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Saturday, October 2, 2021

List of High Priests of Israel: The Cohen Line

 Nadene Goldfoot                                           

  You will find this sign of the hands on many Cohen headstones.  They are giving the blessing of the people, said on holidays in the diaspora (outside of Israel).  Cohen is to wash their hands, remove their shoes, stand before the ark (Dukhan), and when reader comes to beginning of last BENEDICTION of the AMIDAH asking for peace, they hold their hands like this.  We believe the Cohens of today who have been DNA tested with the Y haplogroup so they are of the line of J1, and maybe J2.  My personal friend and distant relative, Herbert David Hochfeld, was a Cohen  in the synagogue and in his DNA test, being J1 (Y haplogroup).  Not all Cohens that live today are using Cohen as their surname.  We Jews have just recently used surnames.  Earlier, we were "David, son of Moshe".  The knowledge of being a Cohen has been handed down orally from father to son. That's how Herb knew and saw his father in the synagogue.  

Line of the High Priests (Cohens)  of Israel[edit]


The High Priests, like all Levitical priests, belonged to the Aaronic line, and Aaron and his brother, Moses,  were from the Tribe of Levi.  Moses had the priests (Cohen) all work in the Temple connected with the Tabernacle.  Those descended directly from Aaron became the actual priests responsible for sacrifices, the supervision of hygienic purity, and instructing the people in the Mosaic law.  Levites were not given any land.  Instead, they were to live with families in all the 12 tribes. They were given tithes and a portion of sacrifices offered, and had their own responsibilities to the tribes of teaching and assisting the Cohens.                                         

 The chosen High Priest was charged with DIVINATION through the Urim and Thummim--2 stones or tablets that was attached to their breastplate of the High Priest.  The priesthood was hereditary and the Cohen was under strict laws regarding contamination by corpses and the choice of wife.  After the time of David, with the growth of prophetic influences, their usage is not mentioned. 

  The Bible mentions the majority of high priests before the captivity, but does not give a complete list of office holders. Lists would be based on various historical sources. In several periods of gentile rule, high priests were appointed and removed by kings. Still, most high priests came from the Aaronic line. One exception is Menelaus (d: 162 BCE), who may not have been from the Tribe of Levi at all, but from the Tribe of Benjamin, High Priest at the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. He belonged to the TOBIADS (descendants of Tobiah, an estate-owner and apparently petty prince of Transjordania in the mid-3rd century BCE, who married the sister of the high priest, Onias II), became high priest by bribery in 171 BCE.  He was an extreme Hellenizer supporting Antiochus's persecution  of Judaism  and plundering the Temple in the king's behalf.  He, as priest, played a part in the peace arrangement between Judah the Maccabee and Lysias in 165 BCE but in 162 BCE was accused by Lysias, the Syrian general, died in 162 BCE) of responsibility for the war and executed.  

From the Exodus to Solomon's Temple  
The first Temple of Solomon. Built in 832 BC by King Solomon and destroyed in 587 BC when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem, stood for 245 years. Architecturally inspired by contemporary Egyptian (New Kingdom) temples, its nave comprised the larger Holy Place and the smaller, inner Most Holy Place. Sacred treasures and riches were stored in the arcades to the sides. Its exact location remains unknown due to unwillingness to excavate land considered holy, is thought to be on Temple Mount and under the Mosque of Omar.  This is because a Roman temple was built later on the site where the Mosque sits.  

The following section is based on information found in the various books of the Bible, including the genealogies given in First Book of Chronicles and the Book of Ezra, the works of Josephus[1] and the early-medieval Seder Olam Zutta.

Moses b: 1391-d:1271 BCE died at age 120. (3,412 years ago) 

  • Aaron: older brother of Moses, first Priest died at age 123. 
  • Eleazar, 3rd son of Aaron (Numbers 20:28)high priests of house of Zadok were descended from Eleazar  Saul died, so he went to David, annointed Solomon as king. 
  • Phinehas, son of Eleazar, grandson of Aaron, rewarded for action against ZIMRI (Judg 20:28) in campaign against Benjamin 
  • Abishua, son of Phinehas
  • Bukki, son of Abishua
  • Uzzi, son of Bukki

NORTHERN TRIBES: Shiloh was 1st cult center after conquest of Eretz Yisrael under Joshua., 25 miles north of Jerusalem in the mountains of Ephraim.  The Ark and Tabernacle were kept there during period of Judges, Israel's central national shrine, a place to make pilgrimage.

                                                 

1645 painting by Jan Victors of Hannah presenting her son Samuel to Eli, who is seated on the right.

  • Eli, descendant of (Ithamar, son of Aaron who with his brother, Eleazar, succeeded his father, Aaron in the priestly office)-age 58 when a priest, high priest at shrine of Shiloh, had a long priesthood,  and one of the last Judges; mentor of Samuel,  When Hannah came to Shiloh to pray for a son, Eli initially accused her of drunkenness, but when she protested her innocence, Eli wished her well. Hannah's eventual child, Samuel, was raised by Eli in the tabernacle. When he heard that Philistines captured the Ark, fell from his chair and died.
  • _______________________________________________________

  • Ahitub, son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli:  Ahitub, who oversaw the construction of the First Temple.
  • Ahijah, son of Ahitub, priest during Saul's reign, went with Ark into battle against Philistines.  
  • Ahimelech, son of Ahijah (or brother of Ahijah and son of Ahitub) priest of Nob,  welcomed David who was on the run; gave him bread and Goliath's sword; killed by revengeful Saul and other priests.
  • Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, sole survivor of Saul's killing; chief priest at Nob, with David, supported Adonijah's claims to the succession (4th son of David, older than Solomon.  Solomon banished him from Jerusalem, Zadok was then made high priest (I Sam.22:19-23:  I Kings2)

Nob was a priestly city near Jerusalem on Mt. Scopus. After the destruction of the tabernacle at Shiloh, the priests sof of the sons of Eli built a high-place in Nob where they officiated.  As a punishment for the assistance given to fugative David, Saul killed them all.  

According to the genealogies given in 1 Chronicles 6:3–15, Zadok was a descendant of Uzzi (through Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah and Ahitub) and thus belonged to the line of Eleazar.

First Temple period

From Solomon's time (957 BCE) until the captivity (586 BCE / 425 BCE according to historical Jewish sources), the High Priests officiated in the Temple in Jerusalem. Information about who served in that office diverges between the Bible, Josephus and the Seder 'Olam Zuta. While Josephus and Seder 'Olam Zuta each mention 18 high priests, the genealogy given in 1 Chronicles 6:3–15 gives 12 names, culminating in the last high priest Seriah, father of Jehozadak. However, it is unclear whether all those mentioned in the genealogy between Zadok and Jehozadak were high priests and whether high priests mentioned elsewhere (such as Jehoiada and Jehoiarib) are simply omitted or did not belong to the male line in this genealogy.

1 Chronicles 6:3–15
(* Also mentioned in Ezra 7:1–5)		Josephus[7]Seder 'Olam ZuttaOther Biblical information
1. Zadok*ZadokZadok - contemporary of King SolomonZadok was High Priest during the construction of the First Temple: .David's high priest,  HOUSE OF ZADOK
 2. AhimaazAhimaazAhimaaz - contemporary of King RehoboamAhimaaz was son of the high priest Zadok. He first appears in the reign of King David. During Absalom's revolt he remained faithful to David, and assisted him by giving him news about the proceedings of Absalom in Jerusalem.
 2. Azariah AzariahAzariah - contemporary of King AbijahAmong the "princes/officials" of King Solomon listed in 1 Kings 4:2 "Azariah, son of Zadok, the priest" appears in first place.
JohananJoram-Joram/Hehoram (2) one was king of Israel,-son of Ahab;  one was king of Judah, son of Jehoshaphart.  Johanan, son of Joiada, was the fifth high priest after the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem by the Jews who had returned from the Babylonian captivity. His reign is estimated to have been from c. 410–371 BCE; he was succeeded by his son
 Jaddua. The Bible gives no details about his life.
Jaddua is high priest-in Nehemiah verses 12:11,22. When reading Josephus' accounts of Jaddua's priestly position, it is unclear whether or not Jaddua was the sole high priest or if he shared the office with Manasseh. The other possibility (which is difficult to discern from Josephus' accounts) is that Manasseh was Jaddua's assistant or sagan. (Anchor Bible Dictionary).

-IsusJoash - contemporary of King JehoshaphatAn Amariah is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 19:11 as "the chief priest" under King Jehoshaphat.
--Jehoiarib - contemporary of King Jehoram
--Jehoshaphat - contemporary of King Ahaziah-
-Jehoiada[8]Jehoiada - contemporary of King JehoashJehoiada, brother-in-law of King Ahaziah, is mentioned in 2 Kings 11:4–17 as a priest leading the coup against Queen-mother Athaliah and installing Jehoash of Judah as king of Judah.
-Axioramos--
-PhideasPediah - contemporary of King Jehoash-
-SudeasZedekiah - contemporary of King Amaziah-
Azariah/UzziahJuelusJoel - contemporary of King UzziahAzariah II is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 26:14–18 as a "chief priest" opposing King Uzziah. In 1 Chronicles 5:36 Azariah, son of Johanan is singled out as "he it is that executed the priest's office in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem".
AmariaJothamJotham - contemporary of King JothamAmariah (Hebrew: אֲמַרְיָה‎) means "promised by God" in Hebrew. It was commonly used as a name of priests in the History of ancient Israel and Judah. It appear several times in the Hebrew Bible:
Ahitub IIUriasUrijah - contemporary of King AhazUriah is mentioned in 2 Kings 16:10–16 as a priest who, on orders of King Ahaz, replaces the altar in the temple with a new, Assyrian-style altar. He is also mentioned as a witness in Isaiah 8:2.
-NeriasNeria - contemporary of King HezekiahAn Azariah is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 31:10 as "the chief priest, of the house of Zadok" under King Hezekiah.
Zadok IIOdeasHoshaiah - contemporary of King Manasseh
Shallum*ShallumShallum - contemporary of King AmonShallum, son of Zadok II.
Hilkiah*ElciasHilkiah - contemporary of King Josiah and of King JehoahazHilkiah, priest at the time of King Josiah and the discovery of the lost Book of the Law.
Azariah IV*AzarosAzariah IV - contemporary of King JehoiakimAzariah IV, son of Hilkiah1 Chronicles 6:13
Seraiah*SareasSeraiah - contemporary of King Jeconiah and of King ZedekiahSeraiah, son of Azariah IV (2 Ki 25:18)

Some name Jehozadak, son of Seriah, as a high priest prior to being sent to captivity in Babylonia, based on the biblical references to "Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest". According to Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi), this is a misreading of the phrase, as "the high priest" does not refer to Jehozadak, who was exiled to Babylon without having served as high priest, but to his son Joshua, who ascended from Babylon at the end of the exile.

After the Babylonian Exile

The five descendants of Joshua are mentioned in Nehemiah, chapter 12, 10f. The chronology given above, based on Josephus, however is not undisputed, with some alternatively placing Jaddua during the time of Darius II (423-405/4 BC) and some supposing one more Johanan and one more Jaddua in the following time, the latter Jaddua being contemporary of Alexander the Great.

Inter-Sacerdotium: It is unknown who held the position of High Priest of Jerusalem between Alcimus' death and the accession of Jonathan. Josephus, in Jewish Antiquities XX.10, relates that the office was vacant for seven years, but this is highly unlikely, if not impossible. In religious terms, the High Priest was a necessary part of the rites on the Day of Atonement, a day that could have not been allowed to pass uncelebrated for so long so soon after the restoration of the Temple service. Politically, Israel's overlords probably would not have allowed a power vacuum to last that length of time.

In another passage (XII.10 §6, XII.11 §2) Josephus suggests that Judas Maccabeus, the brother of Jonathan, held the office for three years, succeeding Alcimus. However, Judas actually predeceased Alcimus by one year. The nature of Jonathan's accession to the high priesthood makes it unlikely that Judas held that office during the inter-sacerdotium. The Jewish Encyclopedia tries to harmonise the contradictions found in Josephus by supposing that Judas held the office "immediately after the consecration of the Temple (165-162), that is, before the election of Alcimus"[12]

It has been argued that the founder of the Qumran community, the Teacher of Righteousness, was High Priest (but not necessarily the sole occupant) during the inter-sacerdotium and was driven off by Jonathan.

Hasmonean dynasty: Era of Syrian-Greek Occupation, Greek was spoken, Joshua was a popular Hebrew name; in Greek-Jesus.  Days of Our Chanukah Remembrance   167-160 BCE

JOHANAN, the Hasmonean High Priest
MATTATHIAS:  d:167/66 BCE, father of the HASMONEAN BROTHERS, Patriot, , a priest and landowner fo Modiin, he killed a royal official sent to enforce worship of Zeus-started the revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes.  Went to Judean hills, waging guerilla war on the Syrians.  Succeeded by his son, Jodah the Maccabee.  (Mattathias, son of Johanan the Hasmonean high priest)
       JOHANAN, SON OF MATTATHIAS THE HASMONEAN d: 161 BCE, participated with his brothers in the rising against the Syrians, but was ambushed and killed while on a mission to the Nabateans.  Didn't follow in father, grandfather's steps as a priest.

Herodian-Roman period


After the 2nd Temple was burned down in Jerusalem in 70 CE, Cohens who survived practiced their role in Synagogues, which developed in the Diaspora.  The Second Temple had lasted for a total of 585 years (516 BCE to c. 70 CE).  Jewish eschatology includes a belief that the Second Temple will be replaced by a future Third Temple.

                                                                     

As Jewish life in Jerusalem became increasingly untenable under the Roman invasion, it is hypothesized that the priestly classes left the city for the Galilee.  As Jewish life in Jerusalem became increasingly untenable under the Roman invasion, it is hypothesized that the priestly classes left the city for the Galilee. “In this context, we could imagine some of these groups migrating north, far from the dominant Roman occupation, looking for a place to follow their laws and traditions, like Magdala,” said Zapata-Meza.  This idea of priests fleeing to the Galilee has traditional and archaeological support. 

I personally am related to 981 Cohens at Family Tree DNA.  That's people using this surname and this spelling.  They are all from my father's side of the family.  

Resource:
https://goldfoot_genealogy.blogspot.com/2020/05/how-hochfeld-is-major-line-on-goldfoot.html
https://goldfoot_genealogy.blogspot.com/2021/05/cohen-my-most-common-surname-by-dna-but.html
https://goldfoot_genealogy.blogspot.com/2021/10/our-connection-to-hochfelds-line-of.html
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_High_Priests_of_Israel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_(name)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Temple
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaddua
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