ANNAăn’ ə (̓́Αννα, or ̔́Αννα, G483, the equivalent of Heb. חַנָּה, H2839, grace). 1. Wife of Tobit (Tobit 1:9).

2. An aged prophetess in Jerusalem who was present at the presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:36-38). She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. Although her tribe was taken into the Assyrian captivity and never officially returned, her family had remembered its genealogy and returned to the Promised Land. After being married for seven years, she lived in widowhood until “a great old age.” She was now eighty-four years old (KJV; RSV), or more prob. the meaning is that she had been a widow for eighty-four years (ASV). Assuming that she was married at fifteen, the latter view would make her 106 years old.

A devout and saintly woman, she spent all her time in fasting and prayer. “Did not depart from the temple” can hardly mean she had her residence in the Temple precincts, but rather that she spent all her time there in the worship of God. At Christ’s presentation, she joined her praises with those of the aged Simeon to thank God for the long-awaited redemption through Messiah.

3. The mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus, according to the apocryphal Protevangelium of James (q.v.) and subsequent legends concerning the birth of the Virgin. Long childless, she and her husband, Joachim, received angelic assurances of the birth of a child in answer to their prayers. The girl, named Mary, was dedicated to a lifelong service of God. At the age of three Mary was taken to the Temple, by Anna, where she remained, fed by angels, until the age of twelve.

Later embellishments make Anna the mother of two more girls, both named Mary, who became the wives of Alphaeus and Zebedee respectively.

4. Douay VS form of Hannah (1 Sam 1:2)