessed June 25, 2007</ref> Despite the name "separated", nazirites did not lead a monastic existence apart from the community but were active participants in all familiar and communal affairs. What set them apart was their meticulous observance of the vow, which gave them a holy status similar to that of the High Priest.<ref>'''Milgrom, Jacob''' ''The JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers'' Jewish Publication Society of America (1990) ISBN 0-8276-0329-0</ref>  

==Taking the vow==

==Taking the vow==

 

 

As with other vows in Judaism, a father has the ability to annul the nazirite vow of his unmarried daughter, and a husband has the ability to annul a vow by his wife, when they first hear about it.<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/num30.html Numbers 30]</ref>  

As with other vows in Judaism, a father has the ability to annul the nazirite vow of his unmarried daughter, and a husband has the ability to annul a vow by his wife, when they first hear about it.<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/num30.html Numbers 30]</ref>  

*the prohibition of wine, or anything made from grapes<ref>The avoidance of all produce of the vine was such that a Jewish proverb relates "Let the Nazirite go around the vineyard, but let him not approach it."</ref>

*the prohibition of wine, or anything made from grapes<ref>The avoidance of all produce of the vine was such that a Jewish proverb relates "Let the Nazirite go around the vineyard, but let him not approach it."</ref>

*not to cut the hair of the head

*not to cut the hair of the head

*not to touch the dead, not even the body of their father or mother.  

*not to touch the dead, not even the body of their father or mother, and not to be near a place of burial<ref>As with the priesthood, however, a nazirite that finds an unburied corpse is obligated to bury it, even though he will become defiled in the process and have to begin his vow afresh.</ref>

Many have observed that these restrictions are similar to those of the ''kohanim'' (priests) but, in fact, the nazirite's restrictions were even greater than the priest's. An ordinary priest is permitted contact with the dead of his immediate family. Only the High Priest shares the nazirite's absolute prohibition regarding contact with any dead. Furthermore, priests are prohibited from drinking intoxicants while "on duty," in the sanctuary, but they are not prohibited from doing so at other times, nor are they forbidden to consume nonalcoholic grape products. Finally, priests were not allowed to shave their heads but were required to trim their hair. So it appears that, for the period of the vow, the nazirite's sanctity surpassed even that of the High Priest.<ref>'''Nelson, David''', ''The Nazirite - A Sacred Volunteer'' Weekly Torah Commentaries: Parashat Naso at [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Weekly_Torah_Commentary/naso_clal.htm MyJewishLearning.com] accessed June 25, 2007</ref>

Many have observed that these restrictions are similar to those of the ''kohanim'' (priests) but, in fact, the nazirite's restrictions were even greater than the priest's. An ordinary priest is permitted contact with the dead of his immediate family. Only the High Priest shares the nazirite's absolute prohibition regarding contact with any dead. Furthermore, priests are prohibited from drinking intoxicants while "on duty," in the sanctuary, but they are not prohibited from doing so at other times, nor are they forbidden to consume nonalcoholic grape products. Finally, priests were not allowed to shave their heads but were required to trim their hair. So it appears that, for the period of the vow, the nazirite's sanctity surpassed even that of the High Priest.<ref>'''Nelson, David''', ''The Nazirite - A Sacred Volunteer'' Weekly Torah Commentaries: Parashat Naso at [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Weekly_Torah_Commentary/naso_clal.htm MyJewishLearning.com] Accessed June 25, 2007</ref>

George A. Barton  and Ludwig Blau, writing in the [[Jewish Encyclopedia]], explain further: "He is "holy unto the Lord" ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/num6.html8 Num. 6:8]), and the regulations which apply to him actually agree with those for the high priest and for the priests during worship ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/lev10.html8 Lev. 10:8 et seq.], [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/lev21.html 21]; [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/ezek44.html21 Ezek. 44:21]). In ancient times the priests were persons dedicated to God ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/ezek44.html20 Ezek. 44:20]; [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/1sam11.html11 1 Sam. 1:11]), and it follows from the juxtaposition of prophets and Nazarites ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/amos2.html11 Amos 2:11-12]) that the latter must have been regarded as in a sense priests. Young men especially, who found it difficult to abstain from wine on account of youthful desire for pleasure, took the vow. The most prominent outward mark of the Nazirite was long, flowing hair, which was cut at the expiration of the vow and offered as a sacrifice." ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/num6.html18 Num. 6:18]; [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/jer7.html29 Jer.7:29]).<ref>[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=142&letter=N ''Nazarite''] [[Jewish Encyclopedia]] (1906)</ref>

George A. Barton  and Ludwig Blau, writing in the [[Jewish Encyclopedia]], explain further: "He is "holy unto the Lord" ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/num6.html8 Num. 6:8]), and the regulations which apply to him actually agree with those for the high priest and for the priests during worship ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/lev10.html8 Lev. 10:8 et seq.], [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/lev21.html 21]; [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/ezek44.html21 Ezek. 44:21]). In ancient times the priests were persons dedicated to God ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/ezek44.html20 Ezek. 44:20]; [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/1sam11.html11 1 Sam. 1:11]), and it follows from the juxtaposition of prophets and Nazarites ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/amos2.html11 Amos 2:11-12]) that the latter must have been regarded as in a sense priests. Young men especially, who found it difficult to abstain from wine on account of youthful desire for pleasure, took the vow. The most prominent outward mark of the Nazirite was long, flowing hair, which was cut at the expiration of the vow and offered as a sacrifice." ([http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/num6.html18 Num. 6:18]; [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/jer7.html29 Jer.7:29]).<ref>[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=142&letter=N ''Nazarite''] 1906 [[Jewish Encyclopedia]] Accessed June 25, 2007</ref>

After adhering to the vow for the designated period of time the nazirite would immerse themself in a [[Mikvah]] and make three offerings:

After adhering to the vow for the designated period of time the nazirite would immerse themself in a [[Mikvah]] and make three offerings:

*a ram as a peace offering (''shelamim'')

*a ram as a peace offering (''shelamim'')

After these sacrifices were offered by the priest, the Nazarite cut off his hair at the door and threw it into the fire under the peace-offering.<ref>"Nazarite" ''Bible Encyclopedia'' at [http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/nazarite.html ChristianAnswersNet] accessed June 25, 2007</ref>

After these sacrifices were offered by the priest, the Nazarite cut off his hair at the door and threw it into the fire under the peace-offering.<ref>"Nazarite" ''Bible Encyclopedia'' at [http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/nazarite.html ChristianAnswersNet] Accessed June 25, 2007</ref> The cost of the offerings was considered a charitable obligation by the wealthy, expressed in the phrase "to have [his head] shorn." King Agrippa, for example, had many Nazirites "shorn": "At the time of R. Simeon b. Sheṭaḥ 300 Nazarites came to Jerusalem. In the case of 150 he found a reason for annulling their vows, but in the case of the others he found none. He went to his brother-in-law King Jannai [103-76 B.C.] and said to him: 'There are 300 Nazarites who need 900 sacrificial animals; you give one-half and I will give the other half'; so the king sent 450 animals."<ref>from '''Josephus''', ''Antiquities''; quoted in the 1906 [[Jewish Encyclopedia]] Accessed June 25, 2007</ref>

*[[Absolom]]  <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/2sam14.html#26 2 Samuel 14:26]</ref>

*[[Absolom]]  <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/2sam14.html#26 2 Samuel 14:26]</ref>

*[[James the Just]] <ref>'''Eusebius of Cæsarea''' ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.i.html?bcb=0 Christian Classics Ethereal Library] accessed June 25, 2007</ref>

*[[James the Just]] <ref>'''Eusebius of Cæsarea''' ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.i.html?bcb=0 Christian Classics Ethereal Library] Accessed June 25, 2007</ref>

*[[John the Baptist]] <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/luke1.html#15 Luke 1:15]</ref>

*[[John the Baptist]] <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/luke1.html#15 Luke 1:15]</ref>

*[[Paul]] <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/acts18.html#18 Acts 18:18]; [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/acts21.html#23 Acts 21:23-26]</ref>

*[[Paul]] <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/acts18.html#18 Acts 18:18]; [http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/acts21.html#23 Acts 21:23-26]</ref>

*[[Samson]] <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/judg13.html#4 Judges 13:4]</ref>

*[[Samson]] <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/judg13.html#4 Judges 13:4]</ref>

*[[Samuel]] <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/1sam1.html#11 1 Samuel 1:9-11]</ref>

*[[Samuel]] <ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/1sam1.html#11 1 Samuel 1:9-11]</ref>

==References==

==References==

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[[Category:Bible]][[Category:Judaism]][[Category:Biblical persons]]

[[Category:Bible]][[Category:Judaism]][[Category:Biblical persons]]