Joseph ben Caiaphas^[a] (/ˈkaɪ.ə.fəs/;^[b] c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) was theHigh Priest of Israel during the first century.^[1] In theNew Testament, the Gospels ofMatthew,Luke andJohn indicate he was an organizer of the plot to killJesus. He is portrayed as presiding over theSanhedrin trial of Jesus.^[2] The primary sources for Caiaphas' life are the New Testament, and the writings of Josephus. The latter records he was made high priest by the Roman procuratorValerius Gratus afterSimon ben Camithus had been deposed.^[3]

Joseph ben Caiaphas
יוֹסֵף בַּר קַיָּפָא
Detail fromChrist Before the High Priest byGerard van Honthorst, c. 1617
High Priest of Israel
In office 18 AD – 36 AD
Preceded by	Simon ben Camithus
Succeeded by	Jonathan ben Ananus
Personal life
Born	c. 14 BC
Died	c. 46 AD
Region	Judaea
Known for	Sanhedrin trial of Jesus
Religious life
Religion	Second Temple Judaism

TheBabylonian Talmud (Yevamot 15B) gives the family name as Kuppai, while theJerusalem Talmud (Yevamot 1:6) mentionsNekifi. TheMishnah, Parah 3:5, refers to the family name as hakKof (perhaps "the Monkey", a play on his name for opposing thePharisees).^[4]

The family nameCaiaphas קַיָּפָה has a few possible origins:^{[citation needed]}

• from קוּפָּה 'basket', 'tub', verbalized as קִיֵּף , whence קַיָּף meaning 'basket maker', or a worker utilizing baskets such as to sell spices
• κεφάλαιος: from κεφαλή (kephalḗ, “head”) + -ιος (-ios, adjective suffix) - meaning: main, chief, principal, primary
• "as comely" inAramaic
• a "dell", or a "depression" inAkkadian.

Annas, father-in-law of Caiaphas (John 18:13), had been high-priest from AD 6 to 15, and continued to exercise a significant influence over Jewish affairs.^[5] Annas and Caiaphas may have sympathized with theSadducees, a religious movement in Judaea that found most of its members among the wealthy Jewish elite. The comparatively long eighteen-year tenure of Caiaphas suggests he had a good working relationship with the Roman authorities.^[6]

In theGospel of John (John 11), the high priests call a gathering of theSanhedrin in reaction to theraising of Lazarus.^[7] In the parable related in theGospel of Luke (Luke 16:28–30), the likely reaction of the "five brothers" to the possibility of the return of thebeggar Lazarus has given rise to the suggestion byClaude-Joseph Drioux and others that the "rich man" is itself an attack on Caiaphas, his father-in-law, and his five brothers-in-law.^[8]

Caiaphas considers, with "the Chief Priests andPharisees", what to do about Jesus, whose influence was spreading. They worry that if they "let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation."

In theGospel of John (John 18), Jesus is brought before Annas, whose palace was closer.^[9] Annas questioned him regarding his disciples and teaching, and then sent him on to Caiaphas. Caiaphas makes a political calculation, suggesting that it would be better for "one man" (Jesus) to die than for "the whole nation" to be destroyed. Similar ideas can be found in rabbinical discussion in Talmud andMidrash.^[10] According toJohn 11:51-52 it states that "He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad."

Afterward, Jesus is taken toPontius Pilate, theRoman governor of Judea. Pilate tells the priests to judge Jesus themselves, to which they respond they lack authority to do so. Pilate questions Jesus, after which he states, "I find no basis for a charge against him." Pilate then offers the gathered crowd the choice of one prisoner to release—said to be aPassover tradition—and they choose a criminal namedBarabbas instead of Jesus.

In theGospel of Matthew (Matthew 26:56–67), Caiaphas and others of theSanhedrin are depicted interrogating Jesus. They are looking for evidence with which to convict Jesus, but are unable to find any. Jesus remains silent throughout the proceedings until Caiaphas demands that Jesus say whether he is the Christ (which means Messiah). Jesus replies "The words are your own: and you will see theSon of Man seated at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds ofheaven." (Mark 14:62) Caiaphas and the other men charge him withblasphemy and sentence him tocorporal punishment for his crime.

Caiaphas was theson-in-law of Annas by marriage to his daughter and ruled longer than any high priest in New Testament times. For Jewish leaders of the time, there were serious concerns about Roman rule and an insurgentZealot movement to eject the Romans fromIsrael. The Romans would not perform executions for violations ofHalakha, therefore a charge of blasphemy would not have mattered to Pilate. Caiaphas' position, therefore, was to establish that Jesus was guilty not only of blasphemy, but also of proclaiming himself to be theMessiah, which was understood as the return of theDavidic kingship.

Later, inActs 4,Peter andJohn went before Annas and Caiaphas after having healed a crippled beggar. Caiaphas and Annas questioned the apostles' authority to perform such a miracle. When Peter, full of theHoly Spirit, answered that Jesus of Nazareth was the source of their power, Caiaphas and the other priests realized that the two men had no formal education yet spoke eloquently about the man they called their saviour. Caiaphas sent the apostles away, and agreed with the other priests that the word of the miracle had already been spread too much to attempt to refute, and instead the priests would need to warn the apostles not to spread the name of Jesus. However, when they gave Peter and John this command, the two refused, saying "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."^[11]

The 1st-century Jewish historianJosephus is considered the most reliable extra-biblical literary source for Caiaphas.^[12] His works contain information on the dates for Caiaphas' tenure of the high priesthood, along with reports on other high priests, and also help to establish a coherent description of the responsibilities of the high-priestly office. Josephus (Antiquitates Judaicae 18.33–35) relates that Caiaphas became a high priest during a turbulent period. He also states that theLegate ofSyriaLucius Vitellius the Elder deposed Caiaphas (Antiquitates Judaicae 18.95–97).^[13] Josephus' account is based on an older source, in which incumbents of the high priesthood were listed chronologically.^[14]

According to Josephus, Caiaphas was appointed in AD 18 by the RomanprefectValerius Gratus^[2] who precededPontius Pilate.

According toJohn, Caiaphas was the son-in-law of the high priestAnnas, who is widely identified with Ananus the son of Seth, mentioned by Josephus.^[15] Annas was deposed after the death of Augustus, but had five sons who served as high priest after him.The terms of Annas, Caiaphas, and the five brothers are:

• Ananus (orAnnas) the son of Seth (6–15)

• Eleazar the son of Ananus (16–17)
• Caiaphas, properly called Joseph son of Caiaphas (18–36/37), who had married the daughter of Annas (John 18:13)
• Jonathan the son of Ananus (spring 37)
• Theophilus ben Ananus (37–41)
• Matthias ben Ananus (43)
• Ananus ben Ananus (63)

According toHelen Bond, there may be some references to Caiaphas in the rabbinic literature.^[16]

In November 1990, workers found an ornate limestoneossuary while paving a road in thePeace Forest south of theAbu Tor neighborhood ofJerusalem.^[2][17] This ossuary appeared authentic and contained human remains. AnAramaic inscription on the side was thought to read "Joseph son of Caiaphas" and on the basis of this the bones of an elderly man were considered to belong to the High Priest Caiaphas.^[2][18] Since the original discovery, this identification has been challenged by some scholars on various grounds, including the spelling of the inscription, the lack of any mention of Caiaphas' status asHigh Priest, the plainness of the tomb (although the ossuary itself is as ornate as might be expected from someone of his rank and family), and other reasons.^[18][19]

In June 2011, archaeologists fromBar-Ilan University andTel Aviv University announced the recovery of a stolen ossuary, plundered from a tomb in theValley of Elah. TheIsrael Antiquities Authority declared it authentic, and expressed regret that it could not be studiedin situ.^[20] It is inscribed with the text: "Miriam, daughter of Yeshua, son of Caiaphas, Priest of Ma’aziah from Beth ‘Imri". Based on it, Caiaphas can be assigned to thepriestly division ofMa’aziah, instituted by kingDavid.^[21]

In the thirteenth-century French textEstoire del Saint Graal, Caiaphas is responsible for imprisoning Joseph of Arimathea. The Roman emperor Vespasian promises not to slay or burn him for information about Joseph. To punish him, he instead sets him adrift at sea.

InInferno,Dante Alighieri places Caiaphas in the sixth realm of theeighth circle of Hell, wherehypocrites are punished in the afterlife. His punishment is to be eternally crucified across the hypocrites' path, who eternally step on him.

Caiaphas is mentioned throughout the works ofWilliam Blake as a byword for a traitor orPharisee.

Caiaphas and hisossuary are the subjects ofBob Hostetler's novel,The Bone Box (2008).^[22]

Caiaphas is mentioned in the 19th verse ofThe Ballad of Reading Gaol byOscar Wilde:

He is also depicted having an argument withPontius Pilate regarding the passing of the death sentence againstJesus inThe Master and Margarita byMikhail Bulgakov.

Christ before Caiaphas, c.1490, is one of only a handful of works attributed toAntonio della Corna, who was active primarily in his native Lombardy in northern Italy.

•  
  Christ Before Caiaphas, Antonio della Corna.Walters Art Museum.
•  
  ''Christ before Caiaphas'' byMatthias Stom, c. 1630s

Actors who have portrayed Caiaphas includeRudolph Schildkraut inCecil B. DeMille's filmKing of Kings (1927),Guy Rolfe inNicholas Ray's filmKing of Kings (1961),Rodolfo Wilcock inPier Paolo Pasolini's filmThe Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964),Martin Landau inGeorge Stevens' filmThe Greatest Story Ever Told (1965),Bob Bingham inNorman Jewison's filmJesus Christ Superstar (1973),Anthony Quinn inFranco Zeffirelli's television miniseriesJesus of Nazareth (1977),Christian Kohlund inJesus (1999),David Schofield inThe Miracle Maker (2000),Mattia Sbragia inMel Gibson's filmThe Passion of the Christ (2004),Valentin Gaft in the TV miniseriesThe Master and Margarita (2005),Bernard Hepton inSon of Man,Adrian Schiller in the TV miniseriesThe Bible (2013) and the filmSon of God (2014), both by same production team,Rufus Sewell inKilling Jesus (2015),Richard Coyle inA.D. The Bible Continues, anNBC miniseries byMark Burnett andRoma Downey, andMakram Khoury inThe Master and Margarita (2024).Richard Fancy portrayed Caiaphas in Season 4 ofThe Chosen, andBen Kingsley voices him inThe King of Kings.

• List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources
• Aristobulus III of Judea - High priest who was the lastHasmonean royal

• Metzger, Bruce M.; Coogan, Michael D., eds. (1993).The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-504645-5.
• Bond, Helen Catharine (2004).Caiaphas: Friend of Rome and Judge of Jesus?. Louisville: Westminster John Knox.ISBN 0-664-22332-X.
• NETBible: Caiaphas

  This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Joseph Caiphas".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

• The Ossuary of Joseph Caiaphas
• Images of the Ossuary of Caiaphas