Lesson 9:The Government of Palestine (cont.) From Wayne

Jackson’s book

The Roman Caesars• Augustus (31 B.C. – 14 A.D.)• Tiberius (14-37 A.D.)• Caligula (37-41 A.D.)• Claudius (41-54 A.D.)• Nero (54-68 A.D.)• Galba, Otho & Vitellius (68-69 A.D.)• Vespasian (69-79 A.D.)• Titus (79-81 A.D.)• Domitian (81-96 A.D.)

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Herod the Great (37-4 B.C.)– Ruled over Idumea, Samaria, Galilee and Judah– Slaughtered the infants trying to murder baby Jesus– Herod had four key sons:• Archelaus—tetrarch of Judea (including Samaria & Idumea)• Antipas—tetrarch of Galilee & Perea• Philip—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/JewishConnectionHerod

the Great

Archelaus Antipas Philip Aristobulus

Slaughtered infants

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Archelaus (4 B.C. – 6 A.D.)– Reigned over Judea, Samaria & Idumea– His administration was cruel & inept• After being removed from office, 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/JewishConnectionHerod

the Great

Archelaus Antipas Philip Aristobulus

Slaughtered infants

Joseph & Mary feared

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Herod Antipas (4 B.C. – 39 A.D.)– Tetrarch of Galilee, built capital Tiberias on Sea of Galilee– Married his niece, Herodias, who 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/JewishConnectionHerod

the Great

Archelaus Antipas Philip Aristobulus

Slaughtered infants

Joseph & Mary feared

Beheaded John &tried Jesus

The Roman/JewishConnection

• 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

The Roman/JewishConnectionHerod

the Great

Archelaus Antipas Philip Aristobulus

Agrippa I

Slaughtered infants

Joseph & Mary feared

Beheaded John &tried Jesus

Luke 3:1North of Galilee

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Agrippa I (37-44 A.D.)– Grandson of Herod the Great (and son of Aristobulus)– In 37 A.D., he received territories previously held by his uncle,

Philip the tetrarch (cf. Luke 3:1)• In 39 A.D., he acquired Galilee & Perea from his uncle, Antipas• In 41 A.D., he became king of Judea, Samaria and Idumea from his uncle

Archelaus– Lived in Jerusalem until his agonizing death in 44 A.D.

• Which was an act of God (cf. Acts 12:21-23)– Persecuted Christians

• Killed James, the brother of John, with the sword (Acts 12:1-2)• Cast Peter into prison (Acts 12:3-19)

– Three of his children are mentioned in the NT• Agrippa II and Bernice (Acts 25:23)• Drusilla, who married Felix (Acts 24:24)

The Roman/JewishConnectionHerod the Great

Archelaus Antipas Philip Aristobulus

Agrippa I

Agrippa II

Bernice

Drusilla

Slaughtered infants

Joseph & Mary feared

Beheaded John &tried Jesus

Luke 3:1North of Galilee

Killed JamesWorms ate him

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Agrippa II (48-70 A.D.)– Only 17 years old when his father died, so authorities

in Rome felt it best that he not succeed his father• Eventually, he was given a small realm, Chalcis, in the Anti-

Lebanon mountains• Later was added the tetrachy of Philip and certain Galilean

and Perean cities– Agrippa II is the one who said to Paul, “almost you

persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28)– After the death of Agrippa I, most of Palestine

returned to the rule of procurators

The Roman/JewishConnectionHerod the Great

Archelaus Antipas Philip Aristobulus

Agrippa I

Agrippa II

Bernice

Drusilla

Slaughtered infants

Joseph & Mary feared

Beheaded John &tried Jesus

Luke 3:1North of Galilee

Killed JamesWorms ate him

“almost persuaded”

“lived” with her brother

Felix’s wife, “convenient”

The Roman/JewishConnection

• The Procurators– After the death of Archelaus in 6 A.D., Judea was

governed by procurators appointed directly by Rome– Continued until the late 30s-early 40s A.D.– Headquarters in Caesarea– Procurator had three principal responsibilities:

• Financial – Collect taxes for Rome• Military – Command the military forces of the province, in

order to keep peace (handle the “little things”)• Judicial – Act as judge in important judicial cases

– These judicial cases were almost entirely matters that involved possible capital punishment

– Minor cases were left to the jurisdiction of local courts (ex. The Sanhedrin)

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Pontius Pilate– The procurator that mainly concerns the NT is Pilate,

who, appointed by Tiberias, served as governor of Judea, Samaria and Idumea for 10 years (c. 26-36 A.D.)

– Pilate was continually offending the Jews• He brought imperial ensigns into Jerusalem• He took sacred money from the Temple to finance an

aqueduct for a water supply into Jerusalem– Though he lived in Caesarea, he came to Jerusalem

during festive seasons—no doubt to keep the Jews under control (cf. Luke 13:1)

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Pontius Pilate– Most remembered for his cowardly conduct during

the trial of Jesus• The illegally-convened night council determined that Christ

must be put to death• In order to gain Roman approval, the Jews bound the Lord

and sent Him to Pilate (Matt. 27:1-2)• The governor could find no fault with Christ

– He thrice declared Him innocent (cf. John 18:38; 19:4, 6)– He ignored the advice of his wife (Matt. 27:19)

• Fearfully delivered Jesus to be crucified (cf. John 19:8, 12)– Because of his on-going political blunders, Pilate was

summoned to Rome in 36 or 37 A.D.

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Felix– Felix was a former slave of the household of Claudius– He was appointed procurator of Judea in 52 A.D.– One of his marriages was to Drusilla, daughter of Agrippa

I, who had forsaken her husband to be his third wife– After the riot in Jerusalem in Acts 21:27ff, Paul was taken

under guard to Caesarea where he made a defense before Felix (Acts 24:10ff)• Some days later, Paul reasoned of righteousness, self-control

and the coming judgment before Felix and Drusilla (Acts 24:24ff)• Though Felix treated Paul kindly (cf. Acts 24:23), he nonetheless

kept him imprisoned, hoping that the apostle would eventually bribe his way to freedom (Acts 24:26)

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Festus– Appointed by Nero to succeed Felix in 60 A.D.– Attempting to dispose of Paul’s case, Festus asked the

apostle if he would be willing to return to Jerusalem to face his accusers• Paul, making use of the privileges of his Roman citizenship,

declined, appealing his case to Caesar’s “supreme court” (Acts 25:6-12)• It was during this time that Agrippa II and his sister Bernice

(with whom he was living in a reputedly scandalous relationship) arrived at Caesarea– Paul’s brilliant defense is recorded in Acts 26– His case was so impressive that Agrippa conceded that had not Paul

already appealed to Caesar, he might well have been set free

The Roman/JewishConnection

• Jewish revolution against Rome broke out in 66 A.D.– Vespasian was sent to put down the revolt– Upon the death of Nero (68 A.D.), Vespasian returned to

Rome (he was proclaimed emperor), and dispatched his son Titus to finish the campaign against the Jews

– After a horrible 5-month siege (cf. Matt. 24:21-22), Jerusalem fell.• Multiplied tens of thousands were slain or sold into slavery

– With this calamity, the national identity of Judaism came to an end• The Sanhedrin and the Temple ceremonies were forever

abolished• Judaism, religiously and politically, was buried