Ananias ( /ˌænəˈnaɪ.əs/) and his wife Sapphira ( /sæˈfaɪərə/) were, according to the Acts of the Apostles, members of the Early Christian church in Jerusalem.
Acts chapter 4 closes by stating that the first followers of Jesus did not consider their possessions to be their own, but they had all things in common to use what they had on behalf of those in want. Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus, sold a plot of land and donated the profit to the apostles.
As told at the beginning of Acts chapter 5, Ananias and Sapphira also sold their land, but withheld a portion of the sales, having decided that they did not wish to give it all to the common purse. Ananias presented his donation to Peter claiming that it was the entire amount and his wife later confirmed his claim. As the story is told, each fell down dead upon telling the lie.
Some scholars say it may be a retelling of the story of Achan in Joshua 7.[1] It has also been argued that the underlying story is of a trial in which the couple were accused, given a chance to account for themselves, found guilty and then put to death.[2] This would be consistent with parallels between the organisation of the Nazorean Jews and that of the Essenes who exacted similar harsh punishments for infractions of their rules.[3] The fourth century archbishop John Chrysostom alludes to and then dismisses the idea that Peter could so be held responsible for the couple's death. [4]