SADOC (Heb. Ṣādhōq «Just»). - High priest who lived in the time of David (v.), ca. 1000 B.C. He was descended from Aaron through the line of Eleazar, to whom the high priesthood belonged by right (Num. 20:28). But in the time of S. for some generations already, for some unknown reason, the high priesthood was in the Aaronic line of Ithamar, in the person of Abiathar (v.). Now, while Abiathar followed David since the persecution of Saul (1 Sam. 22:20-23), S. with his own served the greatly venerated sanctuary of Gibeon (v.), where the tabernacle and the altar of holocausts built by Moses were kept (cf. 1 Chron. 16:39 ff.; 2 Chron. 1:3, 5, 13).
Both priestly families were present when David successfully carried out the second attempt to bring the Ark into the capital (1 Chron. 15:11 ff.). Abiathar then remained in Jerusalem and S. returned to Gibeon (ibid. 16:39 ff.), but both were again with David at the critical moment of Absalom's revolt. David, however, did not want them to follow him into exile; he left them in Jerusalem to guard the Ark, so that they would keep him informed of events (2 Sam. 15:24-29; 17:15 ff.). After Absalom's death, they worked to have the people recall David (ibid. 19:11-15).
The strange situation of two simultaneous high priests was resolved at the accession of Solomon. Abiathar was deposed, having sided with Adonijah (v.), and S. remained alone in the high priesthood (1 Kings 1:5-8; 2:26 ff.), which his descendants held until the New Testament. This had been foretold to Eli by a "man of God" (1 Sam. 2:30-36).
To this S., through a text of Ezekiel (44:15) arbitrarily interpreted, the followers of the "New Covenant" of Damascus (2nd cent. B.C.) professed to trace themselves, to whom probably some of the documents discovered (1947) in the desert of Judah are due.
Gino Bressan