Caiaphas

Family: Jewish authorities · Role: high priest · First appears: Matthew 26

Caiaphas was the high priest among the Jewish authorities. In Luke 3, he appears alongside Annas while the word of God came to John the Baptist. Annas was his father-in-law, and in John 18 he sent Jesus bound to Caiaphas.

In Matthew 26, Caiaphas hosted the chief priests, scribes, and elders as they conspired to seize and kill Jesus. He questioned Jesus, declared his answer blasphemy, and joined the council in condemning him as guilty of death. In John 11, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation; from that day onward, the chief priests and Pharisees plotted to put Jesus to death: “Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.”

In Acts 4, Caiaphas gathered at Jerusalem with Annas and others to question Peter and John, the son of Zebedee about the healing. The council commanded them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, then threatened them before releasing them because they found no way to punish them.

Relationship record

Life events

• Caiaphas and the religious leaders conspired to seize and kill Jesus.(Matthew 26)
  • With: Jesus
  • “Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.”
• Caiaphas and the council condemned Jesus as guilty of death.(Matthew 26)
  • With: Jesus
  • “Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.”
• Caiaphas prophesies that Jesus should die for the nation.(John 11)
  • With: Jesus
  • “And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;”
• The chief priests and Pharisees begin plotting together to put Jesus to death.(John 11)
  • With: Jesus
  • “Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.”
• Annas sends Jesus bound to Caiaphas, the high priest.(John 18)
  • With: Annas Jesus
  • “Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.”
• The rulers gathered and questioned Peter and John about their healing power.(Acts 4 · 📍 Jerusalem)
  • With: Annas John (kindred of the high priest) Alexander Peter John, the son of Zebedee
  • “And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.”
• The council commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach in Jesus’s name.(Acts 4)
  • With: Annas John (kindred of the high priest) Alexander Peter John, the son of Zebedee Jesus
  • “And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”

Matthew 26

• judged: Jesus “And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.”

Luke 3

• with John the Baptist (Caiaphas is identified as a high priest while the word of God comes to John.) “Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”

John 11

• enemies with Jesus “Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.”

John 18

• with Annas (Annas was Caiaphas’s father-in-law.) “And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.”
• judged: Jesus “The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.”

Acts 4

• subordinate: Peter “And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”
• subordinate: John, the son of Zebedee “And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”
• enemies with Peter “So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.”
• enemies with John, the son of Zebedee “So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.”

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Extracted from the original text of The New Testament. Made with Rho MD.