Ahitub

Ahitub son of Amariah was a priest in the line of Aaron, the father of Zadok and an ancestor of Ezra the scribe (1 Chronicles 6:7–8, 52; Ezra 7:2). He occupies a critical link in the high-priestly genealogy between the Aaronic line of Phinehas and the Zadokite priesthood that served in Solomon's temple and in the post-exilic restoration. The Zadokite priests were distinguished from the broader Levitical priesthood by their exclusive right to minister at the altar in Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 44:15). Ahitub's position in the lineage makes him ancestral to the most prominent priestly family of the monarchic and Second Temple periods.