Coponius

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Coponius was the first prefect of Rome in Judea , which at the time was part of the province of Syria . He was responsible for this area from around 6 to 8 AD. His tenure followed the reign of Herod Archelaus , who was deposed from Rome due to his poor rule. Nothing more is known about his life.

The revolt of Judas the Galilean fell during Coponius' tenure . The trigger for this was less the person of Coponius than the aggressive demeanor of the Roman soldiers. In addition, there was the census carried out at this time, which took place under Publius Sulpicius Quirinius and met with great resistance from the population.

It is reported that there was an incident during the governorship of Coponius in Judea which was apparently so remarkable that it was reported as far as Rome and led to personal consequences. During a Passover festival after Coponius took office, the doors of the Jerusalem temple were opened as usual at midnight . Here a group of Samaritans entered the doors of the temple, which were facing the royal palace and threw human bones along the pillars of the sanctuary. Shortly after this incident, Coponius was recalled to Rome and replaced by his successor. It can be assumed that this incident is also responsible for the fact that a door of the temple, which was previously called Shalleshéd, was called "Gate of Coponius" in the time of Herod.

Nothing is known about Coponius' attitude towards the Jewish people. His successor in office was Marcus Ambibulus, the second prefect of Rome in Judea. Ambibulus was administratively responsible for this area from 9 to 12 AD.

literature

  • Haim Hillel Ben-Sasson (Ed.): A History of the Jewish People . Harvard University Press, 1976, ISBN 0674397312 , p. 246. (German translation: History of the Jewish people . Vol. 1. Beck, Munich 1978, ISBN 3-406-07221-6 .)
  • Richard Arthur Francis Barrett: A Synopsis of Criticisms Upon Those Passages of the Old Testament, in which modern Commentators have differed from the Authorized Version . Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, London 1847, p. 149.
  • E. Mary Smallwood: The Jews under Roman rule. From Pompey to Diocletian. A study in political relations . Corr. Reprint. Brill, Leiden 1981, ISBN 90-04-06403-6 .

See also

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personal data
SURNAME Coponius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman prefect of Judea (about 6–8)
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 1st century