Joshua the High Priest

Joshua the son of Jehozadak (Hebrew: יְהוֹשֻׁוּעַ Yəhōšūaʿ‍), was the first High Priest during the reconstruction of the Jewish Temple after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity.^[1]

Joshua as imagined by Guillaume Rouille, from his 1553 work containing woodcut portraits in medallion form, Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum.

Life

In the common List of High Priests of Israel, Joshua served as High Priest around 515–490 BCE.^[a]

The biblical text names Joshua among the leaders who inspired a momentum towards the reconstruction of the temple, in Ezra 5:2. Later, some of his sons and nephews are found guilty of intermarriage.^[2]

In the Book of Zechariah 3:6–10, 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 His courts; by fulfilling these duties, the angel 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.

Joshua is also named alongside Persian governor Zerubbabel in the Book of Haggai as the high priest to whom that prophet directed his messages from God.^[3] Theologian Albert Barnes observes that "Haggai addresses these two, the one of the royal, the other of the priestly, line, as jointly responsible for the negligence of the people".^[4]

Tomb

In 1825, the traditional tomb of Joshua was reported to have been found at "one hour's distance from Baghdad".^[5]

Significance

The name Joshua is of the same origin as the name Jesus, and Joshua the High Priest is interpreted by some Christians to be a foreshadowing of Jesus.^[4]

Patrilineal ancestry

As per 1 Chronicles chapter 5:

Patrilineal descent
Abraham Isaac Jacob Levi Kehath Amram Aaron Eleazar Phinehas Abishua Bukki Uzzi Zerahiah Meraioth Azariah Amariah Ahitub Zadok Ahimaaz Azariah Yohanan Azariah II Amariah Ahitub Zadok II Shallum Hilkiah Azariah IV Seraiah Jehozadak Joshua the High Priest

Notes

1. This dating is based on the period of service at age 25–50 (per Numbers 8) rather than age 30–50 (per Numbers 4).