This article gives a list of the High Priests (''Kohen Gadol'') of

Ancient Israel The history of ancient Israel and Judah begins in the Southern Levant during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. "Israel" as a people or tribal confederation (see Israelites) appears for the first time in the Merneptah Stele, an inscri ...

up to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD. Because of a lack of historical data, this list is incomplete and there may be gaps.

High Priests of Israel

The High Priests, like all Levitical priests, belonged to the Aaronic line. The Bible mentions the majority of high priests before the

Babylonian captivity The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile is the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon, the capital city of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, following their defeat ...

, but does not give a complete list of office holders. Lists would be based on various historical sources. In several periods of

gentile Gentile () is a word that usually means "someone who is not a Jew". Other groups that claim Israelite heritage, notably Mormons, sometimes use the term ''gentile'' to describe outsiders. More rarely, the term is generally used as a synonym fo ...

rule, high priests were appointed and removed by kings. Still, most high priests came from the Aaronic line. One exception is

Menelaus In Greek mythology, Menelaus (; grc-gre, Μενέλαος , 'wrath of the people', ) was a king of Mycenaean (pre- Dorian) Sparta. According to the ''Iliad'', Menelaus was a central figure in the Trojan War, leading the Spartan contingent of ...

, who may not have been from the Tribe of Levi at all, but from the

Tribe of Benjamin According to the Torah, the Tribe of Benjamin () was one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The tribe was descended from Benjamin, the youngest son of the patriarch Jacob (later given the name Israel) and his wife Rachel. In the Samaritan Pentate ...

From the Exodus to Solomon's Temple

The following section is based on information found in the various books of the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...

, including the genealogies given in First Book of Chronicles and the

Book of Ezra The Book of Ezra is a book of the Hebrew Bible; which formerly included the Book of Nehemiah in a single book, commonly distinguished in scholarship as Ezra–Nehemiah. The two became separated with the first printed rabbinic bibles of the e ...

, the works of

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 ...

and the early-medieval '' Seder Olam Zutta''. *

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

Eleazar Eleazar (; ) or Elʽazar was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second High Priest, succeeding his father Aaron after he died. He was a nephew of Moses. Biblical narrative Eleazar played a number of roles during the course of the Exodus, from cr ...

, son of Aaron () *

Phinehas According to the Hebrew Bible, Phinehas or Phineas (; , ''Phinees'', ) was a priest during the Israelites’ Exodus journey. The grandson of Aaron and son of Eleazar, the High Priests (), he distinguished himself as a youth at Shittim with h ...

, son of Eleazar * Abishua, son of Phinehas ** The Samaritans insert

Shesha Shesha ( Sanskrit: शेष; ) , also known as Sheshanaga ( Sanskrit: शेषनाग; ) or Adishesha (), is a serpentine demigod (Naga) and Nagaraja (King of all serpents), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the ...

as the son of Abishua and father of Bukki. *

Bukki Bukki ( ''Buqqi'', "proved") may have been an early High Priest of Israel. Another Bukki is mentioned in Numbers as a leader in the Tribe of Dan. Bukki is mentioned in the books 1 Chronicles (6:4) and Ezra (7:4) as the son of the High Priest Abish ...

, son of Abishua *

Uzzi Uzzi is a given name. One derivation is biblical, from ''Uzzî'' () meaning "my strength". The name can also be transliterated as Uzi. It may be a nickname for Uzza/Uzzah, Uzzia/Uzziah, and Uziel/Uzziel. Biblical characters with this name: * Uz ...

, son of Bukki Although Phinehas and his descendants are not directly attested as high priests, this portion of the genealogy given in is assumed by other sources (including Josephus and ''

Seder 'Olam Zutta Seder Olam Zutta (Hebrew: ) is an anonymous chronicle from 803 CE, called "Zuta" (= "smaller," or "younger") to distinguish it from the older '' Seder Olam Rabbah.'' This work is based upon, and to a certain extent completes and continues, the old ...

''), to give the succession of the office from father to son. At some time, the office was transferred from descendants of Eleazar to those of his brother Itamar. The first known and most notable high priest of Itamar's line was Eli, a contemporary of

Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bib ...

. * Eli, descendant of Ithamar, son of Aaron * Ahitub, son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli *

Ahijah Ahijah ( ''’Ǎḥîyāh'', "brother of Yah"; Latin and Douay–Rheims: Ahias) is a name of several biblical individuals: # Ahijah the Shilonite, the Biblical prophet who divided the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. # One of the sons of Bela (1 Ch ...

, son of Ahitub *

Ahimelech Ahimelech ( ''ʾĂḥīmeleḵ'', "my brother is king"/"brother of a king"), the son of Ahitub and father of Abiathar (), but described as the son of Abiathar in and in four places in 1 Chronicles."Ahimelech", ''Encyclopedia Biblica'' He desce ...

, son of Ahijah (or brother of Ahijah and son of Ahitub) *

Abiathar Abiathar ( ''ʾEḇyāṯār'', "father (of) abundance"/"abundant father"), in the Hebrew Bible, is a son of Ahimelech or Ahijah, High Priest at Nob, the fourth in descent from Eli and the last of Eli's House to be a High Priest. Bible accou ...

, son of Ahimelech Abiathar was removed from the high priesthood for conspiring against King

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

, and was replaced by Zadok, son of Ahitub, who oversaw the construction of the First Temple. According to the genealogies given in , Zadok was a descendant of Uzzi (through Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah and Ahitub) and thus belonged to the line of Eleazar.

First Temple period

From Solomon's time until the Babylonian captivity the High Priests officiated at

Solomon's Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (, , ), was the Temple in Jerusalem between the 10th century BC and . According to the Hebrew Bible, it was commissioned by Solomon in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited by t ...

in Jerusalem. Information about who served in that office diverges between the Bible, Josephus and the '' Seder Olam Zutta''. While Josephus and ''Seder 'Olam Zuta'' each mention 18 high priests, the genealogy given in gives twelve names, culminating in the last high priest Seriah, father of Jehozadak. However, it is unclear whether all those mentioned in the genealogy between Zadok and Jehozadak were high priests and whether high priests mentioned elsewhere (such as Jehoiada and Jehoiarib) are simply omitted or did not belong to the male line in this genealogy. Some name Jehozadak, son of Seriah, as a high priest prior to being sent to captivity in

Babylonia Babylonia (; Akkadian: , ''māt Akkadī'') was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Syria). It emerged as an Amorite-ruled state c ...

, based on the biblical references to "Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest". According to

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...

(Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi), this is a misreading of the phrase, as "the high priest" does not refer to Jehozadak, who was exiled to Babylon without having served as high priest, but to his son Joshua, who ascended from Babylon at the end of the exile.

After the Babylonian captivity

Dates and contemporaries are taken from James C. VanderKam's ''From Joshua to Caiaphas: High Priests After the Exile''. *

Joshua Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...

, son of Jehozadak, after the building of the Second Temple. Contemporary of

Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia (; peo, 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 ), commonly known as Cyrus the Great, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, the first Persian empire. Schmitt Achaemenid dynasty (i. The clan and dynasty) Under his rule, the empire embraced ...

(reigned 538-530 BC) and

Darius I Darius I ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was a Persian ruler who served as the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his ...

(reigned 522-486 BC). * Joiakim, son of Joshua, (Nehemiah 12:10). * Eliashib, son of Joiakim, (Nehemiah 12:10). Mentioned in the time of Nehemiah in 444 BC. * Joiada, son of Eliashib, (Nehemiah 12:10)
(A son married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite for which he was driven out of the Temple by Nehemiah) (Nehemiah 13:28) *

Johanan Yohanan, Yochanan and Johanan are various transliterations to the Latin alphabet of the Hebrew male given name ('), a shortened form of ('), meaning " YHWH is gracious". The name is ancient, recorded as the name of Johanan, high priest of th ...

, son of Joiada,(Nehemiah 12:11). Mentioned in the Elephantine papyri in 410 BC. * Jaddua, son of Johanan, (Nehemiah 12:11) Contemporary of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

(reigned 336-323 BC). Some have identified him as Simeon the Just. The five descendants of Joshua are mentioned in Nehemiah, chapter 12, 10f. The chronology given above, based on Josephus, however is not undisputed, with some alternatively placing Jaddua during the time of

Darius II Darius II ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ), also known by his given name Ochus ( ), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 423 BC to 405 or 404 BC. Artaxerxes I, who died in 424 BC, was followed by h ...

(423-405/4 BC) and some supposing one more Johanan and one more Jaddua in the following time, the latter Jaddua being contemporary of Alexander the Great. * Onias I, son of Jaddua. Contemporary of

Areus I Areus I ( grc-gre, Ἀρεύς; c. 320 or 312 – 265 BC) was Agiad King of Sparta from 309 to 265 BC. His reign is noted for his attempts to transform Sparta into an Hellenistic kingdom and to recover its former pre-eminence in Greece, notably a ...

of Sparta, (reigned 309-265 BC)? *

Simon I Simon I may refer to: * Simon I (High Priest) (310–291 or 300–270 BCE) * Simon I de Montfort (1025–1087) * Simon I de Senlis, Earl of Huntingdon-Northampton (died c. 1111) * Simon I, Duke of Lorraine (1076–1138) * Simon I, Count of Saarbr� ...

, son of Onias. Josephus identified him as Simeon the Just *

, son of Onias and brother of Simon I. Contemporary of

Ptolemy II Philadelphus ; egy, Userkanaenre Meryamun Clayton (2006) p. 208 , predecessor = Ptolemy I , successor = Ptolemy III , horus = ''ḥwnw-ḳni'Khunuqeni''The brave youth , nebty = ''wr-pḥtj'Urpekhti''Great of strength , gold ...

of Egypt, (reigned 283-246 BC)? * Manasseh, son of Jaddua, brother of Onias I and uncle of Simon I and Eleazar. * Onias II, son of Simon I. Contemporary of

Ptolemy III Euergetes , predecessor = Ptolemy II , successor = Ptolemy IV , nebty = ''ḳn nḏtj-nṯrw jnb-mnḫ-n-tꜢmrj'Qen nedjtinetjeru inebmenekhentamery''The brave one who has protected the gods, a potent wall for The Beloved Land , nebty_hiero ...

of Egypt, (reigned 246-221 BC)? * Simon II, son of Onias II. Contemporary of Ptolemy IV Philopator of Egypt (221-204 BC)? * Onias III, son of Simon II, (?-175 BC), murdered 170 BC ** Onias IV, son of Onias III, fled to Egypt and built a Jewish Temple at

Leontopolis Leontopolis was an ancient Egyptian city located in the Nile Delta, Lower Egypt. It served as a provincial capital and Metropolitan Archbishopric. The archaeological site and settlement are known today as Kafr Al Muqdam. Name Known most popular ...

(closed between 66-73 AD) *

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He ...

, son of Simon II, 175-172 BC (the last of the Zadokite dynasty) *

, 172-165 BC *

Judas Maccabeus Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabeus, also spelled Machabeus, or Maccabæus, Hebrew: יהודה המכבי, ''Yehudah HaMakabi'') was a Jewish priest (''kohen'') and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleuc ...

, son of Mattathias, 165-162 BC (held the office after the consecration of the Temple) * Alcimus, 162-159 BC

Inter-sacerdotium

It is unknown who held the position of High Priest of Jerusalem between Alcimus' death and the accession of

Jonathan Apphus Jonathan Apphus (Hebrew: ''Yōnāṯān ʾApfūs''; Ancient Greek: Ἰωνάθαν Ἀπφοῦς, ''Iōnáthan Apphoûs'') was one of the sons of Mattathias and the leader of the Hasmonean dynasty of Judea from 161 to 143 BCE. Name H J Wolf no ...

. Josephus, in ''Jewish Antiquities'' XX.10, relates that the office was vacant for seven years, but this is highly unlikely, if not impossible. In religious terms, the High Priest was a necessary part of the rites on the Day of Atonement, a day that could have not been allowed to pass uncelebrated for so long so soon after the restoration of the Temple service. Politically, Israel's overlords probably would not have allowed a power vacuum to last that length of time. In another passage ( XII.10 §6, XII.11 §2) Josephus suggests that

, the brother of Jonathan, held the office for three years, succeeding Alcimus. However, Judas actually predeceased Alcimus by one year. The nature of Jonathan's accession to the high priesthood makes it unlikely that Judas held that office during the inter-sacerdotium. The

Jewish Encyclopedia ''The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' is an English-language encyclopedia containing over 15,000 articles on th ...

tries to harmonise the contradictions found in Josephus by supposing that Judas held the office "immediately after the consecration of the Temple (165-162), that is, before the election of Alcimus" * It has been argued that the founder of the Qumran community, the Teacher of Righteousness (?159-153 BC). was High Priest (but not necessarily the sole occupant) during the inter-sacerdotium and was driven off by Jonathan.

Hasmonean dynasty

, 153-143 BC *

Simon Thassi Simon Thassi ( he, ''Šīməʿōn haTassī''; died 135) was the second son of Mattathias and thus a member of the Hasmonean family. Names The name "Thassi" has a connotation of "the Wise", a title which can also mean "the Director", "the G ...

, brother of Jonathan Apphus, 142-134 BC *

John Hyrcanus I John Hyrcanus (; ''Yōḥānān Hurqanōs''; grc, Ἰωάννης Ὑρκανός, Iōánnēs Hurkanós) was a Hasmonean ( Maccabean) leader and Jewish high priest of the 2nd century BCE (born 164 BCE, reigned from 134 BCE until his death in ...

, son of Simeon Tassi, 134-104 BC * Aristobulus I, son of John Hyrcanus, 104-103 BC * Alexander Jannaeus, son of John Hyrcanus, 103-76 BC *

John Hyrcanus II John Hyrcanus II (, ''Yohanan Hurqanos'') (died 30 BCE), a member of the Hasmonean dynasty, was for a long time the Jewish High Priest in the 1st century BCE. He was also briefly King of Judea 67–66 BCE and then the ethnarch (ruler) of Ju ...

, son of Alexander Jannaeus, 76-66 BC * Aristobulus II, son of Alexander Jannaeus, 66-63 BC * Hyrcanus II (restored), 63-40 BC * Antigonus, son of Aristobulus II, 40-37 BC

Herodian-Roman period

* Ananelus, 37-36 BC *

Aristobulus III Aristobulus III (53–36 BCE) was the last scion of the Hasmonean royal house, brother of Herod the Great's wife Mariamne, and grandson of Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. He was a favourite of the people on account of his noble descent and hands ...

, grandson of Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II, 36 BC
He was the last of the Hasmoneans; brother of Herod's second wife Mariamne I. * Ananelus (restored), 36-30 BC * Joshua ben Fabus, 30-23 BC * Simon ben Boethus, 23-5 BC (his daughter Mariamne II was third wife of

Herod the Great Herod I (; ; grc-gre, ; c. 72 – 4 or 1 BCE), also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman Jewish client king of Judea, referred to as the Herodian kingdom. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea, including his renova ...

) * Matthias ben Theophilus, 5-4 BC * Joazar ben Boethus, 4 BC * Eleazar ben Boethus, 4-3 BC * Joshua ben Sie, 3 BC - ? * Joazar ben Boethus (restored), ? - 6 AD * Ananus ben Seth, 6-15 * Ishmael ben Fabus (Phiabi), 15-16 * Eleazar ben Ananus, 16-17 * Simon ben Camithus, 17-18 * Joseph ben Caiaphas, 18-36 (son-in-law of the high priest Ananus ben Seth) *

Jonathan ben Ananus Annas (also Ananus or Ananias;Goodman, Martin, "Rome & Jerusalem", Penguin Books, p.12 (2007) , ; grc-x-koine, Ἅννας, ; 23/22 BC – death date unknown, probably around AD 40) was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High P ...

, 36-37 *

Theophilus ben Ananus Theophilus () was the High Priest in the Second Temple in Jerusalem from 37 to 41 CE according to Josephus's ''Antiquities of the Jews''. He was a member of one of the wealthiest and most influential Jewish families in Iudaea Province during t ...

, 37-41 * Simon Cantatheras ben Boethus, 41-43 *

Matthias ben Ananus Annas (also Ananus or Ananias;Goodman, Martin, "Rome & Jerusalem", Penguin Books, p.12 (2007) , ; grc-x-koine, Ἅννας, ; 23/22 BC – death date unknown, probably around AD 40) was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High ...

, 43 * Elioneus ben Simon Cantatheras, 43-44 *

, 44 (restored) * Josephus ben Camydus, 44-46 *

Ananias son of Nedebeus Ananias son of Nedebeus (Hebrew: חנניה בן נדבאי ''Ḥananyá ben Nadváy'' "…(son of) the philanthropist") was a high priest who, according to the Acts of the Apostles, presided during the trials of the apostle Paul at Jerusalem ( Ac ...

, 46-58 *

Jonathan Jonathan may refer to: *Jonathan (name), a masculine given name Media * ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer * ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski * ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...

, 58

Antiquities of the Jews ''Antiquities of the Jews'' ( la, Antiquitates Iudaicae; el, Ἰουδαϊκὴ ἀρχαιολογία, ''Ioudaikē archaiologia'') is a 20-volume historiographical work, written in Greek, by historian Flavius Josephus in the 13th year of the ...

br>20.8.5
/ref> *

Ishmael II ben Fabus Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...

, 58-62 (relation to priest of same name from 15-16 CE?) * Joseph Cabi ben Simon, 62-63 *

Ananus ben Ananus Ananus ben Ananus (Hebrew: ''Hanan ben Hanan'' Greek: "Ananos son of Ananos" var: Ananias, la, Anani Ananus or ), d. 68 CE, was a Herodian-era High Priest of Israel in Jerusalem, Iudaea Province. He was the High Priest who ordered the exe ...

, 63 *

Jesus son of Damneus Jesus son of Damneus (Greek: Ἰησοῦς του Δαμναίου, Hebrew: ישוע בן דמנאי, ''Yeshua` ben Damnai'') was a Herodian-era High Priest of Judaea in Jerusalem, Iudaea Province. In the ''Antiquities of the Jews'' ( Boo ...

, 63 *

Joshua ben Gamla Joshua ben Gamla (), also called Jesus the son of Gamala (), was a Jewish high priest in about 64-65 CE. He was killed during the First Jewish–Roman War. While the Talmud refers to Joshua ben Gamla, the earlier Greek works of Josephus Flavi ...

, 63-64 (his wife

Martha Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא‎) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness ...

belonged to family of

Boethus Boëthus ( el, Βόηθος) was a Greek sculptor of the Hellenistic age. His life dates cannot be accurately fixed, but he probably flourished in the 2nd century BCE. One source gives his birthplace as Chalcedon. He was noted for his representa ...

) *

Mattathias ben Theophilus Mattathias ben Theophilus (; died c. 66 CE) was the Jewish High Priest (Kohen Gadol) at the start of the Jewish Revolution, and was overthrown by Revolutionary forces. A minority of scholars believe him to be the same as the Theophilus The ...

, 65-66 * Phannias ben Samuel, 67-70

References

External links

Article in the Jewish Encyclopedia
* Seder Olam Zutta chronology * Seder Olam Zutta chronology {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of High Priests Of Israel Israel religion-related lists Lists of Jewish religious leaders High Priests High Priests Priesthood (Judaism)