Ithamar

In the Torah, Ithamar (Hebrew: אִיתָמָר, Modern Itamar, Tiberian ʼĪṯāmār ; "palm tree isle/coast"; an ancient Hebrew expression for "the father of Tamar") was the youngest son of Aaron the High Priest. Following the construction of the Tabernacle, he was responsible for recording an inventory to ensure that the constructed Tabernacle and its contents conformed to the vision given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.

After the death of his two eldest brothers, Nadab and Abihu, when they had been punished by the Lord for performing an unauthorized sacrificial offering, Ithamar served as a priest along with his elder brother, Eleazar, and Ithamar and Eleazar are regarded as the direct male ancestors of all Kohanim.

Leviticus 10:16-18 records an incident when Moses was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, for failing to eat a sin offering inside the Tabernacle in accordance with the regulations set out in the preceding chapters of Leviticus regarding the entitlement of the priests to a share of the offerings they made on behalf of the Israelite people.

Ithamar (bishop)

Ithamar (sometimes Ythamar) was the first bishop in England to be Saxon-born rather than consecrated by the Irish or from among Augustine's Roman missionaries. He was also the first Saxon bishop of Rochester.

Life

Ithamar was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Honorius, and was said by Bede to be "of the Kentish nation, but not inferior to his [episcopal] predecessors for learning and conduct of life.".

Upon consecration as bishop, Ithamar took his new name from Ithamar, a son of Aaron, from the Old Testament. Although a number of new Anglo-Saxon bishops had taken new names upon either entering religious life or upon consecration as bishops, these names were usually taken from church history. The practice of taking a new name from the Old Testament was extremely rare in the Roman tradition, but did occur more often in the Celtic Church.

As bishop, Ithamar consecrated Deusdedit as the first Saxon archbishop of Canterbury on 26 March 655.

Ithamar died between 655 and 664, probably close to 656, at Rochester.