9. The Roman Provincial Government | Digitaler Ausstellungskatalog

Showcase 9: The Roman Prefects and Procurators in Palestine (as from 6 CE)

After the dismissal of Herod Archelaus in 6 CE, the core Jewish lands were incorporated into the Roman province of Syria. A Roman prefect now assumed governance, establishing his seat at the royal palace in Caesarea Maritima (Fig. A.). As an officer with the rank of knight, he was subordinate to the senatorial governor. Under Emperor Claudius (41 – 54 CE), the government was administered by procurators, though the duties remained unchanged. The prefects and procurators held the right to high justice, in order to maintain peace and order in Judea. The areas ruled by Herod Antipas and Herod Philip were unaffected.

The names and sequence of the Roman magistrates are known from literary sources, particularly from the writings of Flavius Josephus. The first prefect was Coponius who, together with his superior Quirinus, the governor of Syria, conducted a census. The evangelists connect this census with the birth of Jesus, though it must have taken place several years prior. Initially, prefects served for three years each, until longer administrative periods were introduced under Tiberius (14 – 37 CE). Valerius Gratus (15 – 26 CE) and Pontius Pilate (26 – 36 CE) served particularly long terms in Judea.

The first prefects clearly got along with the Jewish populace, or at least no serious conflicts have been recorded. Only Valerius Gratus appears to have had problems with the high priest as he replaced five of them during his term, naming other candidates in their places. This generally positive relationship changed after the accession of Pontius Pilate (Fig. B.). His installation of symbols of the emperor in Jerusalem resulted in violent protests from the populace. Pilate took money from the Temple treasury for the construction of an aqueduct, which led to unrest; Pontius Pilate responded with great brutality. He proceeded with equal ruthlessness somewhat later toward an apocalyptic religious splinter group on Mount Gerizim. Complaints of his harsh military interventions were brought before the emperor Tiberius, who ultimately dismissed the prefect 36 CE. A few years before, Pontius Pilate in his role as judge of capital offences had sentenced Jesus of Nazareth to death on the cross.

The prefects and procurators minted their own coins. They considered the religious feelings of the Jews and avoided the usual images of the Roman emperor. The imperial portrait was ubiquitous in coins minted outside of Judea that circulated in Jewish settlement areas, however: in the incident of the tribute money, Jesus requests to see a Roman denarius in order to refer to the image and inscription of the emperor (Matthew 22,15‒22; Mark 12,13‒17; Luke 20,20‒26) (Fig. C.). The 30 pieces of silver of Judas Iscariot, on the other hand, were likely Tyrian shekels (No.13B Showcase 13).

The Coinage of the Roman Prefects and Procurators

The annexed region of exiled Archelaus contains the city of Jerusalem, in which the prefects were able also to use the mint there. The coins do not show images of the emperor. The date based on the reigning year of the current sovereign helps to assign the coins to the prefects. It is evident that coins were minted at irregular intervals, and not by all prefects.

The coins of the Roman prefects and procurators name the Roman emperor in their legends, but their representations respect the prohibition of images. The coins of Coponius show spikes of grain and palm branches (No.1A). These represent the most important agricultural products of the newly annexed land. The palm became a symbol for the province of Judea in Roman coinage. The name Coponius is not indicated on the coins – the only evidence for assigning the issues from the first three prefects are the dates in Greek numbers. The year 27 BCE is believed to correspond with year 1 of this era, when Octavian was conferred the honorific title of Augustus by the senate.

Valerius Gratus minted coins in the name of Tiberius and his mother Livia, in part with differing images on the reverse: while the herald’s staff between double cornucopias indicates prosperous times under Tiberius (No.2A), Livia is given lilies, which can be interpreted as a symbol of the goddess Juno (No.3B). The lily was also a genuinely Jewish emblem, however, as the use of the motif on procurator coins minted for Judea indicates (No.2A). Coins of the following year show a grape vine on the obverse and a kantharos on the reverse (No.5B). The Greek inscription ΙΟΥΛΙΑ refers to Livia, who became a member of the gens Iulia (Julian family) following her testamentary adoption in Augustus’ will.

Under Pontius Pilate, who only issued coins in three years, common symbols of the Roman religion appeared with the simpulum (ladle: No.6B) and the lituus (augural staff: No.7A). The augural staff in particular has been interpreted by scholars as a provocation, as it was also a Roman symbol of authority. References to Livia, who died in 29 CE, also end in this period.

After the short regency of Herod Agrippa I (41 – 44 CE), Roman procurators were sent to Judea. The first three apparently did not issue coins. Antonius Felix (52 – 57 CE) only struck coins in a single year: the coins in the name of Claudius refer with weapons to his victories in Britannia (No.8A); coins for the wife of the emperor, Agrippina, show crossed palm branches (No.9A). Coins were minted in 59 CE under Festus (59 – 62 CE), the last procurator (No.10B).

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