Who was Annas in the Bible?
High Priest, in the New Testament era
Annas was a high priest during the time of Jesus' ministry and played a significant role in the events surrounding Jesus' arrest and trial. Annas appears in 4 verses across 3 books of the Bible.

What does the Bible say about Annas?
Annas was a high priest during the time of Jesus' ministry and played a significant role in the events surrounding Jesus' arrest and trial. He served as high priest from AD 6 to 15 and was succeeded by his son-in-law Caiaphas. However, even after his tenure, Annas retained significant influence and was still referred to as high priest. After Jesus' arrest, He was first brought before Annas for questioning. Annas then sent Jesus to Caiaphas, the current high priest, who presided over the Sanhedrin trial that condemned Jesus to death. Following Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, Annas continued to oppose the early Christian church. When the apostles Peter and John were arrested for preaching in Jesus' name, they were brought before the Sanhedrin, where Annas was present as a member of the ruling council. Annas' involvement in the events surrounding Jesus' trial and the persecution of the early church highlights the significant influence he held, even though he was no longer the official high priest. His actions demonstrate the religious establishment's opposition to Jesus and the growing Christian movement in the early days of the church.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Annas appear in the Bible?
Annas is referenced in 4 verses across 3 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- Acts 4:6
- John 18:13
- John 18:24
- Luke 3:2
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Annas.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Annas?
Annas appears in 4 verses across 3 books, most often in John, which accounts for 2 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Annas?
John, Acts, Luke.
Where can I read every verse about Annas?
This page lists 4 of them. Protos carries all 4, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.


