FROM AARON TO PHANNI THE HIGH PRIESTS OF ISRAEL - 1440 BC - 70 AD (1510 YEARS)

The office of the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) extended across three major historical eras: the biblical/pre-exilic period, the Persian-Hellenistic (Second Temple) era, and the Hasmonean to Herodian/Roman period until the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.

Lists for the earliest biblical periods draw from scriptural genealogies (such as 1 Chronicles 6 and Ezra 7), while later periods are documented through Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews) and classical historical sources.

1. Pre-Exilic Period (Tabernacle & First Temple)

The Wilderness & Judges Era

 * Aaron (First High Priest, brother of Moses)

 * Eleazar (Son of Aaron)

 * Phinehas (Son of Eleazar)

 * Abishua (Son of Phinehas)

 * Bukki (Son of Abishua)

 * Uzzi (Son of Bukki)

The Line of Eli (Shiloh Era)

(In classical tradition, the priesthood temporarily shifted from the line of Eleazar to the line of Ithamar, Aaron's younger son).

 * Eli (Judge and High Priest at Shiloh)

 * Ahitub (Grandson of Eli)

 * Ahijah (Son of Ahitub)

 * Ahimelech (Brother of Ahijah; slain by King Saul at Nob)

 * Abiathar (Son of Ahimelech; served alongside David, later deposed by Solomon)

Kings of Judah (Solomon's Temple)

(Solomon restored the priesthood to Eleazar's line via Zadok).

 * Zadok (First High Priest of Solomon's Temple; founder of the Zadokite lineage)

 * Ahimaaz (Son of Zadok)

 * Azariah I (Son of Ahimaaz)

 * Johanan (Son of Azariah)

 * Azariah II (Served during the reign of King Uzziah)

 * Amariah (Served during the reign of King Jehoshaphat)

 * Jehoiada (Engineered the overthrow of Queen Athaliah and crowned Jehoash)

 * Zechariah (Son of Jehoiada; martyred under Jehoash)

 * Azariah III (Confronted King Uzziah over burning incense in the Temple)

 * Urijah (Served under King Ahaz)

 * Azariah IV (Served during King Hezekiah's religious reforms)

 * Shallum (Son of Zadokite lineage)

 * Hilkiah (Found the Scroll of the Law during King Josiah's reforms)

 * Azariah V (Son of Hilkiah)

 * Seraiah (High Priest at the fall of Jerusalem; executed by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah in 586 BCE)

 * Jehozadak (Son of Seraiah; carried into Babylonian captivity)

2. Persian and Hellenistic Era (Return to Zion & Ptolemaic/Seleucid Rule)

Following the Babylonian Exile, the Zadokite line was restored under Persian rule.

 * Joshua (Jeshua) son of Jozadak (c. 538–490 BCE; rebuilt the altar with Zerubbabel)

 * Joiakim (Son of Joshua)

 * Eliashib (Served during the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah)

 * Joiada (Son of Eliashib)

 * Johanan (Son of Joiada)

 * Jaddua (Served during the conquest of Alexander the Great, c. 332 BCE)

 * Onias I (Son of Jaddua)

 * Simon I "The Just" (Simon the Righteous) (c. 300 BCE; highly revered in rabbinic literature)

 * Eleazar (Brother of Simon I; sent translators for the Septuagint)

 * Manasseh (Uncle of Eleazar)

 * Onias II (Son of Simon I)

 * Simon II (c. 219–199 BCE; praised in the Book of Sirach)

 * Onias III (c. 198–175 BCE; deposed by Antiochus IV Epiphanes; last legitimate hereditary Zadokite High Priest)

 * Jason (Jesus) (175–172 BCE; usurped his brother Onias III by bribing Antiochus IV; introduced Hellenism)

 * Menelaus (172–162 BCE; non-Zadokite who bought the office; looted Temple treasures)

 * Alcimus (Jakim) (162–159 BCE; appointed by the Seleucids; opposed by the Maccabees)

3. Hasmonean Dynasty (153–37 BCE)

After the Maccabean Revolt, the Hasmonean leaders assumed both political control and the High Priesthood, displacing the traditional Zadokite lineage.

 * Jonathan Apphus (Maccabeus) (153–143 BCE; first Hasmonean High Priest)

 * Simon Thassi (142–134 BCE; brother of Jonathan)

 * John Hyrcanus I (134–104 BCE; son of Simon)

 * Aristobulus I (104–103 BCE; first to declare himself King)

 * Alexander Jannaeus (103–76 BCE; King and High Priest)

 * Hyrcanus II (76–66 BCE; first term under Queen Salome Alexandra)

 * Aristobulus II (66–63 BCE; deposed his brother; surrendered to Pompey)

 * Hyrcanus II (restored by Pompey, 63–40 BCE; mutilated by Antigonus to disqualify him from the priesthood)

 * Antigonus II Mattathias (40–37 BCE; last Hasmonean king/high priest, backed by the Parthians)

4. Herodian & Roman Period (37 BCE – 70 CE)

Under Herod the Great and later Roman governors (Procurators/Prefects), the High Priesthood lost its hereditary nature and became a political appointment, rotated frequently among a few prominent priestly families (Boethus, Ananus, Phiabi, and Kamithus).

 * Ananelus (Hanamel the Egyptian) (37–36 BCE; appointed by Herod)

 * Aristobulus III (36 BCE; last Hasmonean descendant; drowned by Herod at age 17)

 * Ananelus (restored, 36–30 BCE)

 * Jesus son of Fabus (30–23 BCE)

 * Simon son of Boethus (23–5 BCE; Herod's father-in-law)

 * Matthias son of Theophilus (5–4 BCE)

 * Joazar son of Boethus (4 BCE)

 * Eleazar son of Boethus (4–3 BCE)

 * Joshua son of Sie (3 BCE – 6 CE)

 * Ananus son of Seth (Annas) (6–15 CE; appointed by Quirinius; influential patriarch of the New Testament era)

 * Ishmael son of Fabus (15–16 CE)

 * Eleazar son of Ananus (16–17 CE)

 * Simon son of Camithus (17–18 CE)

 * Joseph Caiaphas (18–36 CE; son-in-law of Annas; served during the trial of Jesus)

 * Jonathan son of Ananus (36–37 CE)

 * Theophilus son of Ananus (37–41 CE)

 * Simon Cantatheras son of Boethus (41–42 CE)

 * Matthias son of Ananus (42–43 CE)

 * Elioneus son of Simon Cantatheras (43–44 CE)

 * Joseph son of Bydus (44–46 CE)

 * Ananias son of Nedebaios (46–58 CE; mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles)

 * Jonathan son of Ananus (restored briefly; assassinated by Zealots/Sicarii c. 58 CE)

 * Ishmael son of Phabi II (58–62 CE)

 * Joseph Cabi son of Simon (62–63 CE)

 * Ananus son of Ananus (63 CE; executed James the Just; killed during the Jewish Revolt)

 * Jesus son of Damneus (63 CE)

 * Jesus son of Gamaliel (63–64 CE)

 * Matthias son of Theophilus II (65–67 CE)

 * Phannias son of Samuel (Phanni) (67–70 CE; chosen by lot by the Zealots during the First Jewish-Roman War; last High Priest before the Temple's destruction)

collected from GEMINI AI by