High priest (749) (archiereus from arche = first in a series, the leader or ruler, idea of rank or degree + hiereus = priest - hieros is that which is determined, filled or consecrated by divine power) refers to the priest that was chief over all the other priests in Israel. This office was established by God through Moses instructions in the Pentateuch. The high priest functioned as the mediator between Jehovah and Israel (cp new order under the New Covenant - 1Ti 2:5) performing sacrifices and rituals like other priests, but in addition acting to expiate the sins of the nation on the annual Day of Atonement (another source) (Read Lev 16:1-34) In the plural archiereus refers to all the ruling priests, the members of the high-priestly families as a group, the upper echelons of the priestly class, especially those who served on the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court (Lk 9:22, Mk 8:31). In the singular archiereus refers to the acting high priest (Lk 3.2, Mk 14:47, 53, 54, 60, 61, 63, 66), who by Jesus' day was more of a role obtained by political connections than priestly lineage.. In Luke 3:2 we see reference to two high priests which is unusual because Judaism had only one high priest. Annas, who came to office in 6AD, was deposed in 15AD by Valerius Gratus and eventually succeeded by his son-in-law Caiaphas, who served from 18–37AD. Annas continued to wield influence, and was viewed by many Jews as their high priest. Thus in a sense there were two high priests, one official and one who wielded power behind the scenes. "Within the generally negative assessment of priests in the Gospels, there stands the pregnant statement in John (Jn 11:49–52; cf. Jn 18:14), suggesting that because of his office, even a personally evil high priest such as Caiaphas could, ‘not of himself’, utter prophetic truth." (New dictionary of biblical theology). The office of high priest in Jesus' day (eg, Mt 26:3) was primarily a political role. As presiding officer of the Sanhedrin, the chief governing body in Israel, the high priest was the principal representative of the Jewish people to the Roman authorities. What the high priest wanted was preservation of the status quo (cf. Jn 11:47-49), which best served his interests and those aligned with him. Sceva a Jewish high priest (Acts 19:14) is an enigma. Bob Utley notes that "Modern scholars cannot find this name in any other writings. It is problematic for a Jewish high priest (archiereus) to be in Ephesus. There was a local synagogue, but the only Jewish temple was in Jerusalem. (Luke the Historian: The Book of Acts) Balz notes that... Except for the reference to Abiathar in Mark 2:26 (1Sa 21:7) archiereus occurs in the Gospels and Acts only in connection with the trial of Jesus and the persecution of the early Church (38 times single, 62 plural) and in Hebrews as a Christological title.... From the time of Herod (37 b.c.) until the fall of Jerusalem (a.d. 70) the office of high priest, originally conferred for life, hereditary, and reserved for Zadokites (Cp Zadok), was subject to the political tactics of Herod and the corruptibility of the Roman procurators. During this time it was held by 28 illegitimate occupants. John 11:49, 51; 18:13 does not give the impression of an annual change in the office. The Romans appear to have accepted nepotism among the candidates, who, for financial reasons, were confined to four families (Boethus with 8 representatives, Ananus 8, Phiabi 3, and Camithus 3). (Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament: Eerdmans) Archiereus was used of pagan idolatrous cults (Zeus, Jupiter, the Emperor cults, etc, cp Acts 14:13 = hiereus). Herodotus uses archiereus of Egyptian high priests of high rank after the king. "Plato used it in connection with his ideal state (Laws 12, 947a); the archiereus was to stand annually at the head of all the officiating priests....From Polybius (3rd–2nd cents. B.C.) on, archiereus was translated by the Latin pontifex. " (NIDNTT) Wuest adds that... The Roman emperor was Pontifex Maximus, a high priest upon the throne of the Caesars. But our Lord Jesus is a high priest who, now seated upon a throne of grace, will some day as High Priest in the Messianic Kingdom occupy the throne of David in Jerusalem, as Zechariah says, “He shall be a priest upon his throne” (Zech. 6:13). It is interesting that Josephus informs us completely as to the names of all the high priests who served in the first century, scholars have no difficulty checking the historical record. However, after the destruction of the Temple in 70AD there were no more high priests, because they were replaced by the better priesthood of the Great High Priest, Christ Jesus (The writer applies archiereus to Jesus in 17" class="scriptRef">Heb 2:17, 3:1, 15" class="scriptRef">4:14, 15, Heb 5:5, 5:10, 6:20, 7:26, 7:28, 8:1, 8:3, 11" class="scriptRef">9:11, 9:25). Jesus is designated as “great high priest” (a title used of the high priest in the Septuagint (Lxx) of 21.10" class="scriptRef">Lev 21:10, Num 35:25) in Heb 4:14 and Heb 10:21. Hebrews refers to Jesus as priest (rather than high priest) in Heb 5:6, 7:3, 11, 15, 17; 21, 8:4. Mounce comments that on the Day of Atonement, the OT high priest alone was able to stand in the presence of God. Picking up on this theme, Hebrews describes Jesus as the ultimate and final high priest (Heb 7–8) as well as the ultimate and final sacrifice, who accomplished “eternal redemption” (Heb 9:12) in contrast to the annual redemption of the Day of Atonement. (Mounce's complete expository dictionary of Old & New Testament words) Related Resources: Easton's; ISBE; Priest, Priesthood-Baker's Evangelical Dictionary; Christ as Priest The irony is that the high priest Caiaphas was residing over the Sanhedrin during trial of Jesus, the trial which would lead to His death and pave the way for His eternal High Priesthood Eerdman's Bible Dictionary explains that... The high priest descended from Eleazar, the son of Aaron. The office was normally hereditary and was conferred upon an individual for life (Nu 25:10, 11, 12, 13). The candidate was consecrated in a seven-day ceremony which included investiture with the special clothing of his office as well as anointments and sacrifices (Ex 29:1-37; Lev 8:5-35). The high priest was bound to a higher degree of ritual purity than ordinary Levitical priests. He could have no contact with dead bodies, including those of his parents. Nor could he rend his clothing or allow his hair to grow out as signs of mourning. He could not marry a widow, divorced woman, or harlot, but only an Israelite virgin (Lev 21:10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). Any sin committed by the high priest brought guilt upon the entire nation and had to be countered by special sacrifice (Lev 4:1-12). Upon a high priest’s death manslayers were released from the cities of refuge (Nu 35:25, 28, 32). (Eerdman's Bible Dictionary) Thayer writes... According to the Mosaic law no one could aspire to the high priesthood unless he were of the tribe of Aaron, and descended moreover from a high priestly family; and he on whom the office was conferred held it till death. But from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, when the kings of the Seleucidae and afterward the Herodian princes and the Romans arrogated to themselves the power of appointing the high priests, the office neither remained vested in the pontifical family nor was conferred on anyone for life; but it became venal, and could be transferred from one to another according to the will of civil or military rulers. Hence, it came to pass, that during the one hundred and seven years intervening between Herod the Great and the destruction of the holy city, twenty-eight persons held the pontifical dignity Archiereus occurs only in the Gospels & Acts (11.5.27" class="scriptRef">27" class="scriptRef">27.12" class="scriptRef">122x in 119" class="scriptRef">19v - 22.4" class="scriptRef">4" class="scriptRef">Matt 2:4; 6.21" class="scriptRef">21" class="scriptRef">21" class="scriptRef">16:21; 20.18" class="scriptRef">20:18; 25.15" class="scriptRef">15" class="scriptRef">15" class="scriptRef">21:15, 3" class="scriptRef">3" class="scriptRef">3" class="scriptRef">23, 45" class="scriptRef">45; 26.3" class="scriptRef">26:3, 14" class="scriptRef">14" class="scriptRef">14, 47" class="scriptRef">47, 51" class="scriptRef">51, 57-Matt.26.75" class="scriptRef">57ff, 62-Matt.26.75" class="scriptRef">62f, 65; 27:1, 3, 6, 12, 20, 41, 62; 28:11; Mark 2:26; 31" class="scriptRef">8:31; 10" class="scriptRef">10" class="scriptRef">10" class="scriptRef">10.33" class="scriptRef">10:33; 11:18, 27; 14:1, 10, 43, 47, 53ff, 60f, 63, 66" class="scriptRef">66; 15:1, 3, 10f, 31; Luke 3:2; 9:22; 19:47; 20:1, 19; 22:2, 4, 50, 52, 54, 66; 23:4, 10, 13" class="scriptRef">13; 24" class="scriptRef">24.20" class="scriptRef">24:20; John 7:32, 45; 11:47, 49, 51, 57; 12:10; 18:3, 10, 13, 15f, 19, 22, 24, 26, 35; 19:6, 15, 21; Uses in Acts - Acts 4:6, 23; 5:17, 21, 24, 27; 7:1; 9:1, 14, 21; 19:14; 22:5, 30; 23:2, 4f, 14; 24:1; 25:2, 15; 26:10, 12; Heb 2:17; 3:1; 4:14f; 5:1, 5, 10; 6:20; 7:26ff; 8:1, 3; 9:7, 11, 25; 13:11). In the Septuagint Archiereus is used only in Lev 4:3, Joshua 22:13, 24:33 The references to the high priests in the Gospels and Acts refers primarily to their bitter opposition to Jesus Who the writer of Hebrews identifies as our everlasting High Priest. Clearly archiereus is a key word in the book of Hebrews, and a review of these 17 verses reveals various characteristics (see underlined sections) of Jesus role as the great High Priest (some of the uses of high priest obviously do not refer to Jesus but to the Jewish high priests). Hebrews 2:17 (note) Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 3:1 (note) Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. Hebrews 4:14 (note) Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:15 (note) For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 5:1 (note) For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; Hebrews 5:5 (note) So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee"; Hebrews 5:10 (note) being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:20 (note) where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:26 (note) For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; Hebrews 7:27 (note) who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. Hebrews 7:28 (note) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. Hebrews 8:1 (note) Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, Hebrews 8:3 (note) For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. Hebrews 9:7 (note) but into the second only the high priest enters, once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. Hebrews 9:11 (note) But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; Hebrews 9:25 (note) nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. Hebrews 13:11 (note) For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. See the shadow in 1Sa 2:35 fulfilled in Christ our High Priest. Jesus can be completely trusted by men to be their means of atonement. All can approach Christ with absolute confidence (for He is faithful) and with assurance that they will find mercy (for He is merciful). Note how these twin concepts are further developed by the writer in Hebrews 3:1-6 and Hebrews 4:14-16.