Talk:Levite
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[edit] Reliability of claims to status
Removed the following unsourced material to this page:
- It should be noted that the destruction of Jerusalem’s temple and all lineage records in 70 C.E. forced the cessation of services of the divinely appointed Levitical priesthood, and there is now no way to establish who could legally and properly act as such priests.
The problem with this statement is not what it says, but that (a) it is presented as fact in "Wikipedia's" voice, and (b) it is unsourced. It is clearly disputed. The article on Kohen states that a number of communities maintained records long after the destruction of the Temple, the article on the Temple Institute says that it is gathering and developing Kohen lineage records as part of its activities, and many Orthodox people believe that reliable Kohanim could be deteremined. The statement is listed under the views of Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, and if this is what they believe on the subject, it should be noted (and sourced) as their opinion (rather than as fact). --Shirahadasha 16:16, 6 October 2006 (UTC)
