Joiakim (High Priest)

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Joiakim[a] is the name of a priest mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, in Deuterocanonical books, and in later extra-biblical sources. Reconstructing his role in history is complicated by a variety of claims made in these texts. The chronology of Joiakim's tenure as priest has been the subject of dispute, as has the question of whether Joiakim was high priest.[1] The Hebrew Bible, which mentions Joiakim only in the Book of Nehemiah, Chapter 12, does not call him "high priest," though Josephus does use the term for him.[1]

The mystery surrounding the identity of Joiakim is rather convoluted. There are some conflicts between early sources on Joiakim. In addition, while the history of Josephus (Antiq. 11:121) mentions Joiakim (or "Joacim"), it does not include many details regarding his identity or role.

Hebrew Bible and Deuterocanonical literature

In the Nehemiah 12:10, Joiakim is identified as the son of Joshua the High Priest. In verse 12 the expression "days of Jehoiakim" is used to denote a particular time period, and in verse 26 the "days of Jehoiakim" is equated with the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Interpreters have disagreed as to whether this language implies that Joiakim was regarded as the high priest by the author of Nehemiah.[1] However, "this list is artificial and problematic, but its existence reflects the importance of priests and Levites in this period."[2] (Identifies Joiakim as a High Priest, the son of Jeshua)[3]

In 1 Esdras 3:9; 5:5, Joiakim is referred to as the son of Zerubbabel. The Esdras genealogy of Zerubbabel's sons is considered to be highly confused.[2][4] 1 Chronicles 3:19 (Does not mention Joiakim as son of Zerubbabel, and there is no reference to Joiakim's role as a priest of the David line).[3] This is because the Zerubbabel in 1 Chronicles is not the same Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel. (In 1 Chronicles 3:16-19, Salathiel is the son of Jeconiah, and Zerubbabel is the son of Pedaiah, the son of Jeconiah.) This is not the same as the Genealogy given for Zerubbabel son of Salathiel, who becomes the new Signet of Authority after King Jeconiah was cursed to never have seed on the throne. See Jeremiah 22:24; and Haggai 2:23)

High Priest who hold religious and military authority. It is unclear whether the Jehoiakim mentioned in Judith is intended to be the same individual referred to in Nehemiah 12.[1] Because there is no evidence that a high priest would exercise such a wide range of powers, some scholars believe that the Joiakim of Judith may be a pseudonym for a person from either the Hasmonean dynasty period, the time of Trajan or Hadrian, or as a "representative figure of the priesthood in general."[5] The traditional Roman Catholic view is that the book dates to the reign of Manasseh of Judah and he left many of his affairs to the high priest either during his captivity or after his repentance.[6]

The book of Susanna states that Joiakim was the husband of Susanna, a very rich man living in

New Oxford Annotated Bible
, it appears that this Joiakim is not connected to other Joaikims in the Bible (confirmed by Josephus).

Josephus

Joiakim may have aided in the rebuilding of the

Xerxes. For this maneuver, he found support in Nehemiah 12, which seems to make Ezra the contemporary of the second high priest Joiakim who very likely served during Xerxes' reign."[12]

Patrilineal Ancestry

As per 1 Chronicles chapter 5

Patrilineal descent
  1. Meraioth
  2. Zadok II
  3. Shallum
  4. Hilkiah
  5. Azariah IV
  6. Seraiah
  7. Jehozadak
  8. Joshua the High Priest

Notes

  1. ^ Hebrew: יוֹיָקִים Yoyaqim, "Yahweh raises up".

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4514-1066-2
    .
  2. ^ a b (New Oxford Annotated Bible)
  3. ^ a b The Bible
  4. ^ (Biblical Apocrypha)
  5. ^ Anchor Bible Dictionary
  6. ^ https://sites.google.com/site/aquinasstudybible/home/judith/haydock-bible-on-judith
  7. ^ Susanna 1:1,4,6,28,29,63
  8. ^ (Ezra 3:9; Josephus Ant. 11:121)
  9. ^ (Josephus Ant. 11:121)
  10. ^ (Ant. 11:121)
  11. ^ (Ant. 11.5,5)
  12. ISBN 978-1-4514-1066-2
    .
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