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Jaddua

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What is the meaning of Jaddua in the Bible?

Jaddua served as high priest during the reign of Darius III Codomannus and is identified in Nehemiah 12:11, 22 as the son of Johanan and successor to Eliashib, while also appearing in Nehemiah 10:21 as a seal witness to the covenant.

SIGNIFICANCE

Identifying Jaddua as the high priest contemporary with Alexander the Great helps readers reconcile the chronological gap between the final books of the Hebrew Bible and the historical accounts of the Maccabean era, confirming the continuity of the priestly line during the transition from Persian to Greek dominance.

Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide

Genealogy & Community Insight: When reading, notice how the lineage and actions of Jaddua reveal God's preservation of family clans and community records across generations.
Bible Study Reflection Prompts:
  • Why did the biblical author mention Jaddua in this passage?
  • What cultural or historical assumption does Jaddua clarify?
Scripture Passages Mentioned: Nehemiah 12:11Nehemiah 10:21

Source Attribution

Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.

How to Cite This Entry

"Jaddua." Ancient Context Dictionary. Accessed 2026. https://ancientcontext.com/context/jaddua/
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