From Joshua to Caiaphas: High Priests After the Exile by J. C. VanderKam

by James C. VanderKam

Beginning late in the Old Testament period and continuing for the next six hundred years, the Jewish high priests were often the most important members of Jewish society. They not only possessed religious authority but also exercised political control. This book gathers and assesses the surviving evidence about each of the fifty-one men who served as high priest from about 515 BCE until approximately 70 CE when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.

Genres: Biblical Studies

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Nakhati Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hallmark of mystery in which the history of the High Priests comes into the open. The book is a treasure trove of insights into the High Priests between the time of the book of Zechariah till the Lord Jesus' coming. His insights on the Maccabean period and writings - are worth the cost of the book, especially with his explanations of the historical influences and activities before the time of Christ.

This book helped me realize how much the High Priests during the intertestamental period compromised with the political rulers to gain standing. But unfortunately, the result opened the way for Herod the Great to dominate the scene.

[Nancy Kuehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Joshua To Caiaphas is an excellent tool for anyone researching the priestly families, and especially the priestly oligarchy of the Herodian Age (37 BCE to 70 CE). Vanderkam has described, in order, the priesthoods of various family members from numerous sources, including the works of Josephus, the Talmud, and Tosefta, as well as providing excellent footnotes on passages from other scholarly works on each subject. He covers the four families of the oligarchy including Hanan, Boethus, Kithros, and Fiabi (the oligarchy) quite well and discusses the name "Cantheras" as a Semitic form of qayyaph (or Caiaphas), relating it to a "basket person". What he does not do is tie the word in with the spice trade. A "basket" person was generally someone who imported and exported perfume baskets or someone involved in the incense trade. The Kithros family is also tied to the names Cantheras and Caiaphas, and it is well known that the family of Kithros were involved in the spice trade. The four families appear to have been related in some manner although the author does not make that connection.

All in all, the book is excellent and well worth the read for any scholar of early Christianity or early Judaism.