Coponius

Coin of Coponius

Coponius was the first governor (Prefect^[1]) of Iudaea province, about 6 CE.

He was, like the procurators who succeeded him, of knightly rank, and "had the power of life and death"^[2]. During his administration occurred the revolt of Judas the Galilean ^[3], the cause of which was not so much the personality of Coponius as the introduction of Roman soldiers. Owing to the reconstruction of the province of Judea then in progress, the census was being taken by Quirinius, which was a further cause of offence.

During Coponius' term of office also witnessed internal strife. During the Passover festival, when the doors of the Temple were opened at midnight, certain Samaritans entered by the first door, and scattered human bones along the colonnade of the sanctuary.

Shortly after this event Coponius was recalled to Rome, and replaced by Marcus Ambivulus^[4]. Probably it is on account of this occurrence that one door of the Temple bore the name of "door of Coponius"^[5]. Regarding the personal attitude of Coponius toward the Jews nothing definite is known.

See also

• Roman Procurator coinage

References

• Schürer, Gesch. 3d ed., i. 487;
• Schlatter, Zur Topogr. und Gesch. Palästinas, p. 206;
• Krauss, Lehnwörter, ii. 537.

Notes

1. ^ H.H. Ben-Sasson, A History of the Jewish People, Harvard University Press, 1976, ISBN 0-674-39731-2, page 246: "At first the governor of Judea held the title of prefect; only after Agrippa's death (in 44) did procurator become the official designation."
2. ^ Josephus, "B. J." ii. 8, § 1; "Ant." xviii. 1, § 1.
3. ^ "B. J." l.c.
4. ^ "Ant." xviii. 2, § 2.
5. ^ Mid. i. 3.; compare the reading in Parḥi 16a, ed. Edelman.

External links

• Source

This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, a publication now in the public domain.

Coponius Roman Rulers of Judea
Preceded by Herod Archelaus, Ethnarch of Samaria, Judea, and Edom	Prefect of Judaea	Succeeded by Marcus Ambivulus