How did the destruction of the Second Temple end the office of Jewish high priest?

The office of the Jewish high priest, which was first conferred upon Aaron by his brother Moses, was inextricably linked to the Temple of Jerusalem and the performance of national sacrifices.1

The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 ce by the Romans brought a permanent end to this office because the high priest’s primary religious function—entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people—could no longer be performed. As the Temple was the central institution for these rituals, its destruction resulted in the permanent interruption of the sacrificial system that defined the high priesthood. Since that time, there has been no Jewish high priest, as the office was fundamentally tied to the existence of the Temple and its cultic requirements.1