that thirteen prostrations should be made facing them." Some interpreters believe that "kings of Greece" refers to the Greek-appointed High Priest Alcimus: that he made 13 ceremonial breaches in the lattice rather than destroying it entirely, which were then ceremonially repaired later. Successor The holder of the High Priest position from 159–152 BCE is not known. It is possible the position was vacant, or held by some interim priest whose name is lost to history. Eventually, Jonathan Apphus took the position in 152 BCE after securing an alliance with Seleucid royal claimant Alexander Balas. One theory of Alcimus's successor is that it was the Righteous Teacher, a mysterious figure described in the Qumran Habakkuk Commentary, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947. In this theory, the Righteous Teacher, a Zadokite, serves as High Priest for a time before being betrayed by a Wicked Priest (Jonathan) and a "Man of the Lie" and dismissed from his post. The Teacher retreats to Qumran, where he becomes the founder of the Essenes, a sect of Judaism. The truth of the Righteous Teacher's identity is unclear as firm dates are not provided, but this scenario is consistent with the known antagonism of the Qumran community to the Hasmonean dynasty. References Bibliography External links Mack, E. (1915). Alcimus. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Eds. Orr, James, M.A., D.D. Retrieved December 9, 2005. 2nd-century BCE High Priests of Israel Seleucid Jews 159 BC deaths Year of birth unknown