Quick Answer: Annas ben Seth was High Priest of Judaea from 6 AD to 15 AD. He was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius just after the Romans had deposed Archelaus, Ethnarch of Judaea, thereby putting Judaea directly under Roman rule. Annas appears in the Gospels and Passion plays as a High Priest before whom Jesus is brought for judgment, prior to being brought before Pontius Pilate.