Anna (Prophetess)
Anna was an elderly prophetess from the tribe of Asher who, after being widowed early in life, devoted herself to constant worship, fasting, and prayer in the Jerusalem temple. Upon encountering the infant Jesus during his presentation at the temple, she immediately recognized him as the promised Messiah and began to give thanks to God while proclaiming his significance to others awaiting Israel's redemption. This account in the Gospel of Luke underscores the role of faithful women in recognizing and testifying to Jesus' identity, highlighting themes of divine revelation and persistent devotion rewarded by spiritual insight. Her testimony, alongside Simeon's, affirms Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning salvation.
Biography
- Age
- ~84 years
- Occupation
- Prophetess
- Tribe
- Asher
- Father
- Phanuel
- Spouse
- Unnamed husband (died after 7 years)
- Era
- New Testament (c. 4 BC)
- Nationality
- Jewish
Family
Did You Know?
Anna belonged to the tribe of Asher, one of Israel's northern tribes deported centuries earlier, demonstrating that even descendants of the so-called lost tribes maintained temple piety and messianic expectation in the first century.
The Greek phrasing in Luke 2:37 permits the reading that Anna had been a widow for eighty-four years after only seven years of marriage, implying she may have been over one hundred years old when she encountered the infant Jesus.
Anna is the only woman in the New Testament explicitly called a prophetess who ministers at the Jerusalem temple, combining nocturnal prayer vigils with public proclamation rather than private oracular speech.
Her testimony targeted those โlooking for the redemption of Jerusalem,โ a phrase that echoes contemporary Jewish apocalyptic hopes tied to Isaiah 52 and the return of God's glory to Zion.
By appearing immediately after Simeon's oracle, Anna supplies the second required witness under Mosaic law for validating messianic claims, functioning as a female prophetic counterpart to the aged priest.
Key Passages
Anna at the Temple
Luke 2:36-38
Anna's lifelong devotion reminds us that patient, worshipful waiting opens our eyes to recognize and celebrate God's promised salvation.
36nd there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;