II. ANANUS, Son to Ananus the High Priest, whom we have been speaking of1, was High Priest for three months, in the 622 year of J. C. Josephus describes him to be a man extremely bold and enterprizing, of the sect of the Sadducees; who thinking it to be a favourable opportunity, after the death of Festus Governour of Judæa, and before the arrival of Albinus his Successor, assembled the Sanhedrim, and therein procured the condemnation of S. James, the brother or relation of Jesus Christ, according to the flesh, and Bishop of Jerusalem; and of some others whom they stigmatised as persons guilty of impiety; and so delivered them up to be stoned. This act of his was extremely displeasing to all good Men in Jerusalem, and they sent privately to Agrippa, who was come from Alexandria into Judæa, entreating him that he would forbid Ananus to attempt any thing of the like nature for the future. The King to punish his great confidence deprived him of the High-Priesthood, after three months possession of it, and conferr’d it on Jesus the Son of Damnaus. At the same time almost, the Governour Albinus, who was on his way from Alexandria to Jerusalem, having likewise been inform’d of Ananus’s proceedings, wrote threatning letters to him, and told him, that he would curb his insolence as soon as he should come into the City.
It is very probable,3 that this is the same Ananus who in the year 66 of Jesus Christ was nominated by the Council of the Jews to be Governour of Jerusalem. Josephus4 commends extremely the prudence of this Governour, and mentions him as a very just man, a great lover of peace, zealous for the publick good, very vigilant, and very careful of the people’s interests. Qualities very different from those which he attributes to him where he speaks of St. James’s death, who was Bishop of Jerusalem5. But age might have allayed the fire of his youth, and restrained that excessive boldness which was then thought blameable in him.
The Zealots who were Masters of the Temple, having invited the Idumæans to come to their assistance, and defend Jerusalem against Ananus6, whom they had a mind to render suspected, as one who corresponded with the Romans, Ananus gave orders to shut the gates against them. But the Idumæans having entred by night, during a great storm, began to search for Ananus, and having easily found him, they massacred him with a great deal of insult, and left his body exposed to beasts, and deprived of the honour of a burial. Josephus7 says, that the death of Ananus was the first step towards the destruction of Jerusalem, and that the walls and strongest ramparts thereof were overthrown at the time when this man, in whose wise conduct all the hope of their preservation consisted, was sacrificed so unworthily. This happened in the year of J. C. 67.
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