IV. ANANIAS, Son of Nebedæus, High Priest of the Jews. He succeeded Joseph the Son of Camith1, in the year of the World 4050, and was himself succeeded by Ishmael the Son of Fabæus, in the year of the World 4066. of J. C. 66. of the vulgar Æra 63. Quadratus Governour of Syria being come into Judæa upon the rumours which prevailed among the Samaritans and Jews, sent the High Priest Ananias to Rome2, to give an account of his conduct to the Emperor Claudius. He justified himself so well that he was acquitted, and returned. St. Paul having been apprehended at Jerusalem, by the Tribune of the Roman Troops which guarded the Temple, declared to him that Acts xxii. 25, 24. xxiii. 1, 2, 3, &c.he was a Citizen of Rome, which obliged this Officer to treat him with some distinction. And as he did not know what it was whereof the Jews accused him, the next day he convened the Priests, and placed S. Paul in the midst of them, that he might have an opportunity to explain himself. S. Paul said to them, Men and Brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. He said no more, and the High Priest Ananias commanded those who were near him to strike him on the face. The Apostle hereupon replied, God shall judge thee, thou whited Wall; for sittest thou to judge me after the Law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the Law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s High Priest? Then said Paul, I wist not, Brethren, that he was the High Priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People.
After this, St. Paul, knowing that the assembly was composed of Pharisees and Sadducees, cried out, Men and Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the Son of a Pharisee, of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. At these words the assembly was divided; and the Tribune fearing lest St. Paul should be pull’d in pieces by them, took him from amongst them. The next day above forty Men bound themselves under a great curse, neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. They acquainted the Priests with their resolution, and intreated them to find out some opportunity to engage the Tribune once more to produce Paul before them, that they might dispatch him. But S. Paul having procured a discovery to be made of this design unto the Tribune, he ordered him to be conveyed to Cæsarea, that Felix, who was Governour of the Province, might take cognizance of his affair.
When the Priests understood that he was arrived at Cæsarea, Ananias the High Acts xxiv.Priest, and some other Jews went thither, in order to accuse him; but the affair was adjourned, and S. Paul continued two years there in prison. His prediction to Ananias, that God would smite him, was accomplished after this manner: Albinus Governour of Judæa being come into the Country, Ananias found means to gain him by his presents3. He was looked upon as the first Man of his Nation, by reason of his great riches, friends and fortune. But he had some violent people about him, who plundered the Country, and took by force the Tythes belonging to the Priests; and all this they did with impunity, by reason of the great credit which their Master had acquired by his wealth at Jerusalem.
At the same time several companies of Assassins infested Judæa, and committed very great ravages. As soon as any of their companions fell into the hands of those who had the government of the Province, and were upon the point of being executed, they never failed to seize some of the domesticks or relations of the High Priest Ananias, that so this Pontiff might endeavour to procure the liberty of their Associates, in order to rescue those out of their hands who were detained by them. Thus they took one of Ananias’s Sons, whose name was Eleazar, and did not release him till ten of their companions were sent back to them. Upon this licence their number encreased considerably, and the country was exposed to frequent ravages.
At last Eleazar his Son putting himself at the head of a party of Mutineers, who had made themselves Masters of the Temple4, and forbad any to offer sacrifices for the Emperor, and the Assassins joining with him, he pulled down his Father’s house, who hiding himself with his Brother, in the Aqueducts belonging to the Royal Palace, and being soon discovered by the Seditious, both of them were killed, they of the Faction taking no notice at all of Ananias’s being the Father of their Leader. Thus God smote this whited Wall in the very beginning of the Jewish Wars. We are to distinguish what Josephus says of Ananias, when High Priest, from what he relates of the same Ananias when deposed from the Pontificate, lest we fall into the mistake of those who have made two persons of him.
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