«The Shoah could not have occured but for the presence, in the very existence of Israel, of something sacerdotal.» Taking this core conviction as his starting point, the A. reflects on Israel's election and on the relevance of its priesthood within human history. Israel is offered to humankind in its being surrendered to the contingency of history, anticipating, within this contingency, the future promised by God. This perspective, when brought into play in connection with the Immaculate Conception, throws some light on Jesus' ministry. Read in the context of the temptations of Jesus in the desert, this ministry appears as a confirmation of Israel's priesthood.
