Born into one of Jerusalem's elite families, Josephus introduces himself in Greek as" Iōsēpos" (Ιώσηπος), son of Matthias, an ethnic Jewish priest. He was the second-born son of Matthias (Mattiyah or Mattityahu in Hebrew). His older full-blooded brother was also called Matthias. Their mother was an aristocratic woman who descended from the royal and formerly ruling Hasmonean dynasty. Josephus's paternal grandparents were Josephus and his wife—an unnamed Hebrew noblewoman, distant relatives of each other and direct descendants of Simon Psellus. Josephus's family was wealthy. He descended through his father from the priestly order of the Jehoiarib, which was the first of the 24 orders of priests in the Temple in Jerusalem. Josephus was a descendant of the High Priest of Israel Jonathan Apphus. He was raised in Jerusalem and educated alongside his brother.