The Jerusalem temple played a significant role in the life of ancient Judaism. It was believed to be the dwelling place of God on earth, a sole place of sacrificial worship and sacrificial priesthood. As such it was inseparably connected with the Jewish priesthood. It was through the cultic ministry of the priests in the Jerusalem temple the atonement for the sins of Israel was made. Seen from the Jewish context of the first century any study of Jesus’ relationship to the ancient Jewish temple involves also the study of his relationship to the ancient Jewish priesthood. In the cleansing of the temple (Jn 2:13-22) the fourth evangelist presents Jesus not only as the new temple and the new paschal sacrifice, but also as the new high priest, who offers himself as an ultimate sacrifice. Thus, the Johannine Jesus purifies, fulfills in him and supersedes all these Jewish cultic institutions and becomes the new temple, the new sacrifice and the new high priest. He further confers his ‘templeness’ and priesthood upon his disciples making them the locus of God’s presence on earth and the priests to minister in the eschatological temple, Jesus Christ.