The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

CHAP. IV. Of the Succession of the High-priests. (Book 4)

SECT. I. To the building of the Temple.

THE Catalogue and Succssion 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. He is tenaciously held by the Jews to be Elias.
• 4. Abishua, 1 Chron. 6. 5, 6.
• 5. Bukki, 1 Chron. 6. 5, 6.
• 6. Uzzi, 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 successi∣ons in the Line of Eleazar.

• Amariah, 1 Chron. 6. 7.
• Ahitub, 2 Sam. 8. 17.
• Zadok, 2 Sam. 8. 17.

Now whereas it is said in the place cited last, that Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahime∣lech 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 Fa∣ther Eli was High-priest; so in the beginning of Davids settlement in his Kingdom, Abi∣athar 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 Za∣dock 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, he put Abiathar from the High-priest∣hood, 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 Priesthood again.

Zadoks son was Ahimaaz, 2 Sam. 15. 36. his son Azariah, and his son Johanan, 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 guess to be, because from the time of Ama∣ziah the House of Eli began in the Function, and till the time of Azariah the son of Johanan the service in the Temple of Solomon did not begin.

The son of Johanan was Azariah. He it was that executed the Priests Office in the Tem∣ple 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 after times? The Jews do very generally hold, that this Azariah was he that withstood Uzziah when he 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 Uzziahs Azariah, but that he was born in Solomons time, and so he makes him to live at the least two hundred years, an Age not usual in those times. But by looking over the ••imes of the High-priests that suc∣ceeded

him to the Captivity, it will be apparent enough that this Azariah the son of Johanan, was High-priest in Solomons time, and was dead and rotten many years before Uzziah was born.

This Azariah begat Amariah, as it is recorded, 1 Chron. 6. 11. Now this Amariah was High-priest in the days of Jehosaphat, 2 Chron. 19. 11. Amariah begat Ahitub, 1 Chro. 6. 11. this Ahitub was Jehojada, 2 Chron. 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 Joash, and in the work of Reformation.

Ahitub begat Zadok, 1 Chron. 6. 12. this Zadok was father in law to King Uzziah. 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 well be supposed to be Zechariah, the son of Jehojadah, who was stoned in the Temple Court, 2 Chr. 24. and named here Merajoth, in Memorial of that great Rebellion of the People against God, his Prophet, and his Temple, and omitted in the Line of the Priests, 1 Chron. 6. because he was not used like an High-priest, his High-priesthood was not long, and he died 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 Uzziah when he would have offered Incense, but I rather believe it was Zadok the Kings father in law, who in that story is called Azariah af∣ter the Kings name; either he or Shallum is called Urijah, 2 King 16. 10.

Shallum begat Hilkiah, 1 Chr. 16. 13▪ this Hilkiah found the Manuscript of Moses in the days of Josiah, 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 Jozedek and Ezra, Ezra 7. 1. he was slain by Nebuchadnezar at the destruction of Jerusalem, 2 King▪ 25. 18.

Jozedek, the eldest son of Serajah, was captived into Babel, 1 Chr. 6. 15. and thence he never returned: and thus have we 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. III. 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 Jerusalem Talmud, which speaketh something unto that occasion. In the first* 1.1 Temple [saith the Gemara in Joma] the High-priests served, the son still succeeding the Fa∣ther, and they were eighteen in number: But in the second Temple, they got the High-priest∣hood for money, and some say they destroyed one another by witchcraft: so that some say▪ that there were fourscore High-priests in that spac••e. some four••••••re 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, though R. Solomon think it is to be read eight]* 1.2 it may be as a piece of Apology before hand, if we cannot exactly reckon up the persons after the Captivity, seeing the number by their own confession is so very various and un∣certain, as some to say thus differently one thing, and some another.

• 1. JOSHUA the son of Jozedek [called also Jeshua after the Syrian pronunciation]* 1.3 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 Dari∣us. 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* 1.4 Jesus.
• 2. JOAKIM, Neh. 12. 10.
• 3. ELIASHIB, Neh. 12. 10.* 1.5
• 4. JOJADA. Neh. 12. 10. Josephus calls him Juda.* 1.6
• 5. JONATHAN or JOHANAN, Neh. 12. 11. 22. Josephus calleth him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or John, and relateth how he slew his own brother Jesus 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* 1.7 Lamb that was sacrificed in the daily sacrifice.
• ...

• 6. JADDUA, Neh. 12. 11. 12. He had a brother called Manasses which married San∣ballats daughter, and for that was driven from the Priesthood, and went and occasion∣ed the building of the Temple on mount Gerizim. This Jaddua met Alexander in the* 1.8 High-priests Garments, when he marched in fury against Jerusalem, and the very sight of him appeased him.
• 7. ONIAS the son of Jaddua.* 1.9
• ...

  8. SIMON or SIMEON the just: There is exceeding famous mention of this man a∣mong the Hebrew Writers, and of him they speak many eminent things: As that he was the three and twentieth receiver of their Traditions, that he burnt two red Cows to* 1.10 make purifying ashes, that he 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 he knew he should dye that year, and that when he died, the fire on the Altar slacked 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 he 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 Jonathan slew, but this matter we will not dispute here.

• 9. ELEAZAR: he was Simeons Brother. This Eleazar was he that sent the Lxx. Elders* 1.11 to Ptolomy Philadelphus to translate the Law into Greek.
• 10. MANASSES Eleazars Uncle.* 1.12
• 11. ONIAS the son of Simeon the just, a covetous Wretch, and that brought the displea∣sure of Ptolomy Euergetes against him by his covetize.
• 12. SIMON the son of Onias.* 1.13
• 13. ONIAS the son of Simon.
• 14. JESUS the brother of Onias, for Onias left a son behind him, but very young: this* 1.14 Jesus called himself Jason.
• 15. ONIAS the brother of Jason or Jesus, he called himself Menelaus. This Wretch quarrelling with his brother Jason, calleth in Antiochus Epiphanes, and himself forsaketh his Countrys Laws and Religion: And Antiochus coming in, destroyed all Laws and Re∣ligion,* 1.15 and brought in such trouble as Israel never had since they were a Nation, until 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 Jojarib▪ which was the first course of the four and twen∣ty, he being now old, to stand up for the maintenance of Religion, and for the delive∣rance of his Country. The Chaldec 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 Chaldec Paraphrast applies that speech of Hannah to this Family, in 1 Sam. 2. 4. They that stumbled are girded with strength. Hannah, saith he, prophesied of the Greeks Kingdom, when she saith, The bow of the mighty are broken: and of the Asmonaean Family, which was weak, and for which signs and won∣ders were done, when she 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 Kingdom, 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 Psal. 68. 32. and which is generally interpreted by the Jews to signite great Dukes and Princes] Mattathias not living long after his first appearing a Champion for his distressed Coun∣try, 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,* 1.16 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which meant 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 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* 1.17 Religion, one ALCIMUS bare the name of High-priest, being indeed of that Line, but a man for mischief and impiety more like a Heathen than a High-priest of Israel, doing much evil whilst he lived, and coming at last to a most fearful end.

• 18. 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 slain by Trypho.
• 19. SIMON his brother succeedeth him: valiant also and advantagious to his people* 1.18 like his brethren, but slain at last treacherously by his own son in Law.
• ...

• 20. JOHN called also Hyrcanus, or Hyrcanus Jannai: He sacked Samaria, destroyed* 1.19 the Temple at Gerizim, slew many of the wise men at Jerusalem, was High-priest eighty years and turned Sadducee.
• 21. ARISTOBULUS his son: He first took upon him to be King.* 1.20
• 22. ALEXANDER: He bare also the name of King; made many Wars, and at* 1.21 last died of a Quartan Ague, which had held him three years.
• 23. HYRCANUS his son is made High-priest: but his mother Alexandra by the* 1.22 support of the Pharisees sways the Kingdom.
• 24. ARISTOBULUS younger brother to Hyrcanus, after the death of their* 1.23 mother Alexandra, maketh War upon his brother, drives him from his Kingdom to a pri∣vate life, and takes both Kingdom and High-priesthood upon himself: They both desire help and assistance from the Romans, Scaurus, and Pompey; Aristobulus provoking Pom∣pey by some dalliance causeth the sacking of Jerusalem, and the subjecting of the Jews to the Roman 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.
• 25. ALEXANDER the son of Aristobulus escaped the hands of Pompey, when he* 1.24 captived his father and his brother to Rome: and he in Judea raised divers stirs and tumults, and affecting the Kingdom is twice suppressed by the Roman Gabinius.
• 26. ANTIGONUS, Aristobulus his other son escaping from Rome into Judea, first* 1.25 by the help of the King of Tyrus, and after by the help of the Parthians busleth 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, so at last Antigonus lost his head, by the ax of* 1.26 Antony at Antioch: having been first crucified and whipt.
• 27. ANANELUS an inferiour Priest, sent for out of Babylon, is made High-priest* 1.27 by Herod. Here Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcanus, and wife of Alexander the son of Aristobulus took indignity, and so did Mariam Herods wife who was Alexandra's daugh∣ter, that an inferiour person should be preferred to the High-priesthood, and Aristobulus Mariams brother and Alexandra's son be passed by: These womens shifts and impor∣tunities* 1.28 obtain the High-priesthood for Aristobulus, and the deposition of Ananelus.
• 28. ARISTOBULUS a young man of a rare beauty is made High-priest, being* 1.29 not much above fifteen years old: after a years injoyment of it or little more, he is drowned by Herods policy, as he was swimming: And then Ananelus becomes High-priest again.
• 29. JESUS the son of Favens: him Herod removed again.* 1.30
• 30. SIMON the son of Boethus: he was but a Priest before: But Herod marrying* 1.31 his daughter, a woman of a rare beauty, he made him High-priest.
• 31. MATTHIAS the son of Theophilus: Herod deposed his father in law Simon* 1.32 from the High-priesthood, because he thought both he, and his daughter [Herods wife] were privy to the counsels of his son Antipater.
• 32. JOZARUS the son of Simon, Herods brother in law; Matthias being deposed* 1.33 by Herod.
• 33. ELEAZAR made High-priest by King Archelaus, Jozarus being deposed.* 1.34
• 34. JESUS the son of Sie shoulders Eleazar out.* 1.35
• 35. JOZARUS again: He was now in the place when Judea was taxed under Cyre∣nius,* 1.36 Luke 2. [at the birth of Christ] and when the people were ready to rebel rather than be taxed, he overcame them with perswasions.
• 36. ANANUS upon the removal of Jozarus, made High-priest by Cyrenius.* 1.37
• 37. ISMAEL promoted by Valerius Gratus, upon Ananus his removal.
• 38. ELEAZAR the son of Ananus promoted by the same Gratus upon Ismaels re∣moval:* 1.38 he injoyed the High-priesthood but one year.
• 39. SIMON the son of Kamith, advanced by the same Gratus. The Jerusalem Tal∣mud calls him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and relates this story of him, that on the Eve of the day of Ex∣piation, he went out to speak with the King, and some spittle fell upon his garments and defiled 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, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 All meal is meal, but Kamiths meal is fine flower. In Joma per. 1.
• 40. CAIAPHAS, who was also called Joseph: He was Gratus his creature too;* 1.39 and all these changes were made by Gratus in eleven years: and now are we 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. JONATHAN the son of Ananus made High-priest by Vitellius in the room of* 1.40 Cajaphas, whom he removed.
• 42. THEOPHILUS the brother of Jonathan, upon the removal of Jonathan by* 1.41 the same Vitellius is made High-priest.
• 43. SIMON called also Kantheras made High-priest by Herod Agrippa, Theophilus* 1.42 being removed: this was he whose daughter Herod married, and who was removed from the High-priesthood so many changes ago.
• 44. JONATHAN the son of Ananus restored by Agrippa again: but he desires* 1.43 that his brother Matthias might be put in the place as a fitter man than himself: which was a wonder in the great ambition for the High-priesthood which commonly was afoot.
• 45. MATTHIAS put in the room of Jonathan.
• 46. ALIONEUS or Elioenai placed by Agrippa in the room of removed Matthias* 1.44
• 47. JOSEPHUS the son of Kanei: promoted by Herod King of Chalcis.* 1.45
• 48. JONATHAN slain by an Assassin by the contrival of the Governour Felix.* 1.46
• 49. ISMAEL the son of Fabi.* 1.47
• 50. JOSEPH the son of Simon.* 1.48
• 51. ANANUS the son of Ananus mentioned before. This man was a Sadducee:* 1.49 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.
• 52. JESUS put in by Agrippa King of Chalcis in the room of Ananus: this Jesus was* 1.50 the son of one Gamaliel.
• 53. MATTHIAS the son of Theophilus. And here began the Wars of the Jews,* 1.51 which at last were their destruction.

In which time, the confusion of the times did breed such confusion and jumbling about the High-priesthood, in choosing and counterchoosing, and putting in and out ac∣cording to the pleasure of this or that faction that prevailed, that it would be but con∣fused work to go about to give a Catalogue or account of them; therefore having led the row of the High-priests thus far, as till all order both in Church and State were perish∣ed, and the dignity and respect of that Order was utterly lost, we will supersede with this number that hath been related, and pass on to the other ranks of Priests that are before us.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Talm. Ierus. per. 1. Ioma.
• * 1.2

  ••. Sol. in 1 C••r. 6.
• * 1.3

  Ezra. 2. 2. Hag. 2. 2.
• * 1.4

  Hag. 1. 1. &c.
• * 1.5

  Ioseph. Antiq. lib. 11. cap. 5.
• * 1.6

  Antiq. l. 11. c. 7.
• * 1.7

  Ioseph. Antiq. b. 11. c. 7.
• * 1.8

  Id. ib. c. 8.
• * 1.9

  Id lb. prop•• sinem & lib. 12. c. 2. Idem ibid.
• * 1.10

  Iuchasin. fol. 1. & fol. 13.
• * 1.11

  Ioseph. Antiq. lib. 12. c. 2.
• * 1.12

  Id. ib. c. 3. 2. Id. ib. ad finem.
• * 1.13

  Id. ib. c. 4. ad fin.
• * 1.14

  Id. ib. c. 6.
• * 1.15

  Ioseph. Antiq. l. 12. cap. 7. Id. ib. c. 8. 1 Mac. 2. 1.
• * 1.16

  Ioseph. Antiq. l. 12. c. 9, 10, &c. 1 Mac. 3. & 4, &c.
• * 1.17

  Ioseph. ubi sup. c. 15, 16, 17. 1 Mac. 7. 12. 13, 14, &c. & 9. 1. 5, 55. 1 Mac. 9. & 10. & 11. & 2••. Iosep. Ant. ••▪ 13. ad c. 11.
• * 1.18

  1 Mac. 14. & 15. & 16. Ioseph. ubi sup. c. 11, 12, 13.
• * 1.19

  Ioseph. ubi sup. cap. 18. Iuchasin. ••ol. 14
• * 1.20

  Ioseph. ib. c. 9.
• * 1.21

  Ibid. c. 22, 23.
• * 1.22

  Ibid. c. 24.
• * 1.23

  Lib. 14. c. 4, 5, 6.
• * 1.24

  Ibid. c. 10.
• * 1.25

  Ib. c. 21. & 25.
• * 1.26

  Lib. 15. c. 1. Dion. Cas. l. 49.
• * 1.27

  Iosd. 15. c. 2.
• * 1.28

  Ibid. c. 2.
• * 1.29

  Ibid. c. 3.
• * 1.30

  Ibid▪ c. 12.
• * 1.31

  Ibid.
• * 1.32

  Lib. 17. c. 6.
• * 1.33

  Ibid. c. 8.
• * 1.34

  Ibid. c. 15.
• * 1.35

  Ibid.
• * 1.36

  Lib. 18. ••. 1.
• * 1.37

  Ibid. c. 3.
• * 1.38

  Ibid.
• * 1.39

  Ibid.
• * 1.40

  Ibid. c. 6.
• * 1.41

  Ibid. c. 7.
• * 1.42

  Lib. 19. c. 5.
• * 1.43

  Ibid. c. 6.
• * 1.44

  Ib. cap. 7.
• * 1.45

  Lib. 20. cap. 1
• * 1.46

  Ibid. c. 6.
• * 1.47

  Ibid.
• * 1.48

  Ibid.
• * 1.49

  Ibid. c. 8.
• * 1.50

  Ibid.
• * 1.51

  Ibid.