High Priests in Josephus’ Writings

Abstract The high priesthood was among the most long-lasting institutions in the history of biblical Israel, and a central one during the Second Temple Period. No wonder that Josephus dedicated so much attention to it. However, until some two decades ago the high priesthood had largely been studied as part of the priesthood in general. The importance of the high priesthood for the priest Josephus can be demonstrated in several ways: by the high number of occurrences of the terminology related to the high priesthood; by the evidence of genealogical lists of high priests and their place within the structure of Antiquities; by the integration of the high priesthood into the discussion of governance in Antiquities, and especially in Apion. This chapter examines these and other salient aspects of the high priesthood in Josephus’ writings.