Matthias Ephlias

Matthias Ephlias^[1] (Greek: Ματθίας ό Ήφλίον, Ήφλίον Ephlias was his Greek epithet^[2], flourished second half of the 2nd century BC & first half of the 1st century BC) was an ethnic Jew living in Jerusalem.

The meaning of Matthias' epithet is obscure. His epithet could mean ‘Handsome’ from the Hebrew language^[3] or ‘son of Ephesus’ from the Greek language,^[4] as he was sometimes known as ‘Matthias of Ephesus’.^[5] For Matthias to obtain his epithet reveals he may have a distinguished Jew.^[6]

Matthias was one of the nine children born to Simon Psellus.^[7] Matthias came from a wealthy family of priestly descent. His father served as a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem. Through his father, Matthias belonged to the priestly order of the Jehoiarib, which was the first of the twenty four-orders of Priests in the Temple in Jerusalem.^[8]

Matthias became a Priest serving in the Temple in Jerusalem and married the daughter of High Priest Jonathon.^[9] There is a possibility that Jonathon may have been Alexander Jannaeus, the High Priest and Hasmonean ruler who governed Judea from 103 BC-76 BC who was the second husband of Salome Alexandra.^[10] Alexander Jannaeus was also known as Jonathon.^[11]

His unnamed Jewish wife bore him a son, Matthias Curtus.^[12] Through his son, Matthias was an ancestor of the Roman Jewish Historian of the 1st century, Flavius Josephus.^[13]

References

1. ^ Fergus, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C. - A.D. 135) p.p.45-6
2. ^ Fergus, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C. - A.D. 135) p.p.45-6
3. ^ Josephus, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary p.8
4. ^ Josephus, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary p.p.7-8
5. ^ Josephus, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary p.p.7-8
6. ^ Josephus, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary
7. ^ Josephus, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary p.p.7-8
8. ^ Fergus, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C. - A.D. 135) p.p.45-6
9. ^ Josephus, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary p.p.7-8
10. ^ Reader’s Digest, Reader’s Digest: Jesus and His Times p.54
11. ^ Fergus, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C. - A.D. 135) p.p.45-6
12. ^ Josephus, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary p.9
13. ^ Josephus, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary

Sources

• M. Fergus, S. Emil & V. Geza, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C. - A.D. 135), Continuum International Publishing Group, 1973
• Reader’s Digest: Jesus and His Times, The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Printed by Fourth Printing USA, July 1990
• F. Josephus & S. Mason, Flavius Josephus: translation and commentary, BRILL, 2001