High Priests

• ANCIENT SOURCES: see High Priests (sources)
• LIST OF SCHOLARLY AND FICTIONAL WORKS: see Category:High Priest (subject)

The High Priests were the supreme religious authority of the Second Temple.

List of High Priests, and years in office

Persian Period

• 1. Joshua ben Jehozadak, ca. 515-490 BCE

• 2. Joiakim ben Joshua, ca. 490-470 BCE

• 3. Eliashib ben Joiakim, ca. 470-433 BCE

• 4. Joiada ben Eliashib, ca. 433-410 BCE

• 5. Johanan ben Joiada, ca. 410-371 BCE

• 6. Jaddua ben Johanan, ca. 371-320 BCE

Greek Period

• 7. Onias I, son of Jaddua, ca. 320-280 BCE

• 8. Simon I, son of Onias, ca. 280-260 BCE

• 9. Eleazar ben Onias, ca. 260-245 BCE

• 10. Manasseh ben Jaddua, ca. 245-240 BCE

• 11. Onias II, son of Simon, ca. 240-218 BCE

• 12. Simon II, son of Onias, 218-185 BCE

• 13. Onias III, son of Simon, 185-175 BCE, murdered 170 BCE

• 14. Jason, son of Simon, 175-172 BCE

• 15. Menelaus, 172-162 BCE

• 16. Alcimus, 162-159 BCE

<Inter-Sacerdotium>, 159-153

Hasmonean Period

• 17. Jonathan Maccabeus, son of Mattathias, and brother of Judas Maccabeus, 153-143 BCE

• 18. Simon Maccabeus, son of Mattathias, and brother of Jonathan Maccabeus, 142-134 BCE

• 19. John Hyrcanus, son of Simon Maccabeus, 134-104 BCE

• 20. Aristobulus, son of John Hyrcanus, 104-103 BCE

• 21. Alexander Jannaeus, son of John Hyrcanus, and brother of Aristobulus, 103-76 BCE

• 22. John Hyrcanus II, son of Alexander Jannaeus, 76-67 (as High Priest), 66 (as High Priest and King), and 63-40 (as High Priest)

• 23. Aristobulus II, son of Alexander Jannaeus and Salome Alexandra, brother of John Hyrcanus II, 66-63 BCE (as High Priest and King)

Roman Period

• [22 bis] John Hyrcanus II, 63-40
  • Was the son of Alexander Jannaeus, and the brother of Aristobulus II
  • Was restored by the Romans as High Priest

• 24. Antigonus, 40-37
  • Was the younger son of Aristobulus II, and the nephew of John Hyrcanus II
  • Was supported by the Parthians as High Priest and King

Appointed by Herod the Great:

• 25. Ananel (Ananelus), 37-35 BCE
  • Served under Herod the Great
  • Came from the Diaspora community in Babylon.

• 26. Aristobulus III, 35 BCE
  • Was a member of the Hasmonean dynasty, the son of Alexander of Judaea and Alexandra the Hasmonean, and the brother of Herod's wife Mariamne
  • Served under Herod the Great), who had him murdered.

• [25 bis] Ananel (Ananelus) restored) 35-30? BCE
  • Was restored by Herod the Great after the assassination of Aristobulus III

• 27. Joshua ben Phiabi, 30?-23? BCE
  • Served under Herod the Great

• 28. Simon ben Boethus, 23? to 5 BCE
  • Served under Herod the Great

• 29. Matthias ben Theophilus, 5-4 BCE
  • Served under Herod the Great

• 30. Joazar ben Boethus 4 BCE
  • Served under Herod the Great

Appointed by Herod Archelaus:

• 31. Eleazar ben Boethus, 4-3 BCE
  • Served under Herod Archelaus

• 32. Joshua ben Sie 3 BCE - ?
  • Served under Herod Archelaus

• [30 bis] Joazar ben Boethus restored, ? - 6 CE
  • Served under Herod Archelaus

Appointed by Quirinius:

• 33. Annas (Ananus ben Seth), 6-15
  • Served under all Roman Governors appointed by Augustus, namely, Coponius, Ambivulus, and Rufus

Appointed by Valerius Gratus:

• 34. Ishmael ben Phiabi (Ishmael ben Fabus), 15-16
  • Served under Roman Governor Gratus, and Emperor Tiberius

• 35. Eleazar ben Ananus, son of Annas, 16-17
  • Served under Roman Governor Gratus, and Emperor Tiberius

• 36. Simon ben Camith 17-18
  • Served under Roman Governor Gratus, and Emperor Tiberius

• 37. Caiaphas (Joseph Caiaphas), 18-36
  • Was the son-in-law of Annas
  • Served under Roman Governors, Gratus and Pontius Pilate, and Emperor Tiberius

Appointed by Vitellius:

• 38. Jonathan ben Ananus, son of Annas, 36-37
  • Served under Roman Governor, Marcellus, and Emperor Tiberius

• 39. Theophilus ben Ananus, son of Annas, 37-41
  • Served under Roman Governor Marullus, and Emperor Caligula

Appointed by Herod Agrippa:

• 40. Simon Cantheras ben Boethus, 41-42
  • Served under King Herod Agrippa, and Emperor Claudius

• 41. Matthias ben Ananus, son of Annas, 43
  • Served under King Herod Agrippa, and Emperor Claudius

• 42. Elionaeus ben Cantheras 43-44
  • Served under King Herod Agrippa, and Emperor Claudius

• [38 bis] Jonathan ben Ananus, son of Annas, 44
  • Was restored under King Herod Agrippa, and Emperor Claudius

Appointed by Herod of Chalcis:

• 43. Joseph ben Camei (Josephus ben Camydus), 44-46
  • Served under Roman Governor Fadus, and Emperor Claudius

• 44. Ananias ben Nebedaeus, 46-52
  • Served under Roman Governors Tiberius Alexander and Cumanus, and Emperor Claudius

• [38 ter] Jonathan ben Ananus, 52-56
  • Was restored under Roman Governor Felix, and Emperors Claudius and Nero)

Appointed by Herod Agrippa II:

• 45. Ishmael ben Phiabi II (Ishmael ben Fabus II), 56-62
  • Served under Roman Governor Festus, and Emperor Nero)

• 46 Joseph ben Simon (Joseph Cabi ben Simon) 62-63
  • Served under Roman Governor Albinus, and Emperor Nero

• 47. Ananus ben Ananus, son of Annas, 63
  • Appointed by Herod Agrippa II, was removed from office by Roman Governor Albinus

• 48. Joshua ben Damnaeus 63
  • Appointed by Herod Agrippa II, served under Roman Governor Albinus

• 49. Joshua ben Gamaliel 63-64
  • Appointed by Herod Agrippa II, served under Roman Governor Albinus
  • According to the Mishnah, his wife Martha belonged to the House of Boethus

• 50. Matthias ben Theophilus, 65-68?
  • Appointed by Herod Agrippa II, served under Roman Governor Florus, and Emperor Nero, and in the first two years of the Jewish War
  • Might be the son of Theophilus ben Ananus and then the grandson of Annas

Appointed by the Zealots:

• 51. Phannias ben Samuel, 68?-70?
  • Was chosen by lot by the rebels during the Jewish War

Related categories

• Zadokites / Hasmoneans (subject)

External links

• [Wikipedia

Select Bibliography (articles)

• High Priests / James C. vanderKam / In: The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism (2010 Collins / Harlow), edited volume, 739-741