Rulers in Israel during the Roman Era

Rulers in Israel during the Roman Era
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

Note: The hyperlinked names are mentioned in the New Testament; see the explicit references below the chart.
Dates refer to when these men ruled, not to their entire lifespan. Some dates are not certain, but only approximate.

Roman Emperors	Jewish Rulers & Roman Prefects over Judea & Samaria	Jewish Rulers over Galilee & Northern Territories
[Julius Caesar assassinated 44 BC] Octavian / Augustus (27 BC--AD 14) Tiberius (AD 14-37)	[General Pompey enters Jerusalem; Roman domination of Palestine begins - 63 BC]
	King Herod the Great, King over all Israel (37-4 BC)
	Herod Archelaus, "Ethnarch" of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea (4 BC-AD 6)	Herod Antipas, "Tetrarch" of Galilee and Perea (4 BC-AD 39) Herod Philip, "Tetrarch" of Northeastern Regions (4 BC-AD 34; over Iturea, Trachonitus, Gaulanitis, Auranitis, and Batanea)
	Coponius (AD 6-10) Marcus Ambivulus (10-13) Annius Rufus (13-15) Valerius Gratus (15-26) Pontius Pilate (26-36)
Gaius / Caligula (37-41) Claudius (41-54) Nero (54-68) Galba, Otho, & Vitellius (68-69) Vespasian (69-79) Titus (79-81) Domitian (81-96) Nerva (96-98) Trajan (98-117)	Marcellus (36-38) Marullus (38-41) [41-44 AD: under Herod Agrippa I] Cuspius Fadus (44-46) Tiberius Alexander (46-48) Ventidius Cumanus (48-52) M. Antonius Felix (52-59) Porcius Festus (59-61) Albinus (61-65) Gennius Florus (65-70) Vettulenes Cerialis (70-72) Lucilius Bassus (72-75) M. Salvienus (75-86) Pompeius Longinus (86)	Herod Agrippa I (37-44; by AD 41, King over all Palestine) Herod Agrippa II (48-70, Tetrarch of Chalcis and the Northern Territories)

[For more detailed charts of the Herodian Dynasty and related materials, see Roman Rulers by Prof. Mahlon Smith and Herod's Family Tree by Rodney Baird.]
[For the period preceding the Roman rule of Palestine, see my Hellenistic and Maccabean Era page.]

Roman Emperors mentioned in the New Testament:

Augustus: orders an empire-wide census at time of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:1)
Tiberius: John the Baptist begins preaching in the 15th year of Tiberius' reign (Luke 3:1)
Claudius: Christian prophets in Antioch predict a famine that occurs during Claudius' reign (Acts 11:28);
Claudius had expelled all Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2);
[note: "Claudius Lysias" in Acts 23:26 is not the emperor, but a Roman "tribune" in Jerusalem ca. 58 AD]
[Nero: not explicitly named, but probably alluded to as the "Beast" in Rev 13:11-18, and in Rev 17:10-11]

Roman Prefects (Procurators/Governors) of Judea mentioned in the New Testament:

Pontius Pilate: ruler of Judea as John the Baptist begins preaching (Luke 3:1); responsible for a massacre of some Galileans (Luke 13:1); conducts the trial of Jesus (Mark 15:1-15; Matt 27:2, 11-26; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28--19:31; Acts 3:13; 4:27; 13:28; 1Tim 6:13); permits Joseph of Arimathea to bury Jesus (Mark 15:43-45; Matt 27:57-60; Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38); permits the Jewish authorities to post a guard at Jesus' tomb (Matt 27:62-66; 28:11-15).
[M. Antonius] Felix: after Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, he is imprisoned in Caesarea and has an initial hearing before Felix (Acts 23:23--24:27; 25:14)
Porcius Festus: after being incarcerated for about two years, Paul receives a longer hearing before Festus (Acts 24:27; 25:1-27; 26:24-32).

Other Roman Rulers and Soldiers named in the New Testament:

Quirinius: the governor of Syria in AD 6-12 (Luke 2:1).
Cornelius: a centurion of the Italian cohort who becomes a Christian (Acts 10:1-48).
Julius: a centurion of the Augustan cohort who takes Pal to Rome (Acts 27:1-44).

Herodian Rulers and Relatives mentioned in the New Testament:

King Herod (the Great): King of the Judeans when Jesus is born (Luke 1:5); receives the wise men from the East; kills the male babies of Bethlehem in an attempt to kill Jesus (Matt 2:1-22).
[Herod] Archelaus: succeeds his father as ruler over Judea and Samaria (Matt 2:22 only).
Herod [Antipas]: tetrarch of Galilee and Perea during the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus (Mark 8:15; Luke 3:1); responsible for the arrest and death of John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-28; Matt 14:1-11; Luke 3:19); curious about the preaching of Jesus (Luke 9:7-9); attempts to kill Jesus (Luke 13:31-33); possibly also active in the trial of Jesus (Luke 23:7-15; Acts 4:27).
[Herod] Philip: tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis (Luke 3:1; cf. 3:19); his wife Herodias marries his brother, Herod Antipas (Mark 6:17; Matt 14:3).
Herodians: court officials and supporters of the Herodian family, esp. Herod Antipas (Mark 3:6; 12:13; Matt 22:16; cf. Luke 8:3; Acts 13:1).
Herod Agrippa I: responsible for the death of James and the arrest of Peter (Acts 12:1-19); horrible death reported (Acts 12:20-23); his palace in Caesarea is mentioned later as the place where Paul is incarcerated (Acts 23:35).
King [Herod] Agrippa II: Paul is tried by the governor Festus in the presence of King Agrippa and his wife Bernice (Acts 25:13--26:32).
Herodias: daughter of Aristobulus, first wife of Herod Philip; second wife of Herod Antipas (Mark 6:17-28; Matt 14:3-11; Luke 3:19).
[Salome]: daughter of Herod Philip (not explicitly named, but see Mark 6:21-28; Matt 14:6-11).
Drusilla: daughter of Agrippa I; later married Roman governor Felix (Acts 24:24).
Bernice: daughter of Agrippa I; first wife of Herod of Chalcis; later sister/wife to Agrippa II (Acts 25:13, 23; 26:30).
For a much more detailed chart of the Herodian Family, see The House of Herod by Prof. Mahlon Smith.

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