Mount Hor lies on the border of Edom, at the final stretch of Israel’s long wilderness journey, after the people had left Kadesh.
It was there that Aaron, brother of Moses and Israel’s first high priest, died. God commanded Moses to take Aaron and his son Eleazar up the mountain, remove Aaron’s priestly garments, and put them on Eleazar, in front of the whole community.
Aaron died there for the same reason that kept Moses from entering Canaan: disobedience at the waters of Meribah. Mount Hor is a reminder that not even the leaders closest to God escape being held accountable.
At the same time, the transfer of the priesthood to Eleazar shows that God’s work continues beyond any one person’s life. Israel mourned Aaron for thirty days, but the priestly office remained secure, passed from father to son.
