Anna is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Hannah, Samuel’s mother (1 Samuel 1–2). Jewish tradition recognizes seven Old Testament women as prophets:
Sarah,
Miriam,
Deborah,
Hannah,
Abigail,
Huldah, and
Esther.
In this story, Anna was also a prophetic witness to the identity of Jesus as the Christ.
the tribe of Asher: This was one of the 10 northern tribes of Israel. Asher was the eighth son of the patriarch Jacob (Genesis 30:12–13). Most of the Israelites who returned from exile in Babylon were from the tribe of Judah. Other Israelites also knew the family line of their tribe during the time of Jesus. For example, the apostle Paul was "of the tribe of Benjamin" (Philippians 3:5).