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Political Rulers of Palestine
in the New Testament Era

abulprp.gif (872 bytes) Emperors   abulprp.gif (872 bytes) Procurators  abulprp.gif (872 bytes) The Herods

(Note:  some of the following dates overlap or have gaps due the complicated political situation under Roman rule.  The territory we know as Palestine was divided into different administrative districts at different times and governed by various levels of the Roman political bureaucracy.  Also, political leadership was granted as a reward for being in favor with Caesar, and could be withdrawn just as quickly because of disfavor or perceived threat.  As a result, various parts of Palestine passed back and forth between supervised monarchial rule and total control under Roman procurators or governors.  The area was unified only during the reign of Herod the Great, 37 - 4 BC, and for a brief time AD 41 - 44 under Herod Agrippa I)

Roman Emperors

Dates

Names

Scriptures

27 BC -
AD 14

Augustus
(Octavian)

Luke 2:1

14 - 37

Tiberius

Luke 3:1

37 - 41

Caligula
(Gaius)

 

41 - 54

Claudius

Acts 11:28; 18:2

54 - 68

Nero

Acts 25:10; 28:19

68

Galba

 

69

Otho

 

69

Vitellius

 

69 - 79

Vaspasian

 

79 - 81

Titus

 

81 - 96

Domitian

 

96 - 98

Nerva

 

98 - 117

Trajan

 

117 - 138

Hadrian

 

Roman Procurators of Judea

Dates

Names

Scriptures

AD 6 - 10

Coponius

 

10 - 13

M. Ambivius

 

13 - 15

Annius Rufus

 

15 - 26

Valerius Gratus

 

26 - 36

Pontius Pilate

Matt 27:11-31,
Lk 3:1, 23:1,
Mk 15:1-15,
Jn 18:28-19:16

36 - 38

Marcellus

 

38 - 41

Maryllus

 

37 - 44

Herod Agrippa*

(see below)

44 - 46

Cuspius Fadus

 

46 - 48

Tiberius Alexander

 

48 - 52

Ventidius Camanus

 

52 - 59

M. Antonius Felix

Acts 23, 24

59 - 61

Porcius Festus

Acts 24:27

61 - 65

Albinus

 

65

Gessius Florus

 

Turmoil leading to the Destruction of Jerusalem, AD 70

72

Vettulenus Cerialis

 

72 - 75

Lucilius Bassus

 

75 - 86

Flavius Silva

 

86

Pompeius Longinus

 

*Herod Agrippa ruled as King over Galilee and Perea in AD 37-44, then in AD 39 took over the territories of Judea and Samaria previously governed by Herod Philip. For more information on the Herods, see Palestine Under the Rule of the Herods

The Herods*

Dates

Names

Scriptures

37 - 4 BC

Herod the Great

Matt 2:1

4 BC -
AD 39

Herod Antipas
Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea

Luke 3:1, Mark 6:17-29, 8:15, etc.

4 BC -
AD 6

Herod Archelaus
Ethnarch of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea

Matt 2:22

4 BC -
AD 39

Herod Philip
Tertrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis

Luke 3:1

AD 37 - 44

Herod Agrippa I
(see above*)

Acts 12:1-3, 21-23

53 - 93

Herod Agrippa II
Tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis; c.  AD 56 also parts of Galilee and Perea

Acts 25:13-26:32

*For more information on the Herods, see Palestine Under the Rule of the Herods

-Dennis Bratcher, Copyright © 2006, Dennis Bratcher - All Rights Reserved
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