The Death of Aaron
StoryHistorical Account★★★★With trembling hand, He hasted to unclasp the priestly robe, And cast it o’er his son, and on his head The mitre place; while, with a feeble voice, He blessed, and bade him keep his garments pure From blood of souls. But then, as Moses raised The mystic breast-plate, and that dying eye Caught the last radiance of those precious stones, By whose oracular and fearful light Jehovah had so oft His will revealed Unto the chosen tribes whom Aaron loved In all their wanderings—but whose Promised Land He might not look upon - he sadly laid His head upon the mountain’s turfy breast, And with one prayer, half wrapped in stifled groans, Gave up the ghost.
— Sigourney
Also attributed to: Unknown
The point
A poetic retelling of Aaron's final moments as he transfers the high priestly garments to his son Eleazar and dies on Mount Hor, obedient to God's command.