The Temple Service in the Days of our Savior Described, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the Succession of the High-priests.
Sect. 1. To the building of the Temple.
THE Catalogue and succession of the High-priests, from the first institution of this Order, to the last times mentioned in the Old Testament, are thus given us in scripture.
1. Aaron, Lev. 8.7. &c.
2. Eleazar, Num. 20.28.
3. Phinehas, Num. 26.13. Judg. 20.28. Hee is tenaciously held by the Jews to be Elias.
4. Abishua, 1 Chron. 6.5, 6.
5. Bukki, 1 Chron. 6.5, 6.
6. Ʋzzi, 1 Chron. 6.5, 6.
7. Zeruhiah, 1 Chron. 6.5, 6.
8. Merajoth, 1 Chron. 6.5, 6. Here the High-priesthood changed from the line of Eleazar into the line of Ithamar.
9. Eli of Ithamar, 1 Sam, 1.9. & 2.35.36.
10. Phinehas, 1 Sam. 4.
11. Ahitub, 1 Sam. 14.13. & 22.20.
12. Ahimelech or Ahijah, ibid.
13. Abiathar, 1 Sam. 22.20. He was put out of the High-priesthood by Solomon, 1 King. 2.26.
In the time of these High-priests of the house of Ithamar, there were these successions in the line of Eleazar.
Amariah, 1 Chron. 6.7.
Ahitub, 2 Sam. 8.17.
Zadok, 2 Sam. 8.17.
Now where as it is said in the place cited last, that Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were Priests; it is to be understood as the like is in the 1 Sam. 1.3. of Hophni and Phinehas, that they were Priests unto the Lord, chief among the Priests, and chief overseers in the constant service and matters of the Sanctuary, but their father Eli was High-priest; so in the beginning of Davids settlement in his Kingdome, Abiathar was chief Priest, and he was of the house of Ithamar; now the High-priest did not so much attend the ordinary and common service of the Sanctuary; therefore Zadok of Eleazar and Ahimelech of Ithamar, were the chief in that service under him.
Sect. II. The High-priests from the building of the Temple to the captivity.
AS soon as Solomon was set upon the throne, hee put Abiathar from the High-priesthood, as a man guilty of treason in the conspiracy of Adonijah, and he put in Zadok in his room, and now Eleazars line hath the High-priesthood again.
Zadoks son was Ahimaaz, 2 Sam. 15.36. his son Azariah, and his son Iohanan, 1 Chron. 6.9. These six are omitted by Ezra in his reckoning up of the line of the High-priests, Ezra 7. and the reason of the omission we may guesse to bee, because from the time of Amariah the house of Eli began in the function, and till the time of Azariah the son of Iohanan the service in the Temple of Solomon did not begin.
The son of Iohanan was Azariah. He it was that executed the Priests office in the Temple which Solomon built in Jerusalem, 1 Chron. 6.10. But the question is, What time it was when he executed this office, whether at the beginning of the temple service, when it was new built, or in aftertimes? The Jews doe very generally hold, that this Azariah was hee that withstood Ʋzziah when hee went into the Temple to burn incense, 2 Chron. 26.17.21. And because he stood so gallantly for the honour of the Priesthood against the King, that therefore it is said of him alone, that he executed the Priests Office in the Temple.
But Kimchi goes yet further, holding indeed that this was Ʋzziahs Azariah, but that hee was born in Solomons time, and so he makes him to live at the least two hundred years, an age not usuall in those times. But by looking over the times of the High-priests that succeeded him to the captivity, it will bee apparent enough that this Azariah the son of Johanan, was High-priest in Solomons time, and was dead and rotten many a year before Ʋzziah was born.
This Azariah begat Amariah, as it is recorded, 1 Chron. 6.11. Now this Amariah was High-priest in the days of Iehoshaphat, 2 Chr. 19.17. Amariah begat Ahitub, 1 Chr. 6.11. this Ahitub was Iehojada, 2 Chr. 23.1. &c. and he is called Ahitub the Ruler of the house of God, 1 Chr. 9.11. Neh. 11.11. because of his great power and sway in the crowning of Ioash, and in the work of Reformation.
Ahitub begat Zadok, 1 Chr. 6.12. this Zadok was father in law to King Ʋzziah, 2 Chr. 27.1. Now Zadok was not Ahitubs immediate son, but his grand-child, for Zadok was the son of Merajoth the son of Ahitub, 2 Chr. 9.11. which Merajoth may wel be supposed to be Zechariah, the son of Iehojadah, who was stoned in the Temple court, 2 Chr. 24. and named here Merajoth, in memoriall of that great rebellion of the people, against God, his Prophet, and his Temple, and omitted in the line of the Priests, 1 Chr. 6. because he was not used like an High-priest, his High-priesthood was not long, and he dyed as a Prophet.
Zadok begat Shallum, 1 Chron. 6.12. or Meshullam, 1 Chr. 9.11. one of those two it was, either the father or son, that opposed Ʋzziah when he would have offered incense, but I rather beleeve it was Zadok the Kings father in law, who in that story is called Azariah after the Kings name; either hee or Shallum is called Ʋrijah, 2 King. 16.10.
Shallum begat Hilkiah, 1 Chr. 16.13. this Hilkiah found the Manuscript of Moses in the dayes of Iosiah, 2 Chr. 34.14.
Hilkiah begat Azariah, 1 Chr. 6.13. & 9.11. Ezra 7.1.
Azariah begat Serajah, 1 Chr. 6.14. this Serajah begat Iozed…k and Ezra, Ezra 7.1. hee was slain by Nebuchadnezar at the destruction of Ierusalem, 2 King. 25.18.
Iozedek, the eldest son of Serajah, was captived into Babel, 1 Chr. 6.15. and thence he never returned: and thus have wee the High-priests till the Captivity: And now if we look back upon these times that we have observed, it is no hard thing to conclude, that that Azariah which is said to have executed the Priests office in Solomons Temple, 1 Chr. 6.10. did do it presently after the Temple was built, either at the very first service of it, or at the restoring of the service upon Solomons repentance after his Apostasie.
Sect. 3. The High-priests under the second Temple.
IT may not be amiss for the entrance into this discourse concerning the High-priests after the return out of the Captivity, till the ruine of the Temple, to produce a passage out of the Ierusalem Talmud, which speaketh something unto that occasion. In the first Temple [saith the Gemara in Ioma] the High-priests served, Talm. Ierus. per. 1. in Ioma.the son still succeeding the father, and they were eighteen in number: But in the second Temple, they got the High-priesthood for money, and some say they destroyed one another by witchcraft: so that some say that there were fourscore High-priests in that space, some fourscore and one, some fourscore and two, some fourscore and three, some fourscore and four, and some fourscore and five.
Not to insist upon examination of their number of eighteen before the Captivity [which falls something in with what was said before,R. Sol. in 1 Chr. 6. though R. Solomon think it is to be read eight] it may be as a peece of Apology before hand, [if wee cannot exactly reckon up the persons after the Captivity, seeing the number by their owne confession is so very various and uncertain, as some to say thus differently one thing and some another.
Ezra 2.2. Hag. 2.2.1. JOSHUA the son of Iozedek [called also Ioshua after the Syrian pronuntiation] returned out of Captivity [where his father had died] with Zerubbabel and began and forwarded the building of the second Temple, and the settlement of the people. He was High-priest all the time of Cyrus and Ahasuerus and some part of the time of Darius. Hag. 1.1. &c.The High-priesthood that was now grown poor and low, is restored and beautified to him in a vision, Zechar. 3. who as he bare the name, so he was a figure of the Lord Jesus.
Ioseph. Antiq. lib. 11. cap. 5.2. JOAKIM, Neh. 12.10.
3. ELIASHIB, Neh. 12.10.
Antiq. l. 11. c. 7.4. JOJADA, Neh. 12.10. Josephus calls him Juda.
5. JONATHAN or JOHANAN, Neh. 12.11.22. Iosephus calleth him foreign or Iohn, Ioseph. Ant. lib. 11. c. 7.and relateth how hee slew his own brother Iesus in the Temple, whom Bagoses the chief commander for Artaxerxes the younger, would have made High-priest: for which foul fact Bagoses broke into the Temple, and laid a tax of forty drachmes upon every lamb that was sacrificed in the dayly sacrifice.
6. JADDUA, Neh. 12.11.22. He had a brother called Manasses which marryed Sanballats daughter, and for that was driven from the Priesthood, and went and occasioned the building of the Temple on mount Gerizim. This Iaddua met Alexander in the High-priests garments,Id. ib. c. 8. when he marched in fury against Ierusalem, and the very sight of him appeased him.
7. ONIAS the son of Iaddua.Id. ib. prope finē & lib. 12. c. 2. Idem ibid.
8. SIMON or SIMEON the just: There is exceeding famous mention of this man among the Hebrew writers, and of him they speak many eminent things: As that hee was the three and twentieth receiver of their traditions,Iuchasin. fol. 1. & fol. 13. that he burnt two red Cowes to make purifying ashes, that hee was the last of the 120. of Ezra's great Synagogue, that he took but one Nazarites offering all his time; that every day of Expiation an Angel went in with him into the most holy place and came out with him, only the last time he went in, the Angel went in with him, but came not out, whereupon hee knew hee should dye that year, and that when he dyed the fire on the altar slaked much, &c. and that he left behind him Shimei and Onias: he would have had Onias to have been High-priest, but his brother Shimei put him to flee to Alexandria, where hee built that famous Temple, &c.
Some think this Simeon the just to have been the same with Jaddua, and to have been the son of Joshua or Jesus whom his brother Ionathan slew, but this matter wee will not dispute here.
9. ELEAZAR: he was Simeons brother.Ioseph. Antiq. lib. 12. c. 2. This Eleazar was he that sent the Lxx. Elders to Ptolomy Philadelphus to translate the Law into Greek.
10. MANASSES Eleazars uncle.Id. ib. c. 3. 2.
11. ONIAS the son of Simeon the just, a covetous wretch,Id. ib. ad finem. and that brought the displeasure of Ptolomy Euergetes against him by his covetize.
12. SIMON the son of Onias.Id. ib. c. 4. ad fin:
13. ONIAS the son of Simon.
Id. ib. c. 6.14. JESUS the brother of Onias, for Onias left a son behind him, but very young: this Iesus called himself Iason.
15. ONIAS the brother of Iason or Iesus, hee called himself Menelaus. This wretch quarelling with his brother Iason, calleth in Antiochus Epiphanes, and himselfe forsaketh his countreys Laws and Religion: and Antiochus comming in, destroyed all Laws and Religion, and brought in such trouble as Israel never had since they were a nation,Ioseph. Antiq. l. 12. cap. 7. Id. ib. c. 8. 1 Mac. 2.1. untill that time, Dan. 12.1. of which read, Dan. 11.30, 31. 1 Mac. 1.44, 45. &c.
16. The desolation that Antiochus had brought upon Religion and the Temple, causeth Mattathias a Priest of the course of Iojarib, which was the first course of the four and twenty, he being now old, to stand up for the maintainance of Religion, and for the deliverance of his Country. The Chaldee Paraphrast calls him the High-priest, Cant. 6.6.
Here began the name and renown of the Asmonaean family, of which there is so frequent and famous mention in all authors; The Chaldee Paraphrast applies that speech of Hannah to this family, in 1 Sam. 2.4. They that stumbled are girded with strength: Hannah, saith he, prophecyed of the Greeks Kingdome, when she saith, The bow of the mighty are broken: and of the Asmonaean family, which was weak, and for which signes and wonders were done, when shee saith, They that stumbled are girded with strength. And so doth the Targum on the Canticles, apply the seventh verse of the sixth Chapter of that book to the same house: As a piece of a Pomegranate are thy Temples: The Kingdome [saith it] of the Asmonaean family was full of Judgments as a pomegranate, &c.
Not to be inquisitive after the derivation of the word [which we find, in Ps. 68.32. and which is generally interpreted by the Jews to signifie great Dukes and Princes] Mattathias not living long after his first appearing a champion for his distressed countrey, he left the charge of that war and expedition to his sons after him: amongst whom
17. JUDAS [surnamed Maccabaeus from these four Acrostick letters in his ensign,Ioseph. Antiq. l. 12. c. 9, 10. &c 1 Mac. 3. & 4. &c. foreign which meant foreign, Exod. 15.12. Lord who is like thee among the mighty?] undertook the quarrel of his people, and of the Law, Religion, and Covenant, and did very victoriously; but at last was slain.
In these times when all things were in a combustion and confusion in the Land, and in Religion,Ioseph. ubi sup. c. 15, 16, 17. one ALCIMUS bare the name of High-priest, being indeed of that line,1 Mac. 7.12.13, 14. &c. & 9.1.5…, 55. but a man for mischief and impiety more like a Heathen then a High-priest of Israel, doing much evill whilst he lived, and comming at last to a most fearfull end.
18.1 Mac. 9. & 10. & 11. & 21. Ioseph. ant. l. 13. ad c. 11. JONATHAN succeedeth his brother Judas as chief Commander: he was made High-priest by Alexander the son of Antiochus; and confirmed therein by Antiochus the son of Alexander: doth many valiant acts, and at last is slaine by Trypho.
19. SIMON his brother succeedeth him:1 Mac. 14. & 15. & 16. Ioseph. ubi sup. c. 11, 12, 13. Ioseph. ubi sup. cap. 18. Iuchasin. fol. 14. valiant also and advantagious to his people like his brethren, but slain at last treacherously by his own son in law.
20. JOHN called also Hyrcanus, or Hyrcanus Ianuai: He sacked Samaria, destroyed the Temple at Gerizim, slew many of the wise men at Ierusalem, was High-priest eighty yeers and turned Sadducee.
21. ARISTOBULUS his son:Ioseph. ibid. c. 9. Hee first took upon him to be King.
22. ALEXANDER: He bare also the name of a King;Ibid. c. 22, 23 made many Wars, and at last died of a quartane ague, which had held him three yeers.
23. HYRCANUS his son is made High-priest:Ibid. c. 24. but his mother Alexandra by the support of the Pharisees swayes the Kingdome.
24. ARISTOBULUS younger brother to Hyrcanus, Lib. 14. c. 4, 5, 6▪after the death of their mother Alexandra, maketh War upon his brother, drives him from his Kingdome to a private life, and takes both Kingdom and High-priesthood upon himself: They both desire help and assistance from the Romans, Scaurus, and Pompey; Aristobulus provoking Pompey by some dalliance causeth the sacking of Ierusalem, and the subjecting of the Jews to the Romane yoke, from under which they were never delivered. Pompey restoreth the High-priesthood to Hyrcanus, and carries Aristobulus and his son Antigonus prisoners to Rome, and his two daughters.
Ibid. c. 10.25. ALEXANDER the son of Aristobulus escaped the hands of Pompey, when he captived his father and his brother to Rome: and he in Iudea raised divers stirs and tumults, and affecting the Kingdom is twice suppressed by the Roman Gabinius.
Ib. c. 21. & 25.26. ANTIGONUS, Aristobulus his other son escaping from Rome into Iudea, first by the help of the King of Tyrus, and after by the help of the Parthians busseleth for the High-priesthood and power, out of the hands of Hyrcanus: getteth Hyrcanus prisoner, causeth his ear to be cut off, and by that blemish or maim he maketh him uncapable of the Priesthood: But as Hyrcanus lost his ears,Lib. 15. c. 1. Dion. Cas l. 49. Ios. l. 15. c. 2. so at last Antigonus lost his head, by the axe of Antony at Antioch: having been first crucified and whipt.
27. ANANELUS an inferiour Priest, sent for out of Babylon, is made High-priest by Herod. Here Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcanus, and wife of Alexander the son of Aristobulus tooke indignity, and so did Mariam Herods wife who was Alexandra's daughter, that an inferiour person should bee preferred to the High-priesthood,Ibid. c. 2. and Aristobulus Mariams brother and Alexandra's son be passed by: These womens shifts and importunities obtain the High-priesthood for Aristobulus, and the deposition of Ananelus.
Ibid. c. 3.28. ARISTOBULUS a young man of a rare beauty is made High-priest, being not much above fifteen yeers old: after a yeers injoyment of it or little more, hee is drowned by Herods policy, as he was swimming: And then Ananelus becomes High-priest again.
Ibid. c. 12.29. JESUS the son of Favens: him Herod removed again.
30. SIMON the son of Boethus: he was but a Priest before: But Herod marrying his daughter,Ibid. a woman of a rare beauty, he made him High-priest.
31. MATTHIAS the son of Theophilus: Herod deposed his father in law Simon from the High-priesthood, because hee thought both he,Lib. 17. c. 6. and his daughter [Herods wife] were privy to the counsells of his son Antipater.
Ibid. c. 8.32. JOZARUS the son of Simon, Herods brother in law; Matthias being deposed by Herod.
Ibid. c. 15.33. ELEAZAR made High-priest by King Archelaus, Iozarus being deposed.
34. JESUS the son of Sie shoulders Eleazar out.Ibid.
35. JOZARUS again:Lib. 18. c. 1. He was now in the place when Iudea was taxed under Cyrenius, Luk. 2. [at the birth of Christ] and when the people were ready to rebell rather then be taxed, hee overcame them with perswasions.
36. ANANUS upon the removall of Iozarus, Ibid. c. 3.made High-priest by Cyrenius.
37. ISMAEL promoted by Valerius Gratus, upon Ananus his removall.
38.Ibid. ELEAZAR the son of Ananus promoted by the same Gratus upon Ismaels removall: he injoyed the High-priesthood but one year.
39. SIMON the son of Kamith, advanced by the same Gratus. The Ierusalem Talmud calls him foreign and relates this story of him, that on the Eve of the day of Expiation, he went out to speak with the King, and some spittle fell upon his garments and d…filed him, therefore Judah his brother went in on the day of Expiation, and served in his stead: and so their Mother Kamith saw two of her sons High-priests in one day. She had seven sons and they all served in the High-priesthood; hence came up this proverb, foreign All meal is meal, but Kamiths meal is fi…e flowr. in Ioma per. 1.
40. CAIAPHAS, who was also called Ioseph: Ibid.He was Gratus his creature too; and all these changes were made by Gratus in eleven yeers: and now are wee come up to the time of our Saviours death, and to a wretch that had not a small hand in it. Annas or Ananus who had been High priest four changes before him, is said to be High priest with him, Luke 2.
41.Ibid. c. 6. JONATHAN the son of Ananus made High-priest by Vitellius in the room of Cajaphas, whom he removed.
42. THEOPHILUS the brother of Ionathan, Ibid. c. 7.upon the removall of Ionathan by the same Vitellius is made High-priest.
43.Lib. 19. c. 5. SIMON called also Kantheras made High-priest by Herod Agrippa, Theophilus being removed: this was he whose daughter Herod married, and who was removed from the High priesthood so many changes agoe.
44. JONATHAN the son of Ananus restored by Agrippa again:Ibid. c. 6. but he desires that his brother Matthias might be put in the place as a fitter man then himself: which was a wonder in the great ambition for the High-priesthood which commonly was a foot.
45. MATTHIAS put in the room of Ionathan.
Ib. cap. 7.46. ALIONEUS or Elioenai placed by Agrippa in the room of removed Matthias.
Lib. 20. cap. 1.47. JOSEPHUS the son of Kanei: promoted by Herod King of Chalcis.
Ibid. c. 6.48. JONATHAN slain by an Assassin by the contrivall of the Governour Felix.
Ibid.49. ISMAEL the son of Fabi.
Ibid.50. JOSEPH the son of Simon.
Ibid. c. 8.51. ANANUS the son of Ananus mentioned before. This man was a Sadducce: He put to death James the brother of our Lord; he is called Ananias a whited wall; one whom Paul will not own for High-priest, Act. 23.3.5.
Ibid.52. JESVS put in by Agrippa King of Chalcis in the room of Ananus: this Jesus was the son of one Gamaliel.
Ibid.53. MATTHIAS the son of Theophilus. And here began the Warres of the Jews, which at last were their destruction.
In which time, the confusion of the times did breed such confusion and jumbling ahout the High-priesthood, in choosing and counterchoosing, and putting in and out according to the pleasure of this or that faction that prevailed, that it would be but confused work to go about to give a Catalogue or account of them; therefore having led the row of the High-priests thus far, as til all order both in Church and State were perished, and the dignity and respect of that Order was utterly lost, wee will supersede with this number that hath been related, and pass on to the other ranks of Priests that are before us.