Joshua the High Priest
Encyclopedia
Joshua the High Priest (Hebrew name יהושע כהן גדול Yəshúa jeˈʃuăʕ; ; ) was, according to the Bible
the first person chosen to be the High Priest
for the reconstruction of the Jewish Temple
after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity
(See in the Bible.) The name is also spelled 'Jeshua' in some English versions , and, as with the earlier Joshua, is transcribed 'Jesus
' in the Septuagint.
ca.515-490 BCE in the common List of High Priests of Israel. This dating is based on the period of service age 25-50 (per Book of Numbers
8) not age 30-50 (per Numbers 4).
The biblical text credits Joshua among the leaders that inspired a momentum towards the reconstruction of the temple, in Ezra
. Later some of the his sons and nephews are found guilty of intermarriage.
Facts concerning the later part of Joshua's life are in part dependent upon whether Joshua was still alive at the time of his appearance in a vision by Zechariah. If the vision relates to Nehemiah's cleansing of the temple in Neh.13:28 then the engagement of Joshua's great-great-grandson to the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite
would place Joshua in his late 90s if he were still alive.
Zechariah the prophet experiences a vision given to him by an angel
of the Lord in which the restoration and cleansing of Joshua’s priestly duties are affirmed. Included in the visions were requirements in which Joshua was expected to uphold. These included: (1) walk in the ways of God, (2) keeping the requirements (the law), (3) ruling God’s house, (4) take charge of my courts; by fulfilling these duties the angel in the Book of Zachariah granted access to the inner temple to Joshua and his fellow priest. The vision also functioned to purify Joshua and to sanctify him for the preparations of his priestly duties.
Alternatively, if Joshua had in fact died before the events of Nehemiah
13 then it is possible that the vision intended to depict a heavenly throneroom scene of Satan and the angel disputing over the soul of Joshua, and the intended target of the allegory is the then serving high priest, his grandson, Eliashib
.
."
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
the first person chosen to be the High Priest
Kohen Gadol
The High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem...
for the reconstruction of the Jewish Temple
Jewish temple
Jewish temple:*Jewish temple or The Jewish Temple, may refer to the original two ancient Jewish Temples in Jerusalem.**The First Temple was destroyed by the ancient Babylonians in 586 BCE.**The Second Temple was destroyed by Rome in 70 CE....
after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity
Babylonian captivity
The Babylonian captivity was the period in Jewish history during which the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon—conventionally 587–538 BCE....
(See in the Bible.) The name is also spelled 'Jeshua' in some English versions , and, as with the earlier Joshua, is transcribed 'Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' in the Septuagint.
Life
Joshua son of Josedech served as High PriestKohen Gadol
The High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem...
ca.515-490 BCE in the common List of High Priests of Israel. This dating is based on the period of service age 25-50 (per Book of Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
8) not age 30-50 (per Numbers 4).
The biblical text credits Joshua among the leaders that inspired a momentum towards the reconstruction of the temple, in Ezra
Ezra
Ezra , also called Ezra the Scribe and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra. According to the Hebrew Bible he returned from the Babylonian exile and reintroduced the Torah in Jerusalem...
. Later some of the his sons and nephews are found guilty of intermarriage.
Facts concerning the later part of Joshua's life are in part dependent upon whether Joshua was still alive at the time of his appearance in a vision by Zechariah. If the vision relates to Nehemiah's cleansing of the temple in Neh.13:28 then the engagement of Joshua's great-great-grandson to the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite
Sanballat the Horonite
Sanballat the Horonite or Sanballat I was a Samaritan leader and official of the Persian Achaemenid Empire who lived in the mid to late fifth century BC...
would place Joshua in his late 90s if he were still alive.
Appearance in Vision
In the Book of ZechariahBook of Zechariah
The Book of Zechariah is the penultimate book of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew and Christian Bible, attributed to the prophet Zechariah.-Historical context:...
Zechariah the prophet experiences a vision given to him by an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
of the Lord in which the restoration and cleansing of Joshua’s priestly duties are affirmed. Included in the visions were requirements in which Joshua was expected to uphold. These included: (1) walk in the ways of God, (2) keeping the requirements (the law), (3) ruling God’s house, (4) take charge of my courts; by fulfilling these duties the angel in the Book of Zachariah granted access to the inner temple to Joshua and his fellow priest. The vision also functioned to purify Joshua and to sanctify him for the preparations of his priestly duties.
Alternatively, if Joshua had in fact died before the events of Nehemiah
Nehemiah
Nehemiah ]]," Standard Hebrew Nəḥemya, Tiberian Hebrew Nəḥemyāh) is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work rebuilding Jerusalem and purifying the Jewish community. He was the son of Hachaliah, Nehemiah ]]," Standard Hebrew Nəḥemya, Tiberian Hebrew Nəḥemyāh) is the...
13 then it is possible that the vision intended to depict a heavenly throneroom scene of Satan and the angel disputing over the soul of Joshua, and the intended target of the allegory is the then serving high priest, his grandson, Eliashib
Eliashib (High Priest)
Eliashib the High Priest is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:10,22 and 3:1, 20-21,13:28 and possibly the Book of Ezra 10:6 of the Hebrew Bible. Some also place him in different parts of Nehemiah including 12:23 and 13:4,7, but this is disputed. Nehemiah 3:20-21 places his home between the area of two...
.
Tomb
In 1825, the traditional tomb of Joshua was reported to have been found at "one hour's distance from BaghdadBaghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
."