The High Priests

High Priest in "Robes of Splendor and Glory" illustration by George C. Needham (1874)

The High Priests were appointed by the government and were supposed to be appointed for life; but in reality, they were constantly deposed and replaced. Josephus counts twenty-eight from the accession of Herod the Great until the destruction of Jerusalem. We can easily identify twenty-seven of them whose names are as follows.

Appointed by Herod the Great (37-4 BCE)

1. Ananel or Hannanel (-37 to -36)

2. Aristobulus (Judah Aristobulus III) (-35). He was the legitimate heir to the Pontificate, as a member of the Hasmonean family, but he was only sixteen years old; Herod had then chosen Ananel. Aristobulus was the younger brother of Mariamne the Maccabee, Herod's wife, and therefore the brother-in-law of the king. Herod appointed him at the insistence of Alexandra, his mother-in-law, then had him executed. Ananel was then high priest for the second time (-34 to -30).

3. Jesus or Joshua ben Phabi (-30 to – 23). Herod removed the pontificate from him to give it to his father-in-law Simon, upon his marriage to Mariamne II.

4. Simon ben Boethus (or Boëthus), father of Queen Mariamne II (circa 24 to 5 BCE). According to other sources, the high priest, father-in-law of the king, would have been Boethus himself. He would therefore be the High Priest who married the young Mary at the Temple and married her a few years later. Not to be confused with his namesake and probably relative: Simon Boetos, a contemporary of Christ.

5. Matthias (or Matthatiah), son of Theophilus (5-4 BCE)

6. Joazar (Yoasar) ben Boethus (4 BCE - 1-2 CE). Brother or son of Simon (see above § 4). He will be appointed a second time: see below § 8

Appointed by Archelaus (4 BCE - 6 CE)

7. Eleazar, brother of Joazar, son of Boethus (1-2 CE)

8. Jesus (Joshua), ben Sie then Joazar for the second time (1/2-6 CE)

"These last high priests were insignificant and had no influence. We believe (and this is an opinion we defended in the fourth chapter of the first book of this work) that the famous Hillel was at that time president of the Sanhedrin. Having come to Jerusalem thirty-six years before Jesus Christ, he would have begun his presidency around the year thirty. He died, according to some, in the year five before Jesus Christ, and according to others in the year ten after him".

Appointed by Quirinius (6 CE)

9. Ananus (Josephus), Hannas (New Testament), in Hebrew Hanan, son of Seth (6-15 CE)

"Hanan was, in our opinion, the first high priest president of the Sanhedrin. Hillel was dead; the government had passed to the Romans who wished to direct the Sanhedrin themselves, having its president in hand. Hanan was powerful, the Pharisees were put in the minority as official power; everything explains and justifies this transmission of the presidency".

Appointed by Valerius Gratus (15-26 CE)

10. Ismael Ben Phabi I (15-16 CE)

11. Eleazar ben Hanan (16-17 CE). The eldest son of High Priest Anna who, in addition to his own pontificate, was the father of five high priests (Eleazar, Jonathan, Theophilus, Matthias, and Hanan in 63) as well as the father-in-law of Caiaphas.

12. Simon ben Kamithos (17-18 CE)

13. Joseph, nicknamed Kaiaphas or Caiaphas (18-36 CE). He was son-in-law of Hanan.

Appointed by Vitellius (35-39 CE)

14. Jonathan ben Annas (36-37 CE)

15. Theophilus ben Hanan (38-42 CE)

Appointed by Agrippa I (41-44), the king who triggered the first anti-Christian persecution

16. Simon Kantheros, son of Boethus (42 CE, a few months)

17. Matthias ben Hanan (42-43)

18. Elionaios ben Kantheros (43-44)

Appointed by Herod of Chalcis (44-48)

19. Joseph ben Kamithos (44-46)

20. Ananias ben Nebedaios (circa 47-59)

Appointed by Agrippa II (50-100)

21. Ismael ben Phabi II (circa 59-61 CE)

Second part of the Bible, from the coming of Jesus Christ until the Apocalypse.