Matthew Poole and continuators on John 11:49

49 And one of them named Caiphas, being the high priest that same year l, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all .

The High Priest by the Divine Law was to be but one, and he the Eldest Son of Aarons House; nor was he to be for a year, but for his Life, as appeareth by a multitude of Texts in the Books of Moses; but all things were now out of order in the Iewish Church; they were under the Power of the Romans; all places, especially that of the High Priest▪ were bought and sold amongst them: some say, they had two High Priests, others say but one, onely he had an assistant, called by that name, that had a Partnership in the Honour. After Herods time there was no regard to the Family of Aaron, or the Asmoneans, but the Romans made what High Priest they pleased; so as Iosephus tells us, that the Iews, who had but thirteen High Priests from Aarons to Solomons time, which was six hundred and twelve years; nor more than eighteen in four hundred and sixty years after, to the Captivity of Babylon; nor more than fifteen from thence, to the time of Antiochus, which was four hundred and fourteen years; had twenty eight betwixt the time that Herod began to Reign, and Ierusalem was destroyed, of which this Caiphas was one, and certainly the chief, (if there were two at this time) and consequently the President of their great Court, whom all attended to, and his words went a great way with the rest▪

He chargeth the rest of the Council with folly, as not considering what was fit to be done.