Corrupted Priesthood

By the time of Christ, the priesthood in Judea was largely corrupted and not Levitical.

History

Hasmonean Period

Josephus, Antiquities Book 13:

“257 Hyrcanus took also Dora and Marissa, cities of Idumea, and subdued all the Idumeans; and permitted them to stay in that country, if they would submit to circumcision, and make use of the laws of the Jews; 258 and they were so desirous of living in the country of their forefathers, that they submitted to the right of circumcision, {a} and of the rest of the Jewish ways of living; at which time, therefore, this befell them, that they were hereafter considered to be Jews.”

1 Maccabees 2:46 states:

“And what children soever they found within the coast of Israel uncircumcised, those they circumcised valiantly.”

From the first days of the Maccabees, they were circumcising children by Geography, and not by ethnicity, and it can be shown in history and in Scripture that many other peoples lived within the “coasts of Israel”.

Malachi also prophesied of a coming corrupt priesthood.