Adna
Priest from the family of Pashhur and head of the priestly house of the Harim clan in the time of Joiakim
Adna was a priest in Judah in the period after the Babylonian exile, when the rebuilding of the temple institution and religious renewal stood at the center of the people's life. In the book of Ezra he is listed among the priests of the family of Pashhur who had married women from foreign peoples, and who by Ezra's reform efforts committed themselves to dissolving these marriages in order to protect Israel's worship of God from syncretistic influence (Ezra 10:22). In the book of Nehemiah the name Adna appears as head of the priestly house of the family of Harim under the high priest Joiakim (Neh 12:15), a role that places him in a leading position within the temple organization. Whether these two references refer to one and the same person or to two different men with the same name is debated among scholars – the connection to different family lines (Pashhur and Harim) makes it likely that they are two different priests. In any case, both mentions shed light on the decisive function of the priesthood in the rebuilding of Jewish religious and social life after the exile.
Événements clés
Listed among priests with foreign wives
Adna from the family of Pashhur was identified as one of the priests who had married women from foreign nations. This was considered a serious violation of the Torah's provisions to protect Israel's worship from foreign religious influence.
The priests' commitment to send away foreign wives
In connection with Ezra's reform movement, the priests who had married foreign women committed themselves to separate from them in order to preserve the holiness of the people. Adna and the other priests mentioned in the list in Ezra 10:22 were part of this collective commitment, where giving one's hand on a pledge served as a covenantal sign of sincere repentance.
Head of the priestly house of the Harim clan in the time of Joiakim
In the book of Nehemiah, Adna is mentioned as head of the priestly house of the Harim clan during the high priesthood of Joiakim. This testifies to his prominent position in the temple organization in post-exilic Jerusalem.