XXI. [p. 312.] Matt. xxvi. 3.  “Then assembled together the chief priests, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.”  That Caiaphas was high priest, and high priest throughout the presidentship of Pontius Pilate, and consequently at this time, appears from the following account:—­He was made high priest by Valerius Gratus, predecessor of Pontius Pilate, and was removed from his office by Vitellius, president of Syria, after Pilate was sent away out of the province of Judea.  Josephus relates the advancement of Caiaphas to the high priesthood in this manner:  “Gratus gave the high priesthood to Simon, the son of Camithus.  He, having enjoyed this honour not above a year, was succeeded by Joseph, who is also called Caiaphas.” (Antiq. lib. xviii. c. 2, sect. 2.) After this, Gratus went away for Rome, having been eleven years in Judea; and Pontius Pilate came thither as his successor.  Of the removal of Caiaphas from his office, Josephus likewise afterwards informs us:  and connects it with a circumstance which fixes the time to a date subsequent to the determination of Pilate’s government—­“Vitellius,” he tells us; “ordered Pilate to repair to Rome:  and after that, went up himself to Jerusalem, and then gave directions concerning several matters.  And having done these things he took away the priesthood from the high priest Joseph, who is called Caiaphas.” (Antiq. lib. xvii. c. 5, sect 3.)

XXII. (Michaelis, c. xi. sect. 11.) Acts xxiii. 4.  “And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?  Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest?” Now, upon inquiry into the history of the age, it turns out that Ananias, of whom this is spoken, was, in truth, not the high priest, though he was sitting in judgment in that assumed capacity.  The case was, that he had formerly holden the office, and had been deposed; that the person who succeeded him had been murdered; that another was not yet appointed to the station; and that during the vacancy, he had, of his own authority, taken upon himself the discharge of the office. (Joseph.  Antiq. 1. xx. c. 5, sect. 2; c. 6, sect. 2; c. 9, sect. 2.) This singular situation of the high priesthood took place during the interval between the death of Jonathan, who was murdered by order of Felix, and the accession of Ismael, who was invested with the high priesthood by Agrippa; and precisely in this interval it happened that Saint Paul was apprehended, and brought before the Jewish council.

XXIII. [p. 323.] Matt. xxvi. 59.  “Now the chief priests and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against him.”

Joseph.  Antiq. lib. xviii. e. 15, sect. 3, 4.  “Then might be seen the high priests themselves with ashes on their heads and their breasts naked.”

The agreement here consists in speaking of the high priests or chief priests (for the name in the original is the same) in the plural number, when in strictness there was only one high priest:  which may be considered as a proof that the evangelists were habituated to the manner of speaking then in use, because they retain it when it is neither accurate nor just.  For the sake of brevity, I have put down from Josephus only a single example of the application of this title in the plural number; but it is his usual style.