IOHANAN (Hebr. Jēhāhānān and Jāhānān, “Jahweh shows grace”). — Name of 16 figures of the Old Testament.
1. Military commander under Sedecias. When the Chaldeans entered Jerusalem, he succeeded in taking refuge in Transjordan. Godolia (v.), to whom he unsuccessfully disclosed Ismaele’s disastrous plan. After the assassination of Godolia, I. pursued the murderer and freed the prisoners. Fearing the Chaldeans, however, he took refuge in Egypt with the survivors, dragging along with them Jeremias, who advised them to remain (II Reg. 25, 23 ff.; Ier. 40–43).
2. Firstborn son of King Iosias (I Par. 3, 15); perhaps he died before Iosias, or with him at Mageddo (II Reg. 23, 29). — 3. Davidic descendant through Zorebabel (I Par. 3, 24). — 4. Nephew of Achimaas; high priest under Salomone and Roboam (ibid. 6, 10). — 5. Valiant warrior of David; a Benjaminite, he joined him at Siceleg (ibid. 12, 4). — 6. Gadite, with David in the desert of Judah (ibid. 12, 12). — 7. Levite, of the family of Core; gatekeeper of the Tabernacle (ibid. 26, 3). — 8. Military commander under Iosaphat, king of Judah (II Par. 17, 15). — 9. Father of the centurion Ismaele, at the time of Ioiada (ibid. 23, 1). — 10. Ephraimite at the time of Achaz (ibid. 2, 12). — 11. Head of the family of Azgad; he returned to Palestine with Esdra (Estd. 8, 12).
12. Priest or Levite, son of Eliasib, in whose room Esdra, distressed, took refuge in the Temple (Estd. 10, 6). Perhaps he is the same I., nephew of Eliasib (Neh. 1, 10 ff.; 22 ff.), high priest in 410, to whom the Jews of Elephantine appealed in vain (Cowley Papyrus 30). The room later bore his name; in Esdra’s time he was a child (A. Fernandez, A. Médebielle [V. BIBLICA.]). — 13. Jew who sent away his foreign wife (Esd. 10, 29). — 14. Son of Tobia the Ammonite, Nehemia’s opponent (Neh. 6, 18). — 15. Head of the priestly family of Amaria, under the high priesthood of Ioacim, shortly after the return from exile (ibid. 12, 13). — 16. Priest or Levite who took part in the consecration of the walls of Jerusalem (ibid. 12, 42).