Dr. Jodi Magness

And interestingly to notice, by the way, that this high priest adopted also a Greek name, Jason, and he's known by his Greek name. But there's a little bit of background to Jason because Jason actually was not the official high priest in Jerusalem.

The official high priest in Jerusalem was his older brother, a guy named Onias, specifically Onias III, who, for various reasons that I won't go into, had to leave Jerusalem and go up to Antioch in Syria, which was the capital of the Seleucid kingdom, in order to meet with the Seleucid king. While he's gone, he leaves his brother, Jason, in charge.

The official high priest in Jerusalem was his older brother, a guy named Onias, specifically Onias III, who, for various reasons that I won't go into, had to leave Jerusalem and go up to Antioch in Syria, which was the capital of the Seleucid kingdom, in order to meet with the Seleucid king. While he's gone, he leaves his brother, Jason, in charge.

The official high priest in Jerusalem was his older brother, a guy named Onias, specifically Onias III, who, for various reasons that I won't go into, had to leave Jerusalem and go up to Antioch in Syria, which was the capital of the Seleucid kingdom, in order to meet with the Seleucid king. While he's gone, he leaves his brother, Jason, in charge.

So Jason was kind of like the interim high priest in Jerusalem, and it's when he becomes the interim high priest, he then actually bribes the Seleucid king to keep him in place as the high priest, because it was up to the Seleucid king to confirm that. the appointments of high priests. And Jason then obtains the position, sort of permanently, of high priest.

So Jason was kind of like the interim high priest in Jerusalem, and it's when he becomes the interim high priest, he then actually bribes the Seleucid king to keep him in place as the high priest, because it was up to the Seleucid king to confirm that. the appointments of high priests. And Jason then obtains the position, sort of permanently, of high priest.

So Jason was kind of like the interim high priest in Jerusalem, and it's when he becomes the interim high priest, he then actually bribes the Seleucid king to keep him in place as the high priest, because it was up to the Seleucid king to confirm that. the appointments of high priests. And Jason then obtains the position, sort of permanently, of high priest.

And his brother, his older brother, Onias III, never returns to Judea. He actually ends up being assassinated in Antioch. There's a whole other thread of a story connected with that. And then what happens is that three years after Jason secures the high priesthood for himself, so now we're in 172 B.C.,

And his brother, his older brother, Onias III, never returns to Judea. He actually ends up being assassinated in Antioch. There's a whole other thread of a story connected with that. And then what happens is that three years after Jason secures the high priesthood for himself, so now we're in 172 B.C.,

And his brother, his older brother, Onias III, never returns to Judea. He actually ends up being assassinated in Antioch. There's a whole other thread of a story connected with that. And then what happens is that three years after Jason secures the high priesthood for himself, so now we're in 172 B.C.,

He sends another priest who's an official in the temple, but not related to Jason, a guy named Menelaus to Antioch to make a payment to the king. Now, probably this was an annual payment. So probably the high priest had to sort of pay an annual fee to, you know, to be able to serve in their office.

He sends another priest who's an official in the temple, but not related to Jason, a guy named Menelaus to Antioch to make a payment to the king. Now, probably this was an annual payment. So probably the high priest had to sort of pay an annual fee to, you know, to be able to serve in their office.

He sends another priest who's an official in the temple, but not related to Jason, a guy named Menelaus to Antioch to make a payment to the king. Now, probably this was an annual payment. So probably the high priest had to sort of pay an annual fee to, you know, to be able to serve in their office.

And this Menelaus was not, not only was he not related to Jason, he was not a member of that family. So here I now have to see, I'm sorry, it gets a little complicated, but here I have to backtrack again. So Jason and his older brother were members of a family that were called the Zadokites.

And this Menelaus was not, not only was he not related to Jason, he was not a member of that family. So here I now have to see, I'm sorry, it gets a little complicated, but here I have to backtrack again. So Jason and his older brother were members of a family that were called the Zadokites.

And this Menelaus was not, not only was he not related to Jason, he was not a member of that family. So here I now have to see, I'm sorry, it gets a little complicated, but here I have to backtrack again. So Jason and his older brother were members of a family that were called the Zadokites.

The Zadokites were descended, or at least claimed to be descended, from the very first high priest who Solomon had appointed to officiate as high priest in the very first temple that he built centuries earlier in Jerusalem.

The Zadokites were descended, or at least claimed to be descended, from the very first high priest who Solomon had appointed to officiate as high priest in the very first temple that he built centuries earlier in Jerusalem.

The Zadokites were descended, or at least claimed to be descended, from the very first high priest who Solomon had appointed to officiate as high priest in the very first temple that he built centuries earlier in Jerusalem.

Since then, since Solomon's time, the high priests in the temple in Jerusalem had claimed ancestry from the original Zadok, and they were called the Zadokite line of high priests, and they became kind of the official high priestly family. So Menelaus was from a priestly family, but he was not a Zadokite. He goes to Antioch with the payment.