Titles	Prophet, Priest, Helper of Moses, ''Apostle to Pharaoh'', Holy Forefather, Original Kohen
Name	Aaron
Feast day	September 4
Venerated in	JudaismCatholic ChurchEastern OrthodoxyIslamArmenian Apostolic ChurchMaronite Church }}

In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron ( or ; ''Ahărōn'', ''Hārūn'', Greek (Septuagint): ''Ααρών'' ), sometimes called Aaron the Levite (), was the brother of Moses, (Exodus 6:16-20; Qur'an 28:34) and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites. While Moses was receiving his education at the Egyptian royal court, and during his exile among the Midianites, Aaron and his sister Miriam remained with their kinsmen in the eastern border-land of Egypt (Goshen). There, Aaron gained a name for eloquent and persuasive speech, so that when the time came for the demand upon the Pharaoh to release Israel from captivity, Aaron became his brother’s ''nabi'', or spokesman, to his own people (Exodus 7:1) and, after their unwillingness to hear, to the Pharaoh himself (Exodus 7:9). Various dates for his life have been proposed, ranging from approximately 1600 to 1200 BC.

Account in the Hebrew Bible

Traditional Genealogy

Descended from ''Abraham'', ''Isaac'', and ''Jacob''

Great-grandfather: ''Levi'', ''third of 12 sons and tribes of Israel''

Grandfather: ''Kohath''

Father: ''Amram''

Mother: ''Jochebed''

Sister: ''Miriam''

Brother: ''Moses''

Uncles: ''Izhar'', ''Hebron'', ''Uzziel''

Sons: ''Nadab, Abihu'', ''Eleazar'', ''Ithamar''

Grandson: ''Phinehas''

Function

Aaron’s function included the duties of speaker and implied personal dealings with the Egyptian royal court on behalf of Moses, who was always the central moving figure. The part played by Aaron in the events that preceded the Exodus was, therefore, ministerial, and not directive. He, along with Moses, performed “signs” before his people which impressed them with a belief in the reality of the divine mission of the brothers (Exodus 4:15–16).

At the command of Moses he stretched out his rod in order to bring on the first of three plagues (Exodus 7:19, 8:1,12). In the infliction of the remaining plagues, he appears to have acted merely as the attendant of Moses, whose outstretched rod drew the divine wrath upon the Pharaoh and his subjects (Exodus 9:23, 10:13,22). The display of potency from Aaron's rod had already been demonstrated in the presence of Pharaoh's magicians; when Aaron's rod was thrown down to the ground it had turned into a snake, so Pharaoh's magicians performed the same act with their own rods. However, Aaron's snake ate up all the other snakes (Exodus 7:9) proving his rod was victorious.

During the journey in the wilderness, Aaron is not always prominent or active; and he sometimes appears guilty of rebellious or treasonable conduct. At the battle with Amalek, he is chosen with Hur to support the hand of Moses that held the “rod of God” (Exodus 17:9). When the revelation was given to Moses at Mount Sinai, he headed the elders of Israel who accompanied Moses on the way to the summit. Joshua, however, was admitted with his leader to the very presence of the Lord, while Aaron and Hur remained below to look after the people (Exodus 24:9-14). It was during the prolonged absence of Moses that Aaron yielded to the clamors of the people, and made a Golden Calf as a visible image of the divinity who had delivered them from Egypt (Exodus 32:1-6). (It should be noted that in the account given of the same events, in the Qur'an, Aaron is not the idol-maker and upon Moses' return begged his pardon as he had felt mortally threatened by the Israelites (Quran 7:142-152).) At the intercession of Moses, Aaron was saved from the plague which smote the people (Deuteronomy 9:20, Exodus 32:35), although it was to Aaron’s tribe of Levi that the work of punitive vengeance was committed (Exodus 32:26).

Priesthood

At the time when the tribe of Levi was set apart for the priestly service, Aaron was anointed and consecrated to the priesthood, arrayed in the robes of his office, and instructed in its manifold duties (Exodus 28, Exodus 29).

On the very day of his consecration, his sons, Nadab and Abihu, were consumed by fire from the Lord for having offered incense in an unlawful manner (Leviticus 10).

Scholarly consensus is that in Aaron's high priesthood the sacred writer intended to describe a model, the prototype, so to say, of the Jewish high priest. God, on Mount Sinai instituting a worship, also instituted an order of priests. According to the patriarchal customs, the firstborn son in every family used to perform the functions connected with God's worship. It might have been expected, consequently, that Reuben's family would be chosen by God for the ministry of the new altar. However, according to the biblical narrative it was Aaron who was the object of God's choice. To what jealousies this gave rise later, has been indicated above. The office of the Aaronites was at first merely to take care of the lamp which was to burn perpetually before the veil of the tabernacle Exodus 27:21. A more formal calling soon followed (Exodus 28:1). Aaron and his sons, distinguished from the commoners by their sacred functions, were also to receive holy garments suitable to their office.

Aaron offered the various sacrifices and performed the many ceremonies of the consecration of the new priests, according to the divine instructions (Exodus 29), and repeated these rites for seven days, during which Aaron and his sons were entirely separated from the rest of the people. When, on the eighth day, the high priest had inaugurated his office of sacrifice by killing the animals, he blessed the people (very likely according to the prescriptions of Numbers 6:24-26), and, with Moses, entered into the tabernacle to possess it. They "came forth and blessed the people. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the multitude: And behold a fire, coming forth from the Lord, devoured the holocaust, and the fat that was upon the altar: which when the multitude saw, they praised the Lord, falling on their faces" (Leviticus 9:23-24). In this way the institution of the Aaronic priesthood was established.

Rebellion of ''Korah''

From the time of the sojourn at Mount Sinai, where he became the anointed priest of Israel, Aaron ceased to be the minister of Moses, his place being taken by Joshua. He is mentioned in association with Miriam in a jealous complaint against the exclusive claims of Moses as the Lord’s prophet. The presumption of the murmurers was rebuked, and Miriam was smitten with ''Tzaraath''. Aaron entreated Moses to intercede for her, at the same time confessing the sin and folly that prompted the uprising. Aaron himself was not struck with the plague on account of sacerdotal immunity; and Miriam, after seven days’ quarantine, was healed and restored to favor (Numbers 12). Micah a prophet in Judaism, mentions Moses, Aaron, and Miriam as the leaders of Israel after the Exodus (a judgment wholly in accord with the tenor of the narratives). In the present instance it is made clear by the express words of the oracle (Numbers 12:6-8) that Moses was unique among men as the one with whom the Lord spoke face to face. The failure to recognize or concede this prerogative of their brother was the sin of Miriam and Aaron.

The validity of the exclusive priesthood of the family of Aaron was attested after the ill-fated rebellion of Korah, who was a first cousin of Aaron. When the earth had opened and swallowed up the leaders of the insurgents (Numbers 16:25-35), Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was commissioned to take charge of the censers of the dead priests. And when the plague had broken out among the people who had sympathized with the rebels, Aaron, at the command of Moses, took his censer and stood between the living and the dead till the plague was stayed (Numbers 17:1-15, 16:36-50).

Another memorable transaction followed. Each of the tribal princes of Israel took a rod and wrote his name upon it, and the twelve rods were laid up over night in the tent of meeting. The next morning Aaron’s rod was found to have budded and blossomed and produced ripe almonds (Numbers 17:8). The miracle proved merely the prerogative of the tribe of Levi; but now a formal distinction was made in perpetuity between the family of Aaron and the other Levites. While all the Levites (and only Levites) were to be devoted to sacred services, the special charge of the sanctuary and the altar was committed to the Aaronites alone (Numbers 18:1-7). The scene of this enactment is unknown, as is the time mentioned.

Death

Aaron, like Moses, was not permitted to enter Canaan with the others. The reason alleged is that the two brothers showed impatience at Meribah (Kadesh) in the last year of the desert pilgrimage (Numbers 20:12-13), when Moses brought water out of a rock to quench the thirst of the people. The action was construed as displaying a want of deference to the Lord, since they had been commanded to speak to the rock, whereas Moses struck it with the staff, twice (Numbers 20:7-11).

Of the death of Aaron we have two accounts. The principal one gives a detailed statement that soon after the incident at Meribah, Aaron, with his son Eleazar and Moses, ascended Mount Hor. There Moses stripped Aaron of his priestly garments and transferred them to Eleazar. Aaron died on the summit of the mountain, and the people mourned for him thirty days (Numbers 20:22-29; compare 33:38-39). The other account is found in Deuteronomy 10:6, where Moses is reported as saying that Aaron died at Moserah and was buried there. There is a significant amount of travel between these two points, as the itinerary in Numbers 33:31–37 records seven stages between Moseroth (Mosera) and Mount Hor.

Jewish Rabbinic literature

The older prophets and prophetical writers beheld in their priests the representatives of a religious form inferior to the prophetic truth; men without the spirit of God and lacking the will-power requisite to resist the multitude in its idolatrous proclivities. Thus Aaron, the first priest, ranks below Moses: he is his mouthpiece, and the executor of the will of God revealed through Moses, although it is pointed out that it is said fifteen times in the Pentateuch that “the Lord spoke to Moses ''and'' Aaron.” Under the influence of the priesthood which shaped the destinies of the nation under Persian rule, a different ideal of the priest was formed, as is learned from Malachi 2:4–7; and the prevailing tendency was to place Aaron on a footing equal with Moses. “At times Aaron, and at other times Moses, is mentioned first in Scripture—this is to show that they were of equal rank,” says Mekilta. בא, 1; strongly implies this when introducing in his record of renowned men the glowing description of Aaron’s ministration.

Death

In fulfilment of the promise of peaceful life, symbolized by the pouring of oil upon his head (Leviticus Rabbah x., Midrash Teh. cxxxiii. 1), Aaron's death, as described in the Haggadah, was of a wonderful tranquility. Accompanied by Moses, his brother, and by Eleazar, his son, Aaron went to the summit of Mount Hor, where the rock suddenly opened before him and a beautiful cave lit by a lamp presented itself to his view. "Take off thy priestly raiment and place it upon thy son Eleazar!" said Moses; "and then follow me." Aaron did as commanded; and they entered the cave, where was prepared a bed around which angels stood. "Go lie down upon thy bed, my brother," Moses continued; and Aaron obeyed without a murmur. Then his soul departed as if by a kiss from God. The cave closed behind Moses as he left; and he went down the hill with Eleazar, with garments rent, and crying: "Alas, Aaron, my brother! thou, the pillar of supplication of Israel!" When the Israelites cried in bewilderment, "Where is Aaron?" angels were seen carrying Aaron's bier through the air. A voice was then heard saying: "The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found on his lips: he walked with me in righteousness, and brought many back from sin" (Malachi 2:6). He died, according to Seder Olam Rabbah ix., R. H. 2, 3a, on the first of Ab." The pillar of cloud which proceeded in front of Israel's camp disappeared at Aaron's death (see Seder 'Olam, ix. and R. H. 2b-3a). The seeming contradiction between Numbers 20:22 et seq. and Deutronomy 10:6 is solved by the rabbis in the following manner: Aaron's death on Mount Hor was marked by the defeat of the people in a war with the king of Arad, in consequence of which the Israelites fled, marching seven stations backward to Mosera, where they performed the rites of mourning for Aaron; wherefore it is said: "There [at Mosera] died Aaron."

The rabbis also dwell with special laudation on the brotherly sentiment which united Aaron and Moses. When the latter was appointed ruler and Aaron high priest, neither betrayed any jealousy; instead they rejoiced in one another's greatness. When Moses at first declined to go to Pharaoh, saying: "O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send" (Exodus 4:13), he was unwilling to deprive Aaron, his brother, of the high position the latter had held for so many years; but the Lord reassured him, saying: "Behold, when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart" (). Indeed, Aaron was to find his reward, says Shimon bar Yochai; for that heart which had leaped with joy over his younger brother's rise to glory greater than his was decorated with the Urim and Thummim, which were to "be upon Aaron's heart when he goeth in before the Lord" (Canticles Rabbah i. 10). Moses and Aaron met in gladness of heart, kissing each other as true brothers (Exodus 4:27; compare Song of Songs 8:1), and of them it is written: "Behold how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalms 133:1). Of them it is said: "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed [each other]" (Psalms 85:10); for Moses stood for righteousness, according to Deuteronomy 33:21, and Aaron for peace, according to . Again, mercy was personified in Aaron, according to Deuteronomy 33:8, and truth in Moses, according to Numbers 12:7 .

When Moses poured the oil of anointment upon the head of Aaron, Aaron modestly shrank back and said: "Who knows whether I have not cast some blemish upon this sacred oil so as to forfeit this high office." Then the Shekhinah spake the words: "Behold the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard of Aaron, that even went down to the skirts of his garment, is as pure as the dew of Hermon" () .

Moses

According to Tanhuma, Aaron’s activity as a prophet began earlier than that of Moses. Hillel held Aaron up as an example, saying: “Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace; love your fellow creatures and draw them nigh unto the Law!” This is further illustrated by the tradition preserved in Abot de-Rabbi Natan 12, Sanhedrin 6b, and elsewhere, according to which Aaron was an ideal priest of the people, far more beloved for his kindly ways than was Moses. While Moses was stern and uncompromising, brooking no wrong, Aaron went about as peacemaker, reconciling man and wife when he saw them estranged, or a man with his neighbor when they quarreled, and winning evil-doers back into the right way by his friendly intercourse. The mourning of the people at Aaron’s death was greater, therefore, than at that of Moses; for whereas, when Aaron died the whole house of Israel wept, including the women. Moses was bewailed by “the sons of Israel” only (). Even in the making of the Golden Calf the rabbis find extenuating circumstances for Aaron. His fortitude and silent submission to the will of God on the loss of his two sons are referred to as an excellent example to men how to glorify God in the midst of great affliction. Especially significant are the words represented as being spoken by God after the princes of the Twelve Tribes had brought their dedication offerings into the newly reared Tabernacle: “Say to thy brother Aaron: Greater than the gifts of the princes is thy gift; for thou art called upon to kindle the light, and, while the sacrifices shall last only as long as the Temple lasts, thy light shall last forever.”

Christianity

While Aaron and his descendants were the high priests of Judaism, Melchizedek, a mystical figure who appeared over 700 years before Moses, is considered a type of Christ, the high priest of the new dispensation(see the Book of Hebrews).

However, in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Maronite Church Aaron is venerated as a saint, with a feast day celebrated on September 4, together with Moses (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, September 4 falls on September 17 of the modern Gregorian Calendar). He is also commemorated, together with other righteous saints from the Old Testament on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (the Sunday before Christmas).

He is commemorated as one of the Holy Forefathers in the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on July 30. He is commemorated on July 1 in the modern Latin calendar and in the Syriac Calendar.

Latter-day Saints

In the LDS church, the Aaronic order is the lesser order of priesthood, comprising the grades (from lowest to highest) of deacon, teacher, and priest. The chief office of the Aaronic priesthood is the presiding bishopric; the head of the priesthood is the bishop. Each ward has one or more quorum of each office of the Aaronic priesthood.

Aaron in Islam

Aaron (Arabic: هارون, ''Harun'') is also mentioned in the Qur'an as a prophet of God. The Qur'an praises Aaron repeatedly, calling him a "believing servant" as well as one who was "guided" and one of the "victors". Aaron is important in Islam for his role in the events of the Exodus, in which, according to the Qur'an and Muslim tradition, he preached with his brother Moses to the Pharaoh of the Exodus. Aaron's significance in Islam, however, is not limited to his role as the helper of Moses. Islamic tradition also accords Aaron the role of a patriarch, as tradition records that the priestly descent came through Aaron's lineage, which included the entire House of Amran.

Aaron in the Qur'an

The Qur'an states that Aaron was the brother of Moses and like his brother he too was a prophet who was tasked by God with saving the Israelites from the tyrannical Pharaoh. In the Qur'an God says:

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Aaron was a gifted speaker. He was largely responsible with teaching the Israelites the way of worship as it was laid out in the Torah of the time. According to the Qur'an, Moses prayed to God to grant him his brother Aaron as a helper to be with him in all his tasks ahead. God, in the Qur'an, says that Moses said:

God granted Moses his request and told him that he could take his brother along with him. God says:

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Aaron, being a prophetic messenger, was also given the law by God, to preach to the Children of Israel according to the Torah. The Qur'an mentions the holy scripture as a light and guidance for those who would accept the Message. God says in the Qur'an:

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When Moses led his people on the Exodus to Mount Sinai, he told them that he would be gone for a few days to receive the Tablets of the Law. He informed the Israelites that Aaron would be their leader in his absence. However, the moment Moses left, an evil man, Samiri, fashioned an idol calf out of the people's gold and jewelry and he made the Israelites succumb to idolatry.

Aaron preached with powerful zeal to his people, but they refused to listen to him. It is here that the Qur'anic narrative of the incident sharply contrasts with the Biblical story, which blames Aaron for making the golden calf. Aaron was overpowered and was threatened with being killed by his people. When Moses returned from Mount Sinai, he blamed Aaron for allowing the Israelites to worship this idol and seized his brother by his beard, but Aaron then gave his explanation, after which Moses prayed to God to forgive both of them. As God says in the Qur'an:

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Aaron in Muhammad's time

Muhammad, in many of his sayings, speaks of Aaron. In the event of the Mi'raj, his miraculous ascension through the Heavens, Muhammad is said to have encountered Aaron in the fifth heaven. According to old scholars, including Ibn Hisham, Muhammad, in particular, mentioned the beauty of Aaron when he encountered him in Heaven. Martin Lings, in his biographical ''Muhammad'', speaks of Muhammad's wonderment at seeing fellow prophets in their heavenly glory:

Aaron was also mentioned by Muhammad in likeness to Ali. Muhammad had left Ali to look after his family, but the hypocrites of the time begun to spread the rumor that the prophet found Ali a burden and was relieved to be rid of his presence. Ali, grieved at hearing this wicked taunt, told Muhammad what the local people were saying. In reply, the prophet said: "They lie, I bade thee remain for the sake of what I had left behind me. So return and represent me in my family and in thine. Art thou not content, O Ali, that thou should be unto me as Aaron was unto Moses, save that after me there is no prophet. "

Burial Place

According to Islamic tradition the tomb of Aaron is located on ''Jabal Harun'', or Aaron's Mountain, near Petra in Jordan. At 1350 meters above sea-level it is the highest peak in the area; and it is a place of great sanctity to the local people for here. A 14th century Jordanian mosque stands here with its white dome visible from most areas in and around Petra.

Genetics

Recently, the tradition that Kohanim (the Jewish priesthood) are actually descended from a single patriarch, Aaron, was found to be apparently consistent with genetic testing. The majority of Jewish men with the tradition of being Kohanim, but not all, share a direct male lineage with a common Y-chromosome, and testing was done across sectors of the Jewish population to see if there was any commonality between the Y-chromosomes of Kohanim. The results were found to cluster rather closely around a specific DNA signature, found in the Semitic Haplogroup J1, which the researchers named the Cohen modal haplotype, implying that many of the Kohanim do share a distinctive common ancestry. This information was also used to support the claim that the Lemba (a sub-Saharan tribe) are in fact descended from a group of Jewish priests.

The Cohen Modal Haplotype or CMH is found in haplogroup J1, which geneticists estimate originated in the Southern Levant (modern day Israel, Jordan; biblical Canaan) or North Africa (Egypt) approximately 10,000–15,000 years ago. Biblical tradition holds that Abraham and his ancestors, the Semitic tribes, originated from Southern Arabia or East Africa (Genesis 10); Aaron and Moses were 7th generation descendants from Abraham (Exodus 6). An estimated 20% of the modern Jewish community fall into haplogroup J1. The traditional date for Abraham is circa 2200–2000 BC. Behar, et al., found Kohanim in a variety of haplogroups (E3b, G2, H, I1b, J, K2, Q, R1a1, R1b), which included those which originated in the Levant (J1, J2) and those from Southern Arabia, East Africa, or another geographic region.

Dr. Karl Skorecki, the founder of CMH, reported during a Conference for Kohanim in Jerusalem 2007, that he and his research team have discovered not one but two Cohen Modal Haplotypes, which he called J1 and J2. “Pinchas the zealot mentioned in the Bible may be the origin of J2” said Skorecki. According to the observed mutation rates, certain J2 haplotypes found on FTDNA database projects share a common ancestor who lived 3100+/-200 years BP, as Skorecki revealed to the public.

Descendants

Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon (Exod 6:23). The sons of Aaron were Eleazar, Ithamar, Nadab and Abihu. A descendant of Aaron is an Aaronite, or Kohen, meaning Priest. Any non-Aaronic Levite descended from Levi but not of the priestly division would be assigned to assist the Levitical priests of the family of Aaron in the care of the tabernacle and later of the temple.

Art history

Depictions of Aaron within art history are rare. Other than Aaron's inclusion in the crowd of revelers around the Golden Calf ceremony—most notably in Nicolas Poussin’s “The Adoration of the Golden Calf” (ca. 1633–34, National Gallery London)—there is little else. The recent discovery in 1991 of Pier Francesco Mola’s “Aaron, Holy to the Lord” (ca. 1650, Private Collection, New York: image available for study at Fred R. Kline Gallery Archives) adds significantly to the Aaronic mythos. The painting offers a dramatic, deeply psychological portrayal of the single figure of Aaron in his priestly garments celebrating Yom Kippur in the wilderness Tabernacle. The Mola “Aaron” is considered, quite surprisingly, the unique single figure of Aaron to have been painted by a European old master artist, circa 15th–18th centuries (A.Pigler, "Barockthemen" Vol. 1; although unknown to Pigler). The carefully rendered Judaic iconographic details in the Mola painting are rare and the subject itself may have importance in relationship to mid-17th century Jewish history, characterized by a controversial messianic movement involving a serious contender for a new Messiah, Shabtai Zvi, whose influence was felt in Jewish communities worldwide (Harris Lenowitz, "The Jewish Messiahs"). It is highly probable that the Zvi messianic phenomenon was noted by the Catholic Church as a possible threat to Jesus, their sanctified Messiah. It may be significant to note, in considering the possible influence of the Roman Catholic Church in choices of lay-commissioned religious art during this period and considering as well the importance of Aaron in the Christian tradition, that "Aaron, Holy to the Lord" was originally commissioned along with a now lost pendant of Moses (both from Mola) by the nobel Colonna family, wealthy Catholic art patrons living in Rome (Getty Museum Archives).

See also

Tomb of Aaron

Harun

Kohen

Y-chromosomal Aaron

Moses in rabbinic literature

References

;Attribution

Further reading

Aberbach, Moses and Leivy Smolar. "Aaron, Jeroboam and the Golden Calves." ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' 86 (1967): 129-140.

Ginzberg, Louis. ''The Legends of the Jews''. Translated by Henrietta Szold and Paul Radin. 7 vols. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1909-1938.

Kaufmann, Yehezkel. ''The Religion of Israel''. Translated by Moshe Greenberg. New York: Schocken Books, 1960.

Kennett, R.H. "The Origin of the Aaronite Priesthood." ''The Journal of Theological Studies'' 6 (January, 1905): 161-186.

McCurdy, J. F. and Kaufmann Kohler. "Aaron". ''Jewish Encyclopedia''. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906; which cites

* ''Numbers Rabbah'' 9

* ''Leviticus Rabbah'' 10

in Jellinek’s ''Bet ha-Midrash'', 1:91–95

764

* Sabine Baring-Gould, ''Legends of Old Testament Characters''

* ''Chronicles of Jerahmeel'', ed. M. Gaster, pp. cx1:130–133

* Holweck, F. G., ''A Biographical Dictionary of the Saint''. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co. 1924.

Meek, Theophile James. "Aaronites and Zadokites." ''The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures'' 45 (April, 1920): 149-166.

Meek, Theophile James. ''Hebrew Origins''. Rev. ed. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1950.

References in the Qur'an

Aaron's prophecy: , , Aaron is made helper of Moses: , , , , Aaron and Moses sent to Pharaoh: , , , Praise for Aaron: , , , , , The Golden Calf: ,

External links

MFnames.com - Origin and Meaning of Aaron

Category:High Priests of Israel Category:Torah people Category:Old Testament saints Category:Moses Category:Kohanim *Main Category:Book of Exodus

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{{infobox musical artist |name

Paul Kalkbrenner |image Paul Kalkbrenner at Alte Diamantbrauerei.jpg |caption Paul Kalkbrenner at Alte Diamantbrauerei (old diamond brewery), Magdeburg, in 2007 |image_size |birth_name Paul Kalkbrenner |background solo_singer |Born 1977Leipzig, Germany |Married to [Simina Grigoriu] |instrument Turntables, keyboard, Ableton Live |genre Techno Electronica Downbeat |occupation electronic musician, actor |years_active 1999–present |label BPitch Control, Paul Kalkbrenner Musik |website myspace.com/paulkalkbrenner }}

Paul Kalkbrenner () (born 1977 in Leipzig, Germany) is a German electronic musician and actor from Berlin.

History

As of 2010, Paul Kalkbrenner has tallied up more than 15 years of experience as a producer and live act. The early 90s after the Berlin Wall fell were formative years for Paul, and after spending many long and sleepless nights on the dancefloors of E-Werk, Planet and Whale, the dream was born to make music himself. A job as TV editor got him through the mid-90s and financed his first music gear. By this point Paul had already decided that he did not want to be a typical DJ playing other people's records, but rather to play only his own music, live in a club setting. His first tracks as Paul Kalkbrenner were released in 1999 on Berlin-based BPitch Control (the newly founded label from Ellen Allien) as the Friedrichshain EP, titled after his home district in the city's east. A series of further singles and two full-lengths (''Superimpose'' and ''Time'') followed, plus continuous live performances.

Together with Paul Kalkbrenner, BPitch Control gained a strong momentum. Paul's third album ''Self'' (2004) would mark the beginning of a new era. His melodic sound, with its affinity for grand emotional gestures, obeyed the logic of the dancefloor, but Self introduced a narrative aesthetic, serving as a soundtrack to a film that did not exist (at least, not yet). "Gebrünn Gebrünn", released one year later, became a crossover hit.

In early 2006, German director Hannes Stöhr, an avid fan of ''Self'', decided to get in contact with Kalkbrenner. His idea was to produce a film about a Berlin techno musician during the new millennium, and Paul would compose the soundtrack. The two met, traded ideas and experiences, and soon after began working on the screenplay's first draft. In the course of their exchange, Hannes had the realization that Paul should not just contribute the music, but that he would be the perfect choice as the film's star. Without hesitation, Paul accepted the offer. They decided to title the film ''Berlin Calling''.

For the soundtrack's production, Paul and his friend (and Bpitch colleague) Sascha Funke spent half a year in Aix-En-Provence in southern France. One song already had a title: "Sky and Sand" with vocals by brother Fritz Kalkbrenner. Upon Paul's return to Berlin in 2007, the filming began, and the finished work was brought to German theaters in October 2008. ''Berlin Calling'' and Paul's debut acting performance received positive reviews, and the film, thanks to its authentic depiction of the Berlin club scene and drug culture, became a cult classic.

The soundtrack and especially the single "Sky and Sand" broke many sales records. That track in particular went gold in Belgium where it remained in the charts' Top Ten for weeks. The 2009 DVD release of the film brought Paul to a new, much larger audience around the world. By the end of the year, Paul separated with BPitch Control after a decade-long relationship to take the next steps of his career alone. In early 2010 Paul completed a twelve-city live concert tour throughout Europe (with over 50,000 tickets sold within just a few weeks), followed by many headlining appearances at summer festivals.

Kalkbrenner uses software-synthesizers, sequencer (Ableton Live) in combination with midi-controllers, hardware-synthesizers and -drummachines for his live shows.

On April 12, 2011, Kalkbrenner announced the album ''Icke Wieder'', scheduled to be released on June 3, 2011 via his own new label Paul Kalkbrenner Musik. About the album, he stated: "There won't be any singing on the album, no music of tomorrow either, it feels generally more like... well, old times".

Discography

Albums

Zeit (BPitch Control, 2001)

Superimpose (BPitch Control, 2001)

Self (BPitch Control, 2004)

Maximalive (Minimaxima, 2005)

Reworks (BPitch Control, 2006)

Keule (BPitch Control, 2006)

Berlin Calling - The Soundtrack By Paul Kalkbrenner (BPitch Control, 2008)

Icke Wieder (2011)

EP's

DB+ (12") (BPitch Control, 2000)

Chrono (12") (BPitch Control, 2001)

Brennt (12") (BPitch Control, 2002)

F.FWD (12") (BPitch Control, 2003

Steinbeisser (12") (BPitch Control, 2003)

Press On (12") (BPitch Control, 2004)

Tatü-Tata (12") (BPitch Control, 2005)

Keule (12") (BPitch Control, 2006)

Altes Kamuffel (12") (BPitch Control, 2007)

Bingo Bongo (12") (BPitch Control, 2008)

Singles

Sky And Sand (BPitch Control, 2009)

Filmography

Berlin Calling (2008)

Paul Kalkbrenner 2010 - A Live Documentary (2010)

References

External links

Discogs.com - Paul Kalkbrenner

Biography and information at BPitch Control website

Live performance during the Astropolis music festival

Category:German electronic musicians Category:German DJs Category:1977 births Category:Living people

br:Paul Kalkbrenner de:Paul Kalkbrenner es:Paul Kalkbrenner fr:Paul Kalkbrenner it:Paul Kalkbrenner hu:Paul Kalkbrenner pl:Paul Kalkbrenner

Name	Aaron Lewis
Landscape	Yes
Background	solo_singer
Born	April 13, 1972 Rutland, Vermont
Origin	Longmeadow, Massachusetts,United States
Instrument	Vocals, guitar
Genre	Alternative metal, nu metal, post-grunge, acoustic rock, country
Occupation	Musician, songwriter
Years active	1990–present
Label	Flip, Elektra, Atlantic, Stroudavarious, R&J; Records
Associated acts	Staind
Website	www.aaronlewismusic.com }}

Aaron Lewis, (born April 13, 1972), is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and founding member of the rock group Staind, with whom he has released six studio albums. He has since ventured into country music with his debut solo album, ''Town Line''. The EP was released on March 1, 2011 on Stroudavarious Records.

Early life

Lewis grew up, largely, in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, then moved to the Forest Park section of Springfield, MA from 8th grade through high school. His mother is Jewish with origins in Russia, Poland and Germany and his father is Catholic of Italian, Welsh and English origin. His hobbies include fishing, golf, riding his motorcycle and dirt bike, as well as hunting. He has worked in landscaping, cleaned hotel rooms, and played solo acoustic sets in bars, pool halls, restaurants and coffeehouses.

Career

Lewis was, before Staind, in a band known as J-CAT with Tori Sands, Chris Ballini, and Staind bandmate Jon Wysocki. An album surfaced on the internet with nine of J-CAT's performances at Club Infinity in Springfield, Massachusetts. The performances were recorded while ''Dysfunction'' was being recorded. Two of Staind's popular singles—"Outside" and "It's Been Awhile"—were both originally performed by J-CAT with somewhat different lyrics. Lewis has been nominated for three Grammys.

Solo career

Lewis has been performing solo acoustic shows since he was 17 and still does today. He has written and performed many songs that have never been officially released such as "Angel", "Something Like Me", "Bonghits for Breakfast" (originally performed with J-CAT), "Anywhere but Here", and "Sleeping at the Wheel".

In July 2010, Lewis finished recording a country music EP entitled ''Town Line'' that was released March 1, 2011 on Stroudavarious Records. It features 7 tracks including 3 versions of the first single "Country Boy" featuring George Jones, Charlie Daniels, and Chris Young, as well as the songs "Massachusetts", "Vicious Circles", "The Story Never Ends", and a re-recording of "Tangled Up in You" originally from ''The Illusion of Progress''. Lewis said in a July 2011 interview that he was introduced to country music as a child by his grandfather, but his interest was recently rekindled when he toured with Kid Rock.

Collaborations

He was featured on the song "No Sex" by Limp Bizkit on their album ''Significant Other''. He was also featured on a remix for the song "Crawling" on Linkin Park's album ''Reanimation'' (the remix is titled "Krwlng" on the album), as well as Cold's album ''13 Ways to Bleed on Stage''. He contributed vocals to the song "Follow" on Sevendust's third album, ''Animosity'', and to the songs "Bleed" and "Send in the Clowns" by the band Cold. He's also featured on Jimmie's Chicken Shack's song "Falling Out", the only single off their 2004 album ''re.present''.

Equipment

1950 Gibson Acoustic J-45

1951 Gibson Acoustic Southern Jumbo

1936 Gibson Acoustic Jumbo J-35

1956 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top

1968 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top

1980's Gibson Heritage Series Les Pauls (At least 5)

Personal life

He is married to Vanessa Lewis and has three daughters, Zoe Jane, Nyla Rae and Indie Shay. Aaron also has two sisters, Evyette and Rachel, as well as a brother, Jesse.

Aaron Lewis is a registered Republican. He is a constitutional conservative and opposes high taxes. His views were expressed in the song "Country Boy".

In a five minute interview with Outdoor Life magazine Aaron Lewis shared that he has been hunting whitetail deer since he was old enough to keep up in the woods, probably age 4 or 5. His preferred method of hunting deer is with a compound or recurve bow, and occasionally utilizes a muzzleloader.

Philanthropy

On November 4, 2006, Aaron performed at his old high school in Longmeadow, Massachusetts and gave all the proceeds to the music department to fund the department's expenses to buy new equipment and supplies. Lewis' main focus, however, is the nonprofit organization, It Takes a Community, where he and his wife have started to reopen their daughter's elementary school in Worthington, Massachusetts.

Discography

Extended plays

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"
''Town Line''		* Release date: March 1, 2011	* Label: Stroudavarious Records	Compact disc>CD, music download	1	7	3	3

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions						Album
		! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"
2000		56	31	2	1	—	—
2011		87	—	—	23	50	39

Music videos

! Year	! Video	! Director
2010	"Country Boy" (with George Jones and Charlie Daniels)	Alex Castino

Awards and nominations

! Year	! Association	! Category	! Result
		USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year - "Country Boy"
Collaborative Video of the Year - "Country Boy" (with George Jones and Charlie Daniels)

References

The Darkness Within by Jenny Eliscu, Rolling Stone, July 19, 2001 (In depth interview, includes birthplace)

External links

Official website

Official Staind website

ADDICTEDtoStAiND

Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American male singers Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:Nu metal singers Category:Musicians from Vermont Category:Jewish American musicians Category:American musicians of English descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American musicians of German descent Category:American musicians of Russian descent Category:American musicians of Polish descent Category:People from Rutland County, Vermont Category:People from Springfield, Massachusetts Category:American country singers Category:Stroudavarious Records artists

de:Aaron Lewis es:Aaron Lewis it:Aaron Lewis he:ארון לואיס pl:Aaron Lewis pt:Aaron Lewis ru:Льюис, Аарон fi:Aaron Lewis

name	Aaron Russo
birth date	February 14, 1943
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
death date	August 24, 2007
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
known for	Music Manager, Film producer, libertarian politician and activist
religion	Judaism}}

Aaron Russo (February 14, 1943 - August 24, 2007) was an American entertainment businessman, filmmaker, libertarian and political activist. He was best-known for producing ''Trading Places'', ''Wise Guys'', and ''The Rose''. Later in life he created the documentaries ''Mad as Hell'', which calls into question the current state of governmental affairs and ''America: Freedom to Fascism'', which investigates the breadth of the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Federal Reserve System. After a six year battle with bladder cancer, Russo died on August 24, 2007.

Early life

Aaron Russo was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1943. Before moving to New York, his family had lived in Spain, Italy, and Greece. He was raised on Long Island.

Aaron Russo worked for his family's undergarment business, and while in high school, promoted Rock and roll concerts at local theaters. At the age of 24, he opened his own nightclub.

Entertainment career

On April 4, 1968, Russo opened the nightclub Kinetic Playground, originally named the Electric Theater. Through the club, he hosted various famous rock bands and musicians such as Led Zeppelin, The Who, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Iron Butterfly, Rotary Connection and Jefferson Airplane.

During his career in the entertainment industry, Russo was manager for The Manhattan Transfer and Bette Midler from 1972 to 1979 whose breakout film, ''The Rose'', he produced. Russo stated that he was the first person to book Led Zeppelin in the United States club Kinetic Playground.

He was awarded an Emmy for a Bette Midler TV special, and the soundtrack to ''The Rose'', which he produced, was certified gold. Russo co-directed 1989's ''Rude Awakening''. Russo's films received six Academy Award nominations. Two of Russo's films have been nominated for Golden Globe awards.

His final film was ''America: Freedom to Fascism'', a documentary critical of the Federal Reserve System and the Internal Revenue Service, and warning about the coming of the New World Order. At the time of the film's release, Russo had in excess of $2 million of tax liens against him over taxes he had not paid.

Political career

Russo became involved in politics in the early 1990s when he produced and starred in a video entitled ''Mad As Hell'' in which he criticized NAFTA, The War on Drugs, the concept of a National Identity Card, and government regulation of alternative medicine.

Russo ran in the Republican primary for governor of Nevada in 1998, placing second with 26% of the vote. He later endorsed the Democratic candidate, Las Vegas mayor Jan Laverty Jones, who lost to Republican Kenny Guinn. Russo subsequently planned to run for governor in 2002 as an independent or a Libertarian, but he was sidelined by cancer.

In January 2004, he declared his candidacy for the President of the United States as an independent, then decided to run for the Libertarian Party's nomination. While some considered Russo's style crude and even insulting, others argued his media experience would enable him to pose a serious threat to incumbent President George W. Bush, pulling enough votes from otherwise likely Bush voters to affect the outcome in battleground states, in the same way that Ralph Nader was considered to be in relation to Democrat John Kerry.

At the Libertarian National Convention in May 2004, Russo received 258 votes, as opposed to 256 for Michael Badnarik and 246 for Gary Nolan, short of the majority required to receive the presidential nomination. Russo went on to be defeated on the third and final ballot by nominee Badnarik by a vote of 423-344. On February 15, 2004, Aaron Russo endorsed the Free State Project.

On January 14, 2007, Russo announced his full support for U.S. Congressman Ron Paul's 2008 presidential bid. This support includes his ''America: Freedom to Fascism'' volunteer network. Also in 2007, Russo created restoretherepublic.net, a website dedicated to continuing his work and uniting those who subscribe to his beliefs.

Death

Russo died of bladder cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California on August 24, 2007, at age 64. Shortly before his passing, in 2007, Russo founded RestoreTheRepublic.com to fulfill the political ambitions laid out in his final film. He publicly passed the torch to Gary S. Franchi Jr., founder of the Lone Lantern Society of America to lead the new organization and carry on his fight. Russo said his goal was to ''"try and get the word out to the public about what's happening to America -- and give them an opportunity to try to change things"''.

Regarding an epitaph for his headstone after his death, he told the ''Las Vegas Sun'' (November 4, 1999), ''"I want it to say, 'Freedom Fighter'"''.

On February 14, 2008 Russo's organization produced a gold and silver commemorative piece to immortalize their founder. On the front side of each piece, the words "Freedom Fighter" were embossed.

References

External links

America: ''Freedom to Fascism'', Russo's last film

Visit Aaron Russo' Virtual Memorial

Category:American activists Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople Category:American documentary filmmakers Category:American film producers Category:American Jews Category:Jewish American politicians Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Long Island Category:Sephardi Jews Category:People from the Las Vegas metropolitan area Category:1943 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Nevada Libertarians

cs:Aaron Russo de:Aaron Russo es:Aaron Russo fr:Aaron Russo ja:アーロン・ルッソ pt:Aaron Russo sv:Aaron Russo zh:阿羅·拉索

name	Corey Gunz
cover
background	solo_singer
birth name	Peter Pankey, Jr.
alias	Cory Gunny, Mr. Gunz, Gunna
born	June 22, 1987 Bronx, New York, U.S.
genre	Hip hop, Rap, Pop, R&B;/Soul, East Coast Hip Hop
occupation	Rapper, songwrtiter
years active	2006–present
label	Young Money Entertainment, After Platinum Records, TM3 Records
associated acts	Peter Gunz, DJ Drama, Lil Wayne, Young Money, Square Off, Omarion, Nick Cannon, Curren$y, Smoke DZA, Asher Roth, Lloyd Banks, Mickey Factz, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Smokey, Meek Mill (rapper), Wiz Khalifa
website	}}

Peter Pankey, Jr. (born June 22, 1987) is a rapper, better known by his stage name Cory Gunz, and the son of rapper Peter Gunz and cousin of fellow rapper Junior. Gunz is currently signed to Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, After Platinum Records and Universal Motown. He is a native of the Bronx. He was first signed by Tommy Mottola to Casablanca Records and Def Jam Recordings.

Jay-Z shepherded him into a joint venture through The Island Def Jam Music Group. He was featured on a remix of Rihanna's "If It's Lovin' That You Want". Gunz The Apprentice 3 - Season Finale has amassed over 55,000 listens on the mixtape website Datpiff. He also contributed a verse to the original version of Lil Wayne's ''A Milli'' before it was replaced with new verses by Wayne for the album version. In early 2010 Cory Gunz inked a deal with Young Money Entertaimnent, After Platinum Records and Universal Motown. Gunz has also worked with actor and musician Nick Cannon. He is featured in Lil Wayne's single "6 Foot 7 Foot."

Cory Gunz is also the star of MTV's "Son of A Gun" - a reality show that follows Cory after he signed by Young Money. It also features Nick Cannon and Peter Gunz. He has released eight mixtapes since the start of his career.

Discography

Albums

TBA: ''TBD''

Mixtapes

''The Apprentice Mixtape Vol 1

''The Apprentice Mixtape Vol 2

''The Apprentice 3 – Season Finale

''The Militia: The Call Of Duty

2008: ''The Best Kept Secret

2009: ''Youngest in Charge(with Square Off)

2009: ''Gangsta Grillz: Heir to the Throne'' (with DJ Drama)

2011: ''Son of a Gun: The Mixtape''

Collaborative singles

"Push It" (with Emina Jahović) - 2008

"Spit Crack Music" (with Black Kent) - 2010

Featured singles

"If It's Lovin' That You Want Part 2" (Rihanna ft. Cory Gunz) - 2006 '' - From the Album ''A Girl like Me'' (Rihanna album)''

"6 Foot 7 Foot" (Lil Wayne ft. Cory Gunz) - 2010

"A Million Lights" (DJ Khaled ft. Tyga, Cory Gunz, Mack Maine, Jae Millz & Kevin Rudolf) - 2011

References

External links

Myspace

Category:1987 births Category:Cash Money Records artists Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Living people

fr:Cory Gunz pl:Cory Gunz