Eliashib (High Priest)

Eliashib the High Priest is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:10,22 and 3:1, 20-21,13:28 and possibly the Book of Ezra 10:6 of the Hebrew Bible. Some also place him in different parts of Nehemiah including 12:23 and 13:4,7, but this is disputed. Nehemiah 3:20-21 places his home between the area of two working groups constructing the walls of Jerusalem on the north side of the city. He helped with the refortification of this wall (Neh 3:1). The size of his house indicated his wealth and high socio-economic status (Neh 3:23-21). This places him as someone who lived during the time of Nehemiah, and as a result, probably Ezra also. In the year 445 BCE, Eliashib was the high priest when Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes I (Nehemiah 1:1, 2:1).^[1]

Josephus puts Eliashib as a contemporary of Ezra during the reign of Xerxes, in Ant. 11.5,6-8. He also dates his reign as high priest through the reign of Cyrus the Younger, who Josephus mentions is "also called by the Greeks, Artaxerxes". This is the Artaxerxes depicted in the Book of Esther. Josephus outlines this story in Antiq.11:185- Antiq 11:297. The last quotation of this story states, "When Eliasib the high priest was dead, his son Judas succeeded in the high priesthood."(Antiq 11:297)

Eliashib's grandson was married to the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite (Neh 13:28), and while Nehemiah was absent in Babylon Eliashib had leased the storerooms of the temple to Sanballat's associate Tobiah the Ammonite. When Nehemiah returned he threw Tobiah's furniture out of the temple and drove out Eliashib's grandson (Neh 13:4-9). This may be the political background to the allegorical vision of Satan, the Angel of the Lord and Eliashib's (possibly deceased) grandfather Joshua the High Priest in Zechariah 3.

References

↑ VanderKam, From Joshua to Caiaphas (The High Priests of the Persian Period)

High Priests of Israel (List)

Tabernacle	Aaron Eleazar Phinehas Abishua Bukki Uzzi Eli Ahitub Ahijah Ahimelech Abiathar

First Temple	Zadok Ahimaaz Azariah I Johanan Jehoiarib Jehoshaphat Jehoiada Pediah Zedekiah Azariah II Hilkiah

Post-exilic	Joshua Joiakim Eliashib Joiada Johanan Jaddua Onias I Simon I Simeon the Just Eleazar Manasseh Onias II Simon II Onias III Jason Menelaus Onias IV Alcimus

Hasmonean dynasty	Jonathan Apphus Simon Thassi Hyrcanus I Aristobulus I Alexander Jannaeus Hyrcanus II Aristobulus II Antigonus

Herodians to the Jewish Revolt	Ananelus Aristobulus III Joshua ben Fabus Simon ben Boethus Joazar ben Boethus Eleazar ben Boethus Annas Caiaphas Theophilus ben Ananus Simon Cantatheras ben Boethus Elioneus ben Simon Cantatheras Ananias ben Nebedeus Joseph Cabi ben Simon Ananus ben Ananus Joshua ben Damneus Joshua ben Gamaliel Mattathias ben Theophilus Phannias ben Samuel

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