Ananelus (also known as Hanameel) was a

Jewish High priest High Priest ( he, כהן גדול, translit=Kohen Gadol or ; ) was the title of the chief religious official of Judaism from the early post-Babylonian captivity, Exilic times until Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE), the destruction of the Second Temple ...

in the 1st century BCE. Though of

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

ly descent, he was not a member of the

Hasmonean dynasty The Hasmonean dynasty (; he, ''Ḥašmōnaʾīm'') was a ruling dynasty of Judea and surrounding regions during classical antiquity, from BCE to 37 BCE. Between and BCE the dynasty ruled Judea semi-autonomously in the Seleucid Empire, and ...

. The

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...

(Parah 3:5) identifies him as Hanameel the Egyptian, while

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...

("Ant." xv. 2, § 4) identifies him as being from

Babylon ''Bābili(m)'' * sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 * arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel'' * syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel'' * grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn'' * he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel'' * peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru'' * elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...

. He was appointed by Herod to fill the office of high priest made vacant by the death of Antigonus (37 BCE). Ananelus's incumbency was of short duration. Prudence compelled Herod to remove him, and to fill his place with the Hasmonean Aristobulus (36 BCE). The youthful Hasmonean, however, was too popular with the patriotic party; though he was a brother of Mariamne, Herod's beloved wife, he was treacherously drowned at Herod's instigation (35 BCE), and Ananelus was restored to the high position. How long he continued in office historians do not state; but it could not have been for many years, since after the execution of Mariamne (29 BCE) Herod remarried, and appointed his second father-in-law,

Simon ben Boethus Simon son of Boethus (also known as Simon son of Boëthus, Simeon ben Boethus or Shimon ben Boethus) () was a Jewish High priest (ca. 23 – 4 BCE) in the 1st century BCE and father-in-law of Herod the Great. According to Josephus, he was also ...

, to the high-priesthood, removing

Joshua ben Fabus Jesus, son of Fabus, also known as Jesus, son of Phabet, Jesus son of Phiabi or Joshua ben Fabus (), was a Jewish High priest (c. 30 – 23 BCE) in the 1st century BCE. He succeeded Ananelus Ananelus (also known as Hanameel) was a Jewish High prie ...

. Ananelus is credited with having prepared the last of seven total " red heifers" (see Numbers 19) which were provided in all the centuries from Ezra's restoration to the final dispersion of the Jews (Parah 3:5).

References

Jewish Encyclopedia: Hanameel the Egyptian
{{High Priests of Judaism 1st-century BCE High Priests of Israel