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outer gates, which led unto the Temple mount (the court of the Gentiles), and to the
`Beautiful gate', which formed the principle entrance into the `court of the women'."
(The Temple and its Ministry).
There can be no doubt that at this time the office of high priest carried with it very
considerable influence. This can be seen in Acts 9: 1, 2 where the jurisdiction of the
high priest is recognized in the synagogues of Damascus, 140 air-miles to the north of
Jerusalem:
"And Saul . . . . . went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to
the synagogues, that if he found any of this way . . . . . he might bring them bound unto
Jerusalem."
The possessor of the office had a house in the Temple, in addition to his own home in
Jerusalem, and was entitled to certain marks of outward respect. According to the
Rabbis, he was appointed by the Sanhedrin, and the office was to be held for life and was
hereditary. But the high priesthood was interfered with, especially by Herod the Great,
and became associated with crime and bribery. Dean Farrar writes of Herod that, "He
thrust into the high priesthood creatures of his own, of Egyptian and Babylonian origin".
Herod also interfered with the Sanhedrin, to whom even the high priest was answerable,
and there can be no doubt that the assembly which condemned the Lord, was of a hybrid
nature.
The association of the priests with the Sadducean party, and the fact that they had the
chief share in the crucifixion of Christ, has been already noted. They appear on the scene
largely at the end of the Lord's ministry, after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and
they were very active during the early Acts period. A glance at the occurrences of "the
chief priests" (hoi archiereis) found in Mark 15:, is very revealing of the part they had
in the crucifixion:
"The chief priests held a consultation . . . . . accused Him . . . . . delivered Him . . . . .
moved the people . . . . . mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved
others; Himself He cannot save" (verses 1, 3, 10, 11, 31).
After the death of Christ, they, together with the Pharisees, persuaded Pilate (calling to
mind the Lord's prediction that after three days He would rise from the dead) of the
necessity to secure the sepulcher and to set a guard. It was to these chief priests that the
same guard reported after the resurrection of Christ, when they bribed them with much
money to spread abroad the tale that, "His disciples came by night, and stole Him away
while we slept" (Matt. 27: 62-66; 28: 2-4, 11-15). What the real feelings of these
chief priests (who were of the Sadducean persuasion, denying the resurrection of the
dead) were, after the report of the guard, can only be a matter of conjecture. They were
greatly distressed, however, at the later teaching of the Apostles:
"And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the
Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached
through Jesus the resurrection from the dead" (Acts 4: 1, 2).