▁( Lat in ▁qu in io ). ▁ ▁The ▁Roman ▁title ▁" P ont if ex ▁Maxim us " ▁was ▁rendered ▁in ▁Greek ▁ins cri ptions ▁and ▁literature ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁as ▁" ἀ ρ χ ι ε ρ ε ύ ς " ▁arch ier he ús ▁( liter ally , ▁" high ▁priest " | ) ▁or ▁by ▁a ▁more ▁literal ▁translation ▁and ▁order ▁of ▁words ▁as ▁" ἀ ρ χ ι ε ρ ε ὺ ς ▁ μ έ γ ι σ τ ος " ▁arch ir he ús ▁még ist os ▁( liter ally , ▁" gre at est ▁high ▁priest "). ▁The ▁term ▁" ἀ ρ χ ι ε ρ ε ύ ς " ▁arch ier he ús ▁is ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁Sept u ag int ▁text ▁of ▁the ▁Old ▁Testament ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁Testament ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁Jewish ▁high ▁priest , ▁also ▁in ▁ 2 Mac ▁ 4 , ▁ 7 . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁in ▁the ▁Reg al ▁period ▁The ▁Colleg ium ▁Pont ific um ▁( Col lege ▁of ▁Pont iffs ) ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁priest hood ▁of ▁ancient ▁Rome . ▁The ▁foundation ▁of ▁this ▁sacred ▁college ▁and ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us ▁is ▁attributed ▁to ▁the ▁second ▁king ▁of ▁Rome , ▁N uma ▁Pom p il ius . ▁Much ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁the ▁Reg al ▁period ▁in ▁Roman ▁history ▁is ▁semi - legend ary ▁or ▁myth ical . ▁The ▁Colleg ium ▁pres umably ▁acted ▁as ▁advis ers ▁to