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When Israel had reached [[Hazeroth (EBD)|Hazeroth]], in 'the wilderness of [[Paran (EBD)|Paran]],' Aaron joined with his sister Miriam in murmuring against Moses, 'because of the [[Ethiopian woman (EBD)|Ethiopian woman]] whom he had married,' probably after the [[Death (EBD)|death]] of [[Zipporah (EBD)|Zipporah]]. But the [[Lord (EBD)|Lord]] vindicated his servant Moses, and punished Miriam with [[Leprosy (EBD)|leprosy]] (Num. 12). Aaron acknowledged his own and his sister's guilt, and at the intercession of Moses they were forgiven.
Twenty years after this, when the children of Israel were encamped in the wilderness of Paran, [[Korah (EBD)|Korah]], [[Dathan (EBD)|Dathan]], and [[Abiram (EBD)|Abiram]] conspired against Aaron and his sons; but a fearful [[Judgements Judgments of God (EBD)|judgment]] from God fell upon them, and they were destroyed, and the next day thousands of the people also perished by a fierce pestilence, the ravages of which were only stayed by the interposition of Aaron (Num. 16). That there might be further evidence of the divine appointment of Aaron to the priestly office, the chiefs of the tribes were each required to bring to Moses a rod bearing on it the name of his tribe. And these, along with the rod of Aaron for the tribe of Levi, were laid up overnight in the [[Tabernacle (EBD)|tabernacle]], and in the morning it was found that while the other rods remained unchanged, that of Aaron 'for the house of Levi' budded, blossomed, and yielded [[Almond (EBD)|almonds]] (Num. 17:1-10). This rod was afterwards preserved in the tabernacle (Heb. 9:4) as a memorial of the divine attestation of his appointment to the priesthood.
Aaron was implicated in the sin of his brother at [[Meribah (EBD)|Meribah]] (Num. 20:8-13), and on that account was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. When the tribes arrived at Mount Hor, 'in the edge of the land of [[Edom (EBD)|Edom]],' at the command of God Moses led Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of that mountain, in the sight of all the people. There he stripped Aaron of his priestly vestments, and put them upon Eleazar; and there Aaron died on the top of the mount, being 123 years old (Num. 20:23-29. Comp. Deut. 10:6; 32:50), and was 'gathered unto his people.' The people, 'even all the house of Israel,' mourned for him thirty days. Of Aaron's sons two survived him, Eleazar, whose family held the high-priesthood till the time of [[Eli (EBD|Eli]]; and [[Ithamar (EBD)|Ithamar]], in whose family, beginning with Eli, the high-priesthood was held till the time of [[Solomon (EBD)|Solomon]]. Aaron's other two sons had been struck dead (Lev. 10:1,2) for the daring impiety of offering 'strange [[Fire (EBD)|fire]]' on the [[Altar (EBD)|altar]] of [[Incense (EBD)|incense]].