Who Was the Annas Mentioned in the Gospel Accounts?

*  At the time of Jesus' trial, Annas (A-nanus) was described as  a"chief priest."  (Luke 3:2; John 18:13; Acts 4:6) He was, in fact, the father-in-law of Israel's high priest, Caiaphas, and he himself had served as high priest from about 6 or 7 C.E., until about 15 C.E., when he was removed from office by the Roman procurator Valerius Gratus. Even so, as a former high priest, Annas continued to exercise great power in Israel. Five of his sons and his son-in-law came to hold the office of high priest.

As long as Israel functioned as an independent nation, the high priest held his office for life.  (Numbers 33:25) However, under the Roman occupation of Israel , the high priest served at the pleasure of the Roman governors and the kings appointed by Rome, and he could be deposed by them.  Historian Flavius Josephus reports that Quirinius, the Roman governor of Syria removed a certain Joazar from the high priesthood in about 6 or 7 C.E. and appointed Annas to the office. It seems, though, that these pagan rulers took care to select the new appointees from among the priests.  The family of Annas were notoriously greedy and enormously wealthy.  They apparently acquired their riches through their monopoly on the sale of essentials for sacrifices in the temple precincts, such as doves, sheep, oil and wine.  Josephus states that  Ananus (Ananias), the son of Annas, had "servants who were utter rascals and who [would] take by force the tithes of the priests; nor did they refrain from beating those who refused to give." 

Next time: Draw Close to God

The Watchtower, 2012