Johanan (Hebrewיוֹחָנָן Yôḥānān), son of Joiada, was the fifthhigh priest after the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem by the Jews who had returned from the Babylonian captivity. His reign is estimated to have been from c. 410–371 BCE; he was succeeded by his son Jaddua. The Bible gives no details about his life. Johanan lived during the reigns of king Darius II of Persia (423 BC – 405 or 404 BC) and his son Artaxerxes II (404 BC – 358 BC), whose Achaemenid Empire included Judah as a province.
Flavius Josephus records that Johanan's brother Joshua was promised the high priesthood by Bagoas, general of Artaxerxes. Joshua got in a quarrel with Johanan in the temple and Johanan killed him. Bagoas knew that Johanan had slain Joshua in the temple saying to him "Have you had the impudence to perpetrate murder in the temple."[1] Bagoas was forbidden to enter the temple, but he entered anyway saying "Am not I purer than he that was slain in the temple?"[1] Bagoas had not seen such a savage crime and responded by commanding the Persians to punish the Jews for seven years. His son Jaddua eventually took over the position when Johanan died, as briefly mentioned by Josephus, but was not accepted in the book of chronicles according to Nehemiah 12:23.
Archaeologyedit
Letter from Elephantine papyriedit
Among the Elephantine papyri, a collection of 5th century BCE Hebrew manuscripts from the Jewish community at Elephantine in Egypt, a letter was found in which Johanan is mentioned. The letter is dated "the 20th of Marshewan, year 17 of king Darius", which corresponds to 407 BCE.[2] It is addressed to Bagoas, the governor of Judah, and is a request for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple at Elephantine, which was destroyed by Egyptian pagans. The letter includes the following passage:
"(...) We have also sent a letter before now, when this evil was done to us, to our lord and to the high priest Johanan and his colleagues the priests in Jerusalem and to Ostanes the brother of Anani and the nobles of the Jews, Never a letter have they sent to us. (...)"
It has been suggested that the Anani that is referred to here might be the same as in 1 Chronicles 3:24.[2]
Yohanan coinedit
On a silver coin from the late Persian period, Dan Barag and other scholars have identified the Hebrew phrase יחנן הכהן ("Yoḥanan the priest").[3] This coin is a part of the Yehud coinage.[4]
Because it is generally dated between 350 BCE and Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia, around 333 BCE,[5] the coin is usually attributed to a second high priest called Johanan, who is not mentioned in the Bible. Thus, the coin seems to lend support to the hypothesis by Frank Moore Cross from 1975 that there were two subsequent father/son pairs of high priests called Johanan and Jaddua, the latter pair of which was accidentally omitted from the biblical text because of haplography.[3] However, Lisbeth Fried has challenged this late dating of the coin and has suggested a date between 378 and 368 BCE. She believes that the coin refers to the same individual as the one mentioned in Josephus and Nehemiah, and that it is unnecessary to propose a second Johanan.[5]
According to the research published in 2023,[6] the Johanan coin (Yehud coin Type 25) belongs to the "Series with facing head/owl" Types 24 to 28 (YHD-24 to YHD-28).[7] Thus, this coin comes in the middle of the coinage belonging to the Macedonian period.
Nameedit
There is dispute over his actual name. Neh 12:11 lists him as Jonathan, while 12:22 mentions Joiada's successor as Johanan. Josephus also lists him as Johanan (John).[8]
According to the Anchor Bible Dictionary there is also a dispute regarding the genealogy of Johanan. Neh 12:10–11 lists Johanan as the grandson of Eliashib while Neh 12:23 identifies him as the son of Eliashib. "Although it is possible that Heb ben is to be translated as 'grandson' in Neh 12:23; cf. NEB, JB)"
There is yet to be extrabiblical proof that a man named Jonathan ever served as high priest. This has led many to believe that the biblical text has a copy mistake.[9]
^ abPritchard, James B. ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, Princeton University Press, third edition with supplement 1969, p. 492
^ abBetlyon, John Wilson, "The Provincial Government of Persian Period Judea and the Yehud Coins" Journal of Biblical Literature Vol. 105, No. 4 (Dec., 1986), pp. 639–642
^YHD 25 (Yehud coin Type 25): Hemiobol with facing head/owl and inscription Yohanan the Priest. The Menorah Coin Project website. Israel Numismatic Society
^ abFried, Lisbeth S., A silver coin of Yohanan Hakkôhen, Transeuphratène 26 (2003) pp. 67, 85
^Gitler H., Lorber C., Fontanille J.-P. (2023), The Yehud Coinage: A Study and Die Classification of the Provincial Silver Coinage of Judah. (Introduction) Israel Numismatic Society; Jerusalem, Israel.
^The Menorah Coin Project website. Israel Numismatic Society
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Johanan Hebrew יו ח נ ן Yoḥanan son of Joiada was the fifth high priest after the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem by the Jews who had returned from the Babylonian captivity His reign is estimated to have been from c 410 371 BCE he was succeeded by his son Jaddua The Bible gives no details about his life Johanan lived during the reigns of king Darius II of Persia 423 BC 405 or 404 BC and his son Artaxerxes II 404 BC 358 BC whose Achaemenid Empire included Judah as a province Contents 1 Murder in the Temple 2 Archaeology 2 1 Letter from Elephantine papyri 2 2 Yohanan coin 3 Name 4 Patrilineal Ancestry 5 See also 6 ReferencesMurder in the Temple editFlavius Josephus records that Johanan s brother Joshua was promised the high priesthood by Bagoas general of Artaxerxes Joshua got in a quarrel with Johanan in the temple and Johanan killed him Bagoas knew that Johanan had slain Joshua in the temple saying to him Have you had the impudence to perpetrate murder in the temple 1 Bagoas was forbidden to enter the temple but he entered anyway saying Am not I purer than he that was slain in the temple 1 Bagoas had not seen such a savage crime and responded by commanding the Persians to punish the Jews for seven years His son Jaddua eventually took over the position when Johanan died as briefly mentioned by Josephus but was not accepted in the book of chronicles according to Nehemiah 12 23 Archaeology editLetter from Elephantine papyri edit Among the Elephantine papyri a collection of 5th century BCE Hebrew manuscripts from the Jewish community at Elephantine in Egypt a letter was found in which Johanan is mentioned The letter is dated the 20th of Marshewan year 17 of king Darius which corresponds to 407 BCE 2 It is addressed to Bagoas the governor of Judah and is a request for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple at Elephantine which was destroyed by Egyptian pagans The letter includes the following passage We have also sent a letter before now when this evil was done to us to our lord and to the high priest Johanan and his colleagues the priests in Jerusalem and to Ostanes the brother of Anani and the nobles of the Jews Never a letter have they sent to us It has been suggested that the Anani that is referred to here might be the same as in 1 Chronicles 3 24 2 Yohanan coin edit On a silver coin from the late Persian period Dan Barag and other scholars have identified the Hebrew phrase יחנן הכהן Yoḥanan the priest 3 This coin is a part of the Yehud coinage 4 Because it is generally dated between 350 BCE and Alexander the Great s conquest of Persia around 333 BCE 5 the coin is usually attributed to a second high priest called Johanan who is not mentioned in the Bible Thus the coin seems to lend support to the hypothesis by Frank Moore Cross from 1975 that there were two subsequent father son pairs of high priests called Johanan and Jaddua the latter pair of which was accidentally omitted from the biblical text because of haplography 3 However Lisbeth Fried has challenged this late dating of the coin and has suggested a date between 378 and 368 BCE She believes that the coin refers to the same individual as the one mentioned in Josephus and Nehemiah and that it is unnecessary to propose a second Johanan 5 According to the research published in 2023 6 the Johanan coin Yehud coin Type 25 belongs to the Series with facing head owl Types 24 to 28 YHD 24 to YHD 28 7 Thus this coin comes in the middle of the coinage belonging to the Macedonian period Name editThere is dispute over his actual name Neh 12 11 lists him as Jonathan while 12 22 mentions Joiada s successor as Johanan Josephus also lists him as Johanan John 8 According to the Anchor Bible Dictionary there is also a dispute regarding the genealogy of Johanan Neh 12 10 11 lists Johanan as the grandson of Eliashib while Neh 12 23 identifies him as the son of Eliashib Although it is possible that Heb ben is to be translated as grandson in Neh 12 23 cf NEB JB There is yet to be extrabiblical proof that a man named Jonathan ever served as high priest This has led many to believe that the biblical text has a copy mistake 9 Patrilineal Ancestry editPatrilineal descent AbrahamIsaacJacobLeviKehathAmramAaronEleazarPhinehasAbishuaBukkiUzziZerahiahMeraiothAzariahAmariahAhitubZadokAhimaazAzariahYohananAzariah IIAmariahAhitubZadok IIShallumHilkiahAzariah IVSeraiahJehozadakJoshua the High PriestJoiakimEliashibJoiadaSee also editList of biblical figures identified in extra biblical sourcesReferences edit a b Antiquities xi 7 1 Josephus a b Pritchard James B ed Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament Princeton University Press third edition with supplement 1969 p 492 a b Betlyon John Wilson The Provincial Government of Persian Period Judea and the Yehud Coins Journal of Biblical Literature Vol 105 No 4 Dec 1986 pp 639 642 YHD 25 Yehud coin Type 25 Hemiobol with facing head owl and inscription Yohanan the Priest The Menorah Coin Project website Israel Numismatic Society a b Fried Lisbeth S A silver coin of Yohanan Hakkohen Transeuphratene 26 2003 pp 67 85 Gitler H Lorber C Fontanille J P 2023 The Yehud Coinage A Study and Die Classification of the Provincial Silver Coinage of Judah Introduction Israel Numismatic Society Jerusalem Israel The Menorah Coin Project website Israel Numismatic Society Antiquities 11 297 302 Josephus From Joshua To Caiaphas High Priests after the Exile 54 63 James Vander Kam Jewish titles Preceded byJoiada High Priest of IsraelLate 5th or early 4th century BC Succeeded byJaddua Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Johanan High Priest amp oldid 1211553738, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
