Marcellus (Prefect of Judea)
Marcellus was the sixth prefect of Rome in Judea . He was responsible for this area in AD 36.
Life
Marcellus was a close friend and collaborator of the influential senator and governor of the Roman province of Syria , Lucius Vitellius . He came to his office differently than the previous prefects of Judea, who had always been appointed by direct order of the emperor. Towards the end of Pontius Pilate's term of office , riots broke out over a Samaritan candidate for the Messiah , who led large crowds of pilgrims to Mount Garizim, whereupon Pilate's soldiers wreaked a blood bath among the pilgrims. The Samaritans sued Pilate before Vitellius, who thereupon ordered that Pontius Pilate face before Emperor Tiberiusmust answer in Rome. To compensate for the power vacuum, Vitellius installed Marcellus as governor in Judea. Flavius Josephus , who reported briefly on Marcellus, used the unusual expression epimeletes instead of the official title prefect , which could mean that Marcellus was nominally not prefect, but merely an interim commander in chief in Judea. At the same time, the Jewish high priest Kajaphas , who had worked closely with Pilate for more than a decade, was deposed by Vitellius and replaced by his brother-in-law Jonathan ben Hannas .
During Marcellus' short term in office, he made preparations for a planned war against Aretas IV , king of the Nabataeans . He had previously defeated the tetrarch Herod Antipas in a border conflict . Vitellius received the order from Emperor Tiberius to plan a campaign against the Nabataeans and Marcellus helped him, since it was intended to lead the Roman troops over Judean territory. Vitellius himself attended the Passover festival in Jerusalem in 37 with Antipas. The war did not come about, however, because Vitellius, who had no interest in Antipas' regaining strength, delayed the preparations and Tiberius died beforehand.
Caligula succeeded Tiberius as Emperor of the Roman Empire in 37 AD . As usual, after a change of power the positions of the high positions in the provincial administration were filled again and Marullus was appointed as successor of Marcellus.
swell
- Flavius Josephus: Jewish antiquities. Translated and provided with an introduction and notes by Heinrich Clementz. With paragraph counting according to Flavii Josephi Opera recognovit Benedictus Niese (Editio minor). Wiesbaden 2004, ISBN 3-937715-62-2 .
literature
- Hermann Gerlach: The Roman governors in Syria and Judaea, from 69 before Christ to 69 after Christ. A contribution from profane history to the exegesis of the New Testament. G. Schlawitz, Berlin 1865, p. 11
- L. Chr. FW Seinecke (ed.): History of the people of Israel. Oxford University, 1886, p. 224.
Web links
- Jona Lendering: Marcellus (governor) . In: Livius.org (English)
Remarks
- ↑ Flavius Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 18, 89.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Marcellus |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Roman prefect of Judea (36–37) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | before 36 |
| DATE OF DEATH | after 37 |