Exactly who was Annas of the Gospel accounts?
Annas, described at Luke 3:32 as a "chief priest" during Jesus trial was a powerful member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and a shrewd politician and manipulator of others.
He played at least two roles amongst the religious elite of him time, serving both as High Priest after Quirinius, the Roman governor of Syria, removed his predecessor Joazar in 6 or 7 C.E. until he was removed himself from office by the Roman procurator Valerius Gratus.*
After This Annas still wielded enormous power throughout Israel directly as a chief priest as well as through his family.
Five of his sons came to be High Priests following his ouster from that office and his immediate family was notoriously wealthy, gaining much of their wealth through their monopoly on the sales of doves, sheep, oil, and wine used in temple ceremonies.
During their era corruption amongst the religious rulers was common Even some of the servants of his sons were involved in such things as taking by force tithes from the priests and even beating those who refused to hand these tithes over to them.
*Until the Romans became the rulers of Israel High Priests normally held their offices for life.
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