Lesson 8: The Government of Palestine From Wayne Jackson’s book

The Roman Caesars Augustus (31 B.C. – 14 A.D.) Augustus issued the enrollment decree that sent Joseph & Mary to Bethlehem where Christ was born Augustus secured the Roman empire with peace, the famous Pax Romana. He appointed Herod the Great as King of Judea. It is believed that the “Augustan Regiment,” to which Julian, Paul’s Roman guard, belonged (Acts 27:1), was named for this Caesar.

The Roman Caesars Tiberius (14-37 A.D.) Tiberius is mentioned by name only in Luke 3:1 He is alluded to elsewhere in the gospel record He was the Caesar on the throne during the earthly ministry of Christ His image on coin shown to Christ (Matt. 22:17) The Caesar referred to in an attempt to intimidate Pilate, “If you release this man [Jesus], you are not Caesar’s friend” (John 19:12, cf. v. 15).

The Roman Caesars Caligula (37-41 A.D.) He is not mentioned in the NT Caligula played a part in fueling the Jewish rebellion against Rome He vigorously promoted “emperor worship” He proposed the erection of his statue in the Temple, though he was assassinated before the plan could be carried out

The Roman Caesars Claudius (41-54 A.D.) Covered the greater part of Paul’s missionary labors He is mentioned by name twice in the NT Agabus, a Jerusalem prophet, foretold a coming famine which would engulf the empire in the days of Claudius (Acts 11:28) Aquila & Priscilla left Italy and came to Corinth “because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome” (Acts 18:2) Suetonius, a popular Roman writer, declares that Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome as they “were continually making disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus [Christ]” (Vita Claudii XXV, 4).

The Roman Caesars Nero (54-68 A.D.) Not mentioned by name in the NT, however: He was the “Caesar” to whom Paul appealed during his Caesarean imprisonment (Acts 25:11) He was the “Caesar” before whom the apostle eventually appeared (Acts 27:24) During Paul’s first Roman confinement, he converted some from Nero’s “household” [i.e., servants] (cf. Phil. 4:22) Nero was a hateful persecutor of Christians and under his rule both Paul and Peter were martyred. During his reign, the First Jewish War broke out (66 A.D.) Galba, Otho & Vitellius (68-69 A.D.)

The Roman Caesars Vespasian (69-79 A.D.) Commander of the Roman forces in Judea & Syria He fought vigorously in the late 60s A.D. (66-69) to put down the Jewish rebellion in Palestine, a task completed by his son Titus in 70 A.D., after the general was called to Rome to assume the emperor’s throne. God’s providential use of these men as an instrument of His wrath upon the Jewish nation is mentioned by Christ in one of His parables (cf. Matt. 22:7). The Lord Jesus prophetically detailed the destruction of Jerusalem 40 years before its fall (Matt. 24:1-34).

The Roman Caesars Titus (79-81 A.D.) Domitian (81-96 A.D.) Succeeded his father with a short & peaceful reign The NT record passes over him in silence Domitian (81-96 A.D.) Irenaeus (c. 180 A.D.), a student of the famous Polycarp (who was a disciple of the apostle John), declared that John received the visions of the book of Revelation near “the close of the reign of Domitian” (Against Heresies, V, 30). Domitian demanded reverence for himself as Dominus et Deus, “Lord and God” He killed many Christians and exiled others

The Roman/Jewish Connection Herod the Great (37-4 B.C.) After the death of Julius Caesar, Herod was appointed “King of the Jews” He conquered Idumea, Samaria, Galilee and finally, after a 3-month siege, he took Jerusalem in 37 B.C. One of Herod’s greatest enterprises was the reconstruction of the dilapidated Temple of the post-Babylonian captivity period (cf. John 2:20). In addition, he built the city of Caesarea, which was to become the HQ of the Roman forces in Palestine Herod slaughtered the infants in his attempt to murder baby Jesus (Matt. 2)

The Roman/Jewish Connection Herod the Great (37-4 B.C.) Shortly before his death (4 B.C.), Herod made a will through which three of his sons were appointed to succeed him Archelaus was made tetrarch of Judea (including Samaria & Idumea) Antipas became tetrarch of Galilee & Perea Philip became tetrarch of Trachonitus & adjacent regions Aristobulus was a 4th son, but he did not receive any land He is important because he was the father of Herod Agrippa I

The Roman/Jewish Connection Archelaus (4 B.C. – 6 A.D.) Reigned over Judea, Samaria & Idumea His administration was cruel & inept In a Jewish riot, he killed 3,000 men When his subjects complained against him to Rome, he was removed from his office and banished to Gaul His territory was subsequently made subject to procurators (6-41 A.D.)—one of whom was Pontius Pilate Archelaus is mentioned only in Matthew 2:22 After their return from Egypt, Joseph and Mary, due to their fear of this ruler, together with the angelic warning, settled in Galilee.

The Roman/Jewish Connection Herod Antipas (4 B.C. – 39 A.D.) Tetrarch of Galilee, built capital Tiberias on Sea of Galilee Divorced the daughter of Aretas, an Arab king (cf. 2 Cor. 11:32), in order to marry his niece, Herodias, who had deserted her husband. Condemned by John the Baptist (Matt. 14:4-12) When Antipas heard rumors that Jesus was John “risen from the dead,” he sought to see the Lord (Luke 9:7-9) Christ once called him a “fox” (Luke 13:31-32) Christ warned of his evil influence (Mark 8:15) During His trial before Pilate, Jesus was sent to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at the time (Luke 23:7-15)

The Roman/Jewish Connection Herod Philip (4 B.C. – 34 A.D.) Philip (not the former husband of Herodias) is mentioned only in Luke 3:1 He ruled in NE Palestine until his death in 34 A.D. He rebuilt the city of Caesarea-Philippi at the base of Mt. Hermon, and Bethsaida-Julias on the Sea of Galilee He was the best of the Herods and it was into his territory that Jesus went when Pharisaic hatred became so intense