Your perfectly valid comments below are all besides the point, and basically are the same points raised by the Sadducees, Karites and other groups within Judaism, that eventually ended up in the margins. However, unlike Shoshanna, instead of simply making assertations of faith, I'm trying to give us some historical perspective.
Rabbinic Judaism was basically the great "democritizer" of Judaism. The Priests claimed that their authority was hereditory, based on their descent from Aaron. As long as the Temple was at the center of Jewish life, they had an unassailable position of power. However, with the emergence of the synagogue, which became Judaism's lifeline in the post-Temple era, the Priests had no special claim to authority. After all, they had been preaching since Deuteronomy that the Jerusalem Temple was the only place in which the sacrificial cult was valid. Well, since there was no more Temple, it was now someone else's turn.
In principle, anyone can become a prophet, but as scripture became cannonized, the list of "true prophets" closed. Tradition considers Malachi, a.k.a. Ezra (and yes, I know that there's no scriptual basis for that identification!) be have been the last prophet. Malachi, of course, predicted the return of Elijah, but until that happens, prophecy is closed. Of course, there are still individuals who are "inspired", but that's not the same.
Which leaves the rabbis/scribes/elders. Anybody can become a rabbi, but he has to study and pass his exams. Moses "ordained" the first group of 70, led by Joshua. This "ordination" is called "smikhah", which means "laening [the hands]", which is what Moses did to Joshua. The rabbis' tradition is that all future rabbis can trace their "smikhah" back to Moses.
You ask, where is all this in scripture? Well, it's not spelled out, hence "oral". But there are hints. For example, Deut. 13. Please note: in the English, this chapter begins by warning us that if there should arise a prophet who tells us to change the Law, he is not to be believed, because the Law is immutable. The MT, however, begins one verse before (12:32 in the English) - "Whatever I tell you to do, don't add and don't detract". In the Hebrew, this is not the ending of chapter 12, but the begining of chapter 13.
Or go to Deut. 16:18, which is the begining of the Sedrah Shophtim. "Judges and officers you shall make in all your gates" - none of which have to be priests! So the actuall keeping of the Law is not given to the Priests! And then there's 17:8 ff. - if you have a question, come to the Priests, the Levites AND the judges...
The point of all of which is that the scribes/rabbis/elders, also the Pharisees, considered their authority, based on knowledge and learning, to be greater than that of the Priests.
They traced their authority back to Moshe rabbeinu, "Moses our Rabbi" - the first and greatest of them all. From a historical point of view, the won - and shaped Judaism in their image.
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