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Restoring the Lost History of the Priests from Scripture and Josephus
By Andrew Gabriel Roth
Name Reference(s) Reign
(BCE)
Comments
1) Aaron ben
Amram
Exodus 4:14-
Numbers
20:29;
33:38-39
1446-
1407
Brother of Moses the Levite, who in many ways
had improved access and esteem over Aaron as
high priest.
2) Elieazar
ben Aaron
Numbers
20:28-Joshua
24:33
1407-
1356
Elieazar dies the same time as Joshua (Joshua
24:29). Joshua is 19 years old at Exodus, 60
years old when he attacks Jericho and dies 50
years later, at the first Jubilee.
3) Phinehas
ben
Elieazar
Joshua
24:33;
Judges
20:28.
1356-?
death
date
Judges 20:28, and in fact all of Judges chapters
17-21, belongs to the time of Othniel at the start
of the book. Phinehas most likely dies under
Othniels rule. Phinehas line from Eleazar will
terminate with Eli, at which time the priesthood
will shift to the sons of Ithamar. It seems that
Ithamar, not Elieazar, was intended to be High
Priest after Aaron but Phinehas bravery in
Numbers 25:1-11 switched the priesthood over
to him and his descendants for a time.
4) Abishua
ben
Phinehas
1 Chronicles
6
ca.
1356
and
1116
BCE
for this
whole
group
Everyone from Phinehas to Ahitub I (#3-#10)
can only be broadly dated from the period of
1356 to 1116 BCE, the latest possible time for
Eli to be high priest.

It is easier to determine when the high priests are
out of the Judges period than to date their precise
times within it. However, Eli and Samuel are
also part of the Judges period.
5) Bukki ben
Abishua
1 Chronicles
6

6) Uzzi ben
Bukki
1 Chronicles
6

7) Zerahiah
ben Uzzi
1 Chronicles
6

8) Amariah
ben
Zerahiah
1 Chronicles
6

9) Meriaoth
ben
Amariah
1 Chronicles
6

10) Ahitub ben 1 Chronicles It is possible that Eli was high priest only for
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Meriaoth 6 some time before his 40 year reign as priest and
judge. If Eli ascended to this position at the
earliest possible time, aged 30, then he could be
high priest for 28 years, which would impact the
rough dates of Ahitub and others. There is
however no way to determine this with precision.
11) Eli ben
Ithamar of
Shiloh
1 Samuel
chapters 1-4
1116-
1076
Josephus (Antiquities 5:361-362) says that Eli
was the first from Ithamars line to become High
Priest. This fits with the overall details of the
Scripture which calls AbiatharElis
descendantalso a descendant of Ithamar. Elis
descendants, though cursed, will continue as
high priests until Solomon fulfills the promise to
remove the line permanently, and it goes to
Zadok, descendant of Elieazar again until the end
of the Maccabean Revolt.

However, after Elis death the High Priesthood
passed to Samuel, a Kohathite (see below),
probably because Elis sons were corrupt, then
after that wicked generation was gone and
Samuel died, back to Ithamar for a time.

Also like other high priests in the time of the
Judges, Eli was in charge of a particular city as
Jerusalem had not been made a capital yet, but it
was at the central shrine of Shiloh.

Finally these years that I have given Eli are only
those where he was both priest and judge for 40
years. Understanding that Eli came to be a judge
and priest at 58, well after the time most priests
retire (aged 50), it is possible Eli was a high
priest at age 30, which would give him a total of
68 years as a high priest, 40 of which he was also
the judge of Israel.
12) Samuel ben
Elkanah
1 Samuel
chapters 1-
25
1076-
1051
(alone)
and
1051-
1036
(with
Saul)
While Samuels father Elkanah lives in
Ephraimite territory, his lineage given in 1
Chronicles 6:34-38 as follows: 1) Levi, 2)
Kohath, 3) Izhar, 4) Korah (the Rebel), 5)
Ebiasaph, 6) Assir, 7) Tahath, 8) Zephaniah, 9)
Azariah, 10) Joel, 11) Elkanah I, 12) Amasai, 13)
Mahath, 14) Elkanah II, 15) Zuph, 16) Toah, 17)
Elial, 18) Yeroham, 19) Elkanah III, 20) Samuel.

Samuel would have normally been in charge of
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the sacred furniture, including the Ark of the
Covenant, which explains why he is allowed
near it later as a priest. Apparently before the
House of Elis priesthood passed back to
Elieazars descendants and Zadok, it first went to
the House of Kohath, which though Levitical had
not been designated for the High Priesthood
much in the same way it passed to Phinehas.

It is also possible that Samuel was adopted
outright by Eli and therefore inherited his right
from there. Even though Elis line was cursed, it
did continue until Solomon put an end to it.
13) Ahijah ben
Ahitub
1 Samuel
14:3,18
Ahitub I was High Priest at Gibeah and/or
Kiriath-Jearim
14) Ahimelech
(a.k.a.
Abimelech)
ben Ahitub
1 Chronicles
18:16
Brother of Ahijah and High Priest at Nob. At this
time there is no one central place for worship of
the High Priest even with the Tabernacle stowed
at Shiloh.
15) Abiathar
ben
Ahimelech
1 Samuel
22:20-22; 1
Kings
chapters 1-2
Is given the ephod of the High Priest by David in
1 Samuel 23:6 just before Samuel dies around
Sauls 15
th
year. Serves with David in Jerusalem
and co-rules with Zadok also as High Priest,
until Solomon deposes Abiathar, leaving Zadok
solely in charge. It would appear, given how
long his reign may have been, that the command
for priests to retire at 50 years of age was
ignored. Either that or there are some missing
generations between this Abiathar, who fathers
another Ahimelech who in turn fathers another
Abiathar. At this time the state of the evidence is
such that one scenario cannot be ruled out over
the other.
16) Zadok (I)
ben Ahitub
(I)
2 Samuel
8:17; 1
Kings 2:35
ca.
1011-
967
Again Zadok co-ruled with Abiathar throughout
Davids reign until Solomon gave him sole
control. However, shortly after that time Azariah
I is given credit as serving in Solomons Temple,
which was completed in that kings 11
th
year.
Once again it seems High Priests are serving
well after retirement age.
17) Ahimaaz
ben Zadok
1 Chronicles
6:8,53
ca. 967-
960
Since Azariah I serves when the Temple is
complete, Ahimaaz could only have served in
between Solomons 4
th
and 11
th
years, since
father Zadok was there when Solomon dedicated
the Temple (1 Kings 7 and 8).
18) Azariah (I) 1 Chronicles ca. 960- There may be a slight transposition between
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ben
Ahimaaz
5:30-40 or
6:4-15
(depending
on version);
931 Josephus, the Temple sources Josephus drew
from and the Tanakh text. Chronologically
speaking Azariah I makes best sense as
Solomons priest, and he would be the 13
th
high
priest from Aaron as Josephus says elsewhere.
The record in Scripture seems vague and can be
misconstrued to give this position to Azariah II,
but this throws of other chronological references
within the Scripture.
19) Yoash,
a.k.a.
Yohanan,
ben
Azariah
1 Chronicles
6;
Antiquities
10:152
931-
900?

20) Azariah (II)
ben
Yohanan
1 Chronicles
6;
Antiquities
10:152
900-
872?

21) Amariah
ben Azariah
1 Chronicles
6:11; 2
Chronicles
9:11
872-
847?
High Priest in Yehoshaphats reign, ca. 872-847.
22) Ahitub II,
ben
Amariah
1 Chronicles
6:11;
Antiquities
10:152
847-
792?

23) Azariah
(III)
1 Chronicles
26
792-
739?
This Azariah, while not on the list of 1
Chronicles 6, is clearly a different person from
Azariah II. Azariah III is the high priest who
criticized King Uzziah (reign ca. 792-739) for
taking on priestly duties.
24) Isus Antiquities,
10:152-153
739-
716?
#24-31 only appear in Josephus and the order of
these synched with the Biblical data is uncertain.

Their placement here is according to Josephus
general order which is being followed, but I
suspect they actually belong to a slightly later
time and are out of order here. Some of these
may belong after Azariah ben Hilkiah. It seems
very apparent to me that Josephus transposed
these into the wrong place, but exactly where and
why are totally unknown.

My best guess is that assuming this line from
Isus to Zadok II are unique names to be inserted
here and not alternate names for existing high
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priests referenced in Tanakh, is that Isus was
high priest sometime after 739 BCE and that
some of his successors were high priests into the
reign of Hezekiah, with the balance of this group
being the besieged high priests during
Manassehs 55 reign of terror and paganism,
which would have ended about 643 BCE.

No high priests are mentioned in Tanakh for the
reigns of Manasseh and Amon, so this extra
list by Josephus, assuming it is authentic, best
fits in this period of time.

However, Hezekiahs high priest Azariah (IV)
must be inserted between them.
25) Azariah
(IV) ben
Hilkiah
1 Chronicles
6:13-14;
9:11;2
Chronicles
31:13; Ezra
7:1;
Antiquities
10:152-153
716-
687?
High Priest during Hezekiahs reign (716-687
BCE). The chronology demands he must be the
fourth high priest with this name though
Azariah IV is not mentioned directly in other
sources.


26) Axioramus Antiquities,
10:152-153
687? These are Manassehs high priests for the most
part I believe, unless the last one could be said to
have ruled in the 2 years of Amons reign. I
believe the terrible times of this king were so
traumatic that the Tanakh editor simply dropped
the names associated with him from view, much
in the way Matthew dropped three kings from
the genealogy of Messiah because they were
tainted as coming from Ahabs house partially.

One of these missing high priests may have
taken the Ark of the Covenant out of Judah to
prevent Manasseh from putting an idol next to it.
27) Phideus
{Pediah}
Antiquities
10:152-153
680? These high priests also may not be remembered
because they were so weak and ineffective or
perhaps not doing their jobs at all during
Manassehs perverse reign. This is
understandable, given the extreme persecution at
this time.
28) Sudeas
{Zedekiah}
ben Phideus
Antiquities
10:152-153
675?
29) Yuelas ben Antiquities 670?
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Sudeas 10:152-153
30) Yotham
ben Yuelas
Antiquities
10:152-153
665?
31) Urias
(Uriah)
ben
Yotham
Antiquities
10:152-153
660?
32) Nerias
(Neriah)
ben Urias
Antiquities
10:152-153
655?
33) Zadok (II)
ben Nerias

Antiquities
10:152-153
655-
641?
This is a different Zadok than the one who
fathers Shallum. Therefore there must be a
Zadok III who immediately follows him for the
lists to harmonize. Zadok II is the last high priest
to serve Manasseh and may have also served
Manassehs son Amon for 2 years before he
died.
34) Zadok (III)
ben Zadok
(II)
Ezra 7:1-5 641?
35) Shallum
ben Zadok
(III)
1 Chronicles
6:12;
Antiquities
10:152-153
630?
36) Hilkiah ben
Shallum
2 Chronicles
34:8-9
622 High Priest during Josiahs reign (641-609), but
only mentioned in Josiahs 18
th
year. He found
the book of Deuteronomy in the ruins of a
construction project at or near the Temple. When
he showed the scroll to King Josiah, reforms
back to Yahweh worship began immediately.
37) Seriah ben
Azariah
1 Chronicles
6:14-15;
Ezra 7:1;
Antiquities
10:152-153
600?
38) Yehozadak
ben Seriah
1 Chronicles
6:14-15;
Antiquities
10:152-153
586 This is the high priest at the time of the
destruction of the First Temple and start of the
Babylonian Captivity.
39) Yehoshua
ben
Yehozadak
Zechariah
6:9-14
ca. 515
to 490
First High Priest to serve in the Second Temple,
he is also called Yeshua son of Yehozadak in
Ezra 5:2.
40) Yoiakim
ben
Yehoshua
Nehemiah
12:8-10;
Antiquities
11:121,157
ca. 490
to 470
Ezra was the head priest of many Jews in
Babylon that came to Jerusalem, but not
technically a high priest in Jerusalem. Had Ezra
stayed in Babylon he might have laid claim to
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being high priest there but it was not to be. He
seems to have been assisting Yehoshua, Yoiakim
and perhaps even Yoiada, the high priests of
Jerusalem.
41) Eliashib
ben
Yoiakim
Nehemiah
3:1, 20;
12:10,22;
Antiquities
11:158
ca. 470-
433
With Nehemiah on his return to Judah in 445
BCE, 20
th
year of Artaxerxes.
42) Yoiada ben
Eliashib
Nehemiah
12:8-10;
Antiquities
11:158
ca. 433-
410

43) Yehonatan
(Johanan)
ben
Yehoiada
Nehemiah
12:11, 22;
Antiquities
11:297
ca. 410-
371

44) Yaddua ben
Yehonatan
Nehemiah
12:11,22;
Antiquities
11:302
ca. 371-
320
His brother Manasseh was at a minimum his
sagan (chief assistant) but Manasseh may have
on occasion taken on some priestly duties.

Also up until now high priests have only been
removed through death and were allowed to
appoint their successors in advance. Both of
these rules would soon be set aside in the favor
of priests being appointed by Jewish and pagan
rulers and even deposed by competing priests in
their own families.
45) Honiyah
(Onias I)
ben Yaddua
Antiquities
11:347
ca. 320-
280
Josephus in Antiquities 11:347-12:1 says this
man is a contemporary of Alexander the Great
(356-323 BCE). 1 Maccabees 12:7-8 and 20
however would put him a bit later, as a
contemporary of King Areus of Sparta (309-265
BCE). The 1 Maccabees reference is probably
referring to Onias II.
46) Shimon
HaTzadik
ben
Honiyah
Antiquities
12:43; Yoma
69a
ca. 280-
260
Also known as Simon I, Shimon HaTzadik
would have been High Priest during Alexander
the Greats 332 BCE campaign. The story says
Alexander had a vision that this priest would
predict his victory in war, which happened.
Alexander bowed before the High Priest but then
asked that a statue of himself be put in the
Temple. Shimon is said to have politely refused
but offered to name all sons born to priests that
year Alexander instead and this was agreed to.

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Shimon Ha Tzadik, according to the Talmud
(Sayings of Rabbi Nathan, 5:2), this Shimon had
a disciple named Antigonus of Sokho, and
according to the Talmud, taught Antigonus the
saying: Be not like the servants who serve their
masters for the sake of the wages, but be rather
like those who serve without thought of
receiving wages which is widely believed to
indicate an unbelief of eternal reward, i.e.
afterlife, as is also recorded about the Sadducees
in the book of Acts.

Antigonus then is said to have passed the
teaching on to two of his most important
disciples, Zadok and Boethus, and each of these
men in turn founded a school of Sadduceean
belief and study.

What the differences between the two schools
were and which one was more powerful are
totally unclear. However, it does seem likely that
the Boethusians flourished in Egypt. Their
priests could have served in the Temple to
YHWH in Heliopolis (founded by Honiyah IV,
who was from the right priestly family to be high
priest) and this one man named Boethus seems to
have lived in Alexandria but made sure his son
was a citizen of Jerusalem, and it is likely that
son Shimon Ben Boethus is the same Shimon
mentioned in Luke 2:25-35.

The scenario above is suggested by Josephus
himself who said that Boethus was from
Alexandria where he was a great priest there
meaning he would have had to have served in the
Heliopolis Temple to YHWH and in fact could
have been its great priest or high priestfor
the Hebrew KOHEN GADOL, means great as
well as high priest. But though he served in
Heliopolis, he was born in Alexandria, perhaps
descended from Honiyah IV, although there is no
record of this.

The other school, that of Zadok, could have been
the Israel based Sadducees that are mentioned in
the Gospels and Acts. Therefore it is also likely
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to my mind that Boethus of Egypt sent his son
Shimon to Jerusalem to be a priest there, and
while he was there he was educated by Israel
Zadok-based Sadducees, before being elevated to
High Priest by Herod the Great around 25 BCE.

47) Elieazar
ben Shimon
Antiquities
12:43-158
and
elsewhere
ca. 260-
245
This is the high priest that allowed the Hebrew
Torah to be translated into Greek for Ptolemy II.
48) Manasseh,
uncle of
Elieazar
Antiquities
12:156
ca. 245-
240
Nothing is known of him at all. He may have
reigned about 5 years.
49) Honiyah
(Onias II)
ben Shimon
Antiquities
12:157-237
ca. 240-
218
He is also the brother of Elieazar. This is the
high priest that knew Areus, the King of Sparta,
who ruled from 309-265 BCE.
50) Shimon
(Simon II)
ben
Honiyah
Antiquities
12:229; 3
Maccabees,
chapter 2
ca. 218-
185
Led revolt against Hyrcanus.
51) Honiyah
(Onias III)
ben Shimon
2 Maccabees
chapters 3-4
ca. 185-
175
Opposed Hellenization of Judaism for which he
was replaced by his brother Yeshua, who
changed his name to Jason.
52) Yeshua
(Jason) ben
Shimon
Antiquities
12:239-240
175-
172

53) Menelaus-
Honiyah
ben Shimon

Antiquities
12:239-387
172-
165
Worked with Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) to
banish all Jewish custom from Israel. Some feel
he should also be known as Onias IV and
therefore his successor should be Onias V, but I
have not adopted that convention.
54) Yehudah
Maccabeus
ben
Matthias
Antiquities
12:43-44
165-
162
Attempts by the Jewish Encyclopedia to
harmonize difficult statements in Josephus, that
Yehudah reigned as high priest for three years
before Alcimus.
55) Eliaqum
(Alcimus or
Yacimus)
Antiquities
12:387
162-
159
Josephus says Alcimus was not of the high
priestly line but 1 Maccabees 7:14 says he was at
least a direct descendant of Aaron.

However, Onias IV who was from the right
family to be high priest was passed over and
became high priest instead to the Temple to
YHWH in Egypt.
56) Honiyah
(Onias IV),
nephew of
Antiquities
12:385
154 Disappointed at Alcimus ascension, Onias IV
becomes the first high priest of Egypt and gets
the entire Temple area there named after him.
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Menelaus
He has to be counted here because he was from
the right family line though he didnt serve in
Jerusalem, just as Alcimus counts for serving in
Jerusalem though not from the right family.
57) Yonatan
(Apphus, or
diplomat
in Greek)
ben
Matthias
1 Maccabees
chapter 1
153-
143
After being a Hasmonean King for a decade,
Yonatan is made High Priest at Sukkot in 153
BCE as well. Some believe he replaced as high
priest a mysterious figure called The Teacher of
Righteousness who is said to have fled into the
desert and founded the sect of the Essenes, who
would later pen some of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

1 Maccabees says that the Hasmoneans are of the
priestly line of Yehoiarib, but they are not from
the right family to be high priests technically.
This is also the royal and priestly line from
which Josephus is descended from.
58) Shimon
(Thassi =
Doctor?)
ben
Matthias
1 Maccabees
chapter 13;
Antiquities
13:213-230
142-
135
Also known as Shimon Macabbeus and
Shimon the Hasmonean, he knocked down
Mount Zion and deposed the sons of Zadok, who
may have fled into the desert and merged with
the Essenes. While Shimon was extremely
popular overall, he was despised by the Qumran
community and may be the Wicked Priest
mentioned in their writings.
59) Yohanan
ben
Matthias
(Hyrcanus
I)
Antiquities
13:231-302
135-
104
These Hasmonean kings would each take their
turn at being high priest for at least part of their
reigns since they were descended from Aaron but
not from the high priest family line.
60) Yehudah
(Aristobulu
s I) ben
Yohanan
Antiquities
13:301-322
104-
103

61) Alexander
Yannai ben
Yohanan
Antiquities
13:320-324
103-76
62) Hyrcanus
(Hyrcanus
II) ben
Alexander
Yannai
(First
term)
Antiquities
13:220-14:4
76-67 Queen Salome elevated Hyrcanus II to the
priesthood immediately after Alexanders death.
Then Hyrcanus II also became king upon her
death in 67 BCE but was challenged and deposed
for a time by his younger brother. Queen Salome
and Hyrcanus supported the Pharisees; but the
late Alexander Yannai supported the Sadducees.
63) Aristobulus Antiquities 67-63 The Roman General Pompey the Great
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II ben
Alexander
Yannai
14:4-46-72 conquered Judea in 63 BCE and heard the cases
of Aristobulus, the current king and high priest,
against his older brother Hyrcanus, the former
king and high priest. Pompey sided with
Hyrcanus and restored him to power.
64) Hyrcanus
(Hyrcanus
II) ben
Alexander
Yannai
(Second
term)
Antiquities
14:73
63-40 Although Hyrcanus II enjoyed strong Roman
support during his second term and was in 47
BCE given political power by them with the rank
of ethnarch, Hyrcanus II could not see his rival
coming to replace him. In 40 BCE, at which
time he was disfigured with his ears, preventing
him from ever holding the high priesthood again.
65) Antigonus
II
(Matthias)
ben
Aristobulus
II
Antiquities
14:299
40-37 Note-There was no Antigonus I serving as high
priest. This second to last of the Hasmonean line
was slain by Herod in 37 BCE, leading him to be
proclaimed king by the Romans at that time and
becoming king actually in 34 BCE.
66) Annanelus
(First
term)
Antiquities
15:22-40
37-36 He is also known in Hebrew as Hanameel the
Egyptian (Mishnah Parah 3:5).
67) Aristobulus
III
Antiquities
15:41-55
36 Last remnant of the Hasmonean line. Brother of
Herods 2
nd
wife Mariamne.
68) Annanelus
(Second
term)

Antiquities
15:56
36-30
69) Yehoshua
ben Fabus
Antiquities
15:320-322
30-23
70) Shimon ben
Boethus
Antiquities
15:322; Luke
2:25-35 (?)
23-4 Father of Herods 3
rd
wife Mariamne who is not
be confused with Herods 2
nd
wife of that same
name. This Shimon, who was a Boethusian, or
an early Sadducee, may also be the righteous
man who blessed the infant Yshua when he was
presented at the Temple at about 6 weeks old.

Luke doesnt call his Shimon a high priest, and
yet there was a Shimon serving as High Priest
when Yshua was born, but granted that was a
common name and may not prove this
absolutely. Furthermore, if this was the High
Priest, why didnt Luke say so?

The difficulty might possibly be resolved by
pointing out that Shimon ben Boethus while he
was a citizen of Jerusalem and this goes along
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with what Luke also says, was of Egyptian
descent from his father. In fact, Josephus tells us
Shimons father Boethus actually was a citizen
of Alexandria and therefore is probably not even
a direct descendant of Aaron, let alone from the
right family to be high priest.

While Boethus had several sons become high
priest, there is no evidence whatsoever that
Boethus himself was of priestly or Levitical
descent. If he were, he would have to be a
descendant of Honiyah (Onias IV) who was the
first high priest in Egypt, but Josephus doesnt
refer to this at all and in fact seems to hint there
were no other Aaronic successors in that temple,
because none are mentioned after Honiyahs
time.

Therefore, Luke may have excluded Shimon
because he wasnt from the right family even
though he was a righteous man!

By contrast, Ananus and Caiaphas, who are
mentioned by Luke, were at least from the right
priestly family for the job (Acts 4:6).

However, the most interesting fact is that Lukes
Shimon was soon to die at the time he blessed
Yshua (Luke 2:26-29) and Shimon ben Boethus
also died very soon after this time!
71) Matthias
ben
Theophilus
Antiquities
17:78
4
72) Yoazar
ben
Boethus
(First
term)
Antiquities
17:339
4 He was a Sadducee, not a Pharisee, as many
before him were.
73) Elieazar
ben
Boethus
Antiquities
17:339
4-3 Also a Sadducee like his brother the former high
priest.
74) Yehoshua
ben Sie
Antiquities
17:341
3 BCE
- 6 CE
(?)

75) Yoazar
ben
Antiquities
18:3
6 CE Reigned briefly before the Pharisees seized
power in 6 CE under Ananus ben Seth. From
13 | P a g e

Boethus
(Second
term)
here on in the Pharisees are supreme in terms of
their traditions ruling Israel.
76) Ananus
(Khanan)
ben Seth
Luke 3:2,
Yochanan
18:13,24;
Acts 4:6,
5:1-5;
Antiquities
18:26
6 CE-
15 CE
Although Ananus stepped down in the year 15,
he would continue to exert a powerful influence
for many years to come. When his son-in-law
Yosef Caipha (Caiaphas) became high priest in
18, he needed Annas help to consolidate power,
which is why Luke and Josephus record this as a
coregency. In addition to that, even after
Caiaphas was deposed, 5 more of Ananus sons
would be high priest.
77) Ishmael
ben Fabus
(First
term)
Antiquities
18:34
15-16
78) Elieazar
ben Ananus
Antiquities
18:34
16-17
79) Shimon ben
Camithus
Antiquities
18:34
17-18
80) Yosef ben
Caipha
Matthew
26:3,57;
Luke 3:2;
John 11:49,
18:13-
14,24,28;
Acts 4:6;
Antiquities
18:35-95
18-36 Son in law to Ananus ben Seth and the high
priest that handed over Mashiyach Yshua to the
Romans for execution.
81) Yonatan
ben
Ananus
(First
term)
Antiquities
18:95-123
36-37
82) Theophilus
ben Ananus
Antiquities
18:123-
19:297
37-41
83) Shimon
Cantatherus
ben
Boethus
Antiquities
19:297-313
41-43 Sadduceean high priest forced to follow
Pharisaic practice.
84) Yonatan
ben
Ananus
(Second
term)
Antiquities
19:313-316
43 Yonatan however declined the offer and
technically never put on the priestly garments
after being appointed.
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85) Matthias
ben Ananus
Antiquities
19:316-342
43 His brother Yonatans support and humility is
the only reason Matthias even got a shot.
However, he didnt last long.
86) Elioneus
ben
Cantatherus
Antiquities
19:342-
20:103
43-44 Sadduceean high priest forced to follow
Pharisaic practice.
87) Yosef ben
Camydus
Antiquities
20:103
44-46
88) Ananus ben
Nebedeus
Antiquities
20:103
46-58
89) Ishmael
ben Fabus
(Second
term)
Antiquities
20:194-195
58-62
90) Yosef Cabi
ben Shimon
Antiquities
20:196
62-63
91) Ananus
ben Ananus
Antiquities
20:197
63 A very unpopular Sadduceeousted
immediately for his reforms. One of his most
controversial acts was killing Yaakov HaTzadik
(James the Just), the half-brother of Mashiyach.
92) Yehoshua
ben
Damneus
Antiquities
20:203
63
93) Yehoshua
ben
Gamaliel
Antiquities
20:213
63-64 Sadduceean high priest forced to follow
Pharisaic practice.
94) Matthias
ben
Theophilus
Antiquities
20:213-227
65-66
95) Phinehas
ben Shmuel

Josephus gives
a total of 83
men serving as
high priest
from Aaron to
Phinehas ben
Shmuel.

Of the 95 high
priests
mentioned
here, five of
them served
twice
Antiquities
20:227; The
Jewish War
4:155
67-70 Hereupon they sent for one of the high priests'
families, which is called Eniachim, and cast lots
which of it should be the high priest. By fortune
the lot so fell as to demonstrate their iniquity
after the plainest manner, for it fell upon one
whose name was Phannias, the son of Samuel, of
the village Aphtha. He was a man not only
unworthy of the high priesthood, but that did not
well know what the high priesthood was, such a
clown was he! And yet did they hail this man,
without his own consent, out of the country, as if
they were acting a play upon the stage, and
adorned him with a mask; they also put upon
him the sacred garments, and upon every
occasion instructed him what he was to do.

This horrid piece of wickedness was sport and
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(Hyrcanus II,
Annanelus,
Yoazar ben
Boethus,
Yonatan ben
Ananus and
Ishmael ben
Fabus), so the
actual total is
90 men.

We know that
Josephus said
there were 13
high priests
from Aaron to
the start of
Solomons time
but in actuality
there were 15,
as Josephus
seems to have
skipped over
Azariah I and
Yohanan and
went straight to
Azariah II. It
seems clear
that between
Josephus and
Tanakh lists,
there are still
gaps or
inconsistencies.
But I favor
both these
sources over
later ones (e.g.
Talmud)
generally
speaking.
pastime with them, but occasioned the other
priests, who at a distance saw their law made a
jest of, to shed tears, and sorely lament the
dissolution of such a sacred dignity.

And now the people could no longer bear the
insolence of this procedure, but did all together
run zealously, in order to overthrow that tyranny;
and indeed they were Gorion, the son of
Josephus, and Symeon the son of Gamaliel, who
encouraged them, by going up and down when
they were assembled together in crowds, and as
they saw them alone, to bear no longer, but to
inflict punishment upon these pests and plagues
of their freedom, and to purge the temple of
these bloody polluters of it. (The Jewish War,
4:155-159)