theocracy

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
theocracy /θɪˈɒkrəsi/

▶noun (pl. theocracies) a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god.

■ (the Theocracy) the commonwealth of Israel from the time of Moses until Saul became King.

– derivatives
theocrat noun,
theocratic adjective,
theocratically adverb.

– origin C17: from Gk theokratia (see theo-, -cracy).