Note 2 at Acts 23:2: This is the first out of three times Ananias is mentioned in scripture (2nd-Acts 24:1; 3rd-Acts 25:2). From these references we can see that Ananias was the leader of the Jews opposition against the apostle Paul. He even agreed to request another audience with Paul so certain Jews could ambush and kill him along the way.

Josephus wrote that Ananias was appointed high priest by Herod in A. D. 48 (Antiq. xx. 5, 2). Ananias commanded Paul to be struck for saying he had lived in all good conscience before God. This caused Paul to respond with a prophecy that God would strike Ananias. This came to pass a few years later in 67 A. D. when Ananias was murdered as a result of a tumult caused by his own son (Antiq. xx. 10, 9).