Ananelus

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Ananelus
High Priest of Judaea
Reignc. 37 - 36 BCE
Predecessor Antigonus II Mattathias
Successor Aristobulus III
High Priest of Judaea
Reignc. 36 - 30 BCE
Predecessor Aristobulus III
Successor Joshua ben Fabus
Dynasty Herodian
Religion Judaism

Ananelus (also known as Hanameel) was a Jewish High priest in the 1st century BCE.

Though of priestly descent, he was not a member of the Hasmonean dynasty. The Mishnah (Parah 3:5) identifies him as Hanameel the Egyptian, while Josephus ("Ant." xv. 2, § 4) identifies him as being from Babylon.

He was appointed by Herod to fill the office of high priest made vacant by the death of Antigonus (37 BCE). Ananelus's incumbency was of short duration. Prudence compelled Herod to remove him, and to fill his place with the Hasmonean Aristobulus (36 BCE). The youthful Hasmonean, however, was too popular with the patriotic party; though he was a brother of Mariamne, Herod's beloved wife, he was treacherously drowned at Herod's instigation (35 BCE), and Ananelus was restored to the high position. How long he continued in office is not stated; but it could not have been for many years, since after the execution of Mariamne (29 BCE) Herod remarried, and appointed his second father-in-law, Simon ben Boethus, to the high-priesthood, removing Joshua ben Fabus.

Ananelus is credited with having prepared the penultimate of seven total "red heifers" (see Numbers 19) which were provided in all the centuries from Ezra's restoration to the final dispersion of the Jews (Parah 3:5).

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Hanameel the Egyptian". The Jewish Encyclopedia . New York: Funk & Wagnalls.

Jewish titles
Preceded by High Priest of Israel
37 BCE 36 BCE
Succeeded by
Preceded by High Priest of Israel
36 BCE 30 BCE
Succeeded by