The Apostolic Age · AD 4–70 · External witness

Annas (Ananus I)

d. c. 40 · High priest emeritus · Head of the priestly dynasty · Jerusalem

External witness

Who Annas (Ananus I) was

High priest 6–15 and paterfamilias of the century’s priestly cartel: five sons, a grandson, and his son-in-law Caiaphas all held the office, and John shows where power actually sat — the arrested Jesus is taken “to Annas first.” In Acts he still presides: “Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander” examine Peter and John. His house’s sepulchre is noted by Josephus; his youngest son Ananus II would, in 62, kill James the Just — the dynasty bracketing the Jerusalem church’s first generation with its two great trials.

Also listed in non-christian witnesses.

Common questions

When did Annas die?

Annas (Ananus I) is dated d. c. 40 in the archive, which places Annas in the Apostolic Age (AD 4–70). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.

Which early sources mention Annas?

Annas (Ananus I) is named in 3 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Luke, Flavius Josephus and The Pilate cycle. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Where was Annas from?

The archive associates Annas (Ananus I) with Jerusalem.

Who were Annas’ contemporaries?

The archive links Annas (Ananus I) to 8 other figures, including Joseph Caiaphas, Simon Peter, James the Just and Emperor Tiberius. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.

Scripture record

Primary-source mentions (3)

Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Acts 4:6

c. AD 85

And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

Luke · read ↗