Acts corroboration: Ananias falsely acting as high priest — Acts 23

Acts 23:1-5 — Paul, before the Jewish council, does not recognize Ananias as high priest and apologizes, saying he didn't know he was the high priest. This seems strange — Paul was a Pharisee and surely knew the high priest. But Josephus explains: around 58 AD, Ananias was not technically the high priest — he had been deposed, the replacement had been murdered, and no new appointment had been made. Ananias was acting in the capacity by his own authority during the vacancy. This makes Paul's words entirely natural — he genuinely did not recognize Ananias as the legitimate high priest because he wasn't.