The

Aramaic The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...

term ''segan'' (סגן) or ''segan hakohanim'' ( he, סגן הכהנים) is a title used in the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

to refer to the

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 partic ...

serving as the deputy to the High Priest of Israel.

Hebrew Bible

The form ''segan'' is Aramaic (סְגַן), appearing 5 times in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Book of Daniel The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th century BC setting. Ostensibly "an account of the activities and visions of Daniel, a noble Jew exiled at Babylon", it combines a prophecy of history with an eschatology ...

to refer to officers of the Babylonian government. The Hebrew form ''sagan'' (סָגָן) occurs a further 17 times in

Nehemiah Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in rebuilding Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. He was governor of Persian Judea under Artaxerxes I of Persia (465–424 BC). The name is pronounced o ...

and elsewhere, again to refer to officials of the Babylonian rulers.

Talmud

According to the Talmud the deputy was appointed to the position of the ''segan ha-kohanim'' with the responsibility of overseeing the actions of the work of the Temple's priests' staff, as well as a stand-in position, ready to take the role of High Priest in case he will be found unfit to serve the holy work on the temple, and thus, the Segan was only second to the High Priest, as Rabbi

Hanina Segan ha-Kohanim Hanina ananyahSegan ha-Kohanim ( he, ר' חנינא (חנניה) סגן הכהנים, lit. ''"R. Hanina (Hananiah) heSegan (Deputy) Ha-Kohanim (High priest)"'') was of the first Generation of the Jewish Tanna sages. He was the father of Rabbi ...

(40 – 80 CE) attests: Many times the title commonly appears on the classical texts as ''ha-Segan'' ("the Deputy"), instead of the full title of ''Segan ha-Kohanim, for example on 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 Tor ...

, in an

halakha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

that deals with the work of the High Priest on

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...

: One can also note the importance given to the matter in the ritual ceremony of " Nichum Aveilim" (consoling the mourners of the deceased), in which the High Priest takes part in: {{quote , text="When he passes along the row to comfort others, the Segan and the former High Priest stand on his right; whilst the Rosh-Beth-Ab, the mourners and all the people are on his left. And when he stands in the row to be comforted by others, the Segan is stationed on his right and the Rosh Beth Ab and all the public on his left." , sign= B.

Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , ''synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), ...

19a Two out of three most prominent Segans are noted on the

and on Josephus Flavius' work:

, and

Eleazar ben Hanania Eleazar ben Hanania ( he, אלעזר בן חנניה; grc, Ἐλεάζαρος υἱὸς Ἀνανία) was a Jewish leader during the Great Revolt of Judea. Eleazar was the son of the High Priest Hanania ben Nedebai and hence a political figure ...

(son of Hananiah b. Hezekiah b. Garon who served as High Priest).

Hebrew Bible

Talmud

See also