mediation. But they are much more than that. At the least, we find that the priest himself is a representative of each party as he speaks on behalf of one to the other. The priest is more an authorized and recognized ambassador than a background courier. The image comes to a head in the Greek term for ‘mediator’ (mesitēs; there is not much in the way of a Hebrew equivalent). It moves into the realm of reconciliation and assurances and guarantees. One flagship lexicon (BDAG, 634) gives as its primary