{"id":23965,"date":"2025-07-24T07:00:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T11:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?p=23965"},"modified":"2025-07-23T17:41:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T21:41:07","slug":"anna-in-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/people-cultures-in-the-bible\/people-in-the-bible\/anna-in-the-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"Anna in the Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Anna<\/a>

St. Anna the Prophetess by Rembrandt Van Rijn. Luke’s depiction of Anna in the Bible paints her as a pious prophetess whose advanced age and honorable behavior usher in the new covenant.<\/p><\/div>\n

Anna is one of the Bible\u2019s most unusual women<\/a>. Introduced at the end of the Birth Narrative (Luke 1:1-2:40), Anna concludes the sextet of named, pious Israelites surrounding the miraculous births of John and Jesus. The others are Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph and Simeon. Anna arrives at the purification of Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the Temple, 40 days after Jesus\u2019 birth (Luke 2:22-38). It is a scene repeated over and over in Israelite culture, for the law required a sacrifice of a lamb or two pigeons or two doves after a son\u2019s birth (Leviticus 12:2-8).<\/p>\n

However, this purification is unlike any other, for Simeon and Anna arrive at the ritual independently, though both seem led by divine direction (Luke 2:22-38).<\/p>\n

Luke’s pairing of Simeon and Anna<\/a> provides an interesting comparison. Simeon arrives first, and Luke records more of his encounter. Simeon is an old man. He exclaims, \u201cNow, Sovereign Lord, you can let your servant depart in peace\u201d (v. 29). He prophesies that the child in his arms is God\u2019s salvation, \u201cprepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel\u201d (Luke 2:28, 30b-32). Notice Luke\u2019s deft writing: Simeon praises the Lord while Anna offers thanks; he prophesies, but she is called a prophetess (Luke 2:29-32, 34-36).<\/p>\n

Regarding Anna, Luke provides three terse verses that manage to vividly depict her as a woman deserving the honor bestowed on the elderly in the ancient Mediterranean world (v. 36-38). The appositive prophetess<\/em> heads her description (Luke 2:36). In this she outranks Simeon, a man praised as righteous and devout (Luke 2:25) who may be a priest because he holds the baby Jesus. Anna is the New Testament\u2019s only named female prophetess. Luke gives her father\u2019s name, Phanuel, but not her husband\u2019s. He mentions her tribe, Asher. As such, she numbers among the few New Testament characters with tribal listings. Others include Jesus, of the house and lineage of David and the tribe of Judah (Luke 2:4; Matthew 1:1-16), Saul of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5) and Barnabas, a Levite (Acts 4:36).<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

FREE ebook, Who Was Jesus? Exploring the History of Jesus\u2019 Life<\/strong>. Examine fundamental questions about Jesus of Nazareth.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t