This is the remnant of an exercise I began in 2006. Each "Year Book" is an early draft of an ongoing project. My goal here was to write out, exhaustively, the most we could say about everything that happened in each year. Going month by month and season by season often makes the story choppy, but that was the point of the exercise - precise, exacting event sequencing... even if some of it required filling in a few blanks along the way.

Thus far, this has been an attempt to reconstruct, one year at a time, every EVENT in the New Testament within the context of the world events that surrounded it all. When complete, these 79 Year Books should tell one story, blending scripture and history together from 9 BC to 70 AD, one year at a time. This has been an attempt to tell everything that happened, precisely as it most likely happened.

Be aware there are definitely spots in need of revision and outright correction. Research done here should be verified elsewhere. Hopefully, another site will someday replace this one, a site fully fact checked by a team of professionals. Until then, there is only me, unfortunately, because I'm the only one doing such a thing. Contact me if you want to help, and to everyone else, thanks very much for your patience and understanding during this incredibly long process.


**Under Construction (23 of 79 done)**
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Last Year Book: 14 AD (part 2) - posted on 10/12/08
**Scroll down for Year Books**



Clearly a work in progress this site is the ongoing result of one man's studies that began in 1996. It's going to take many more years to finish, and publish, and establish. So bookmark Year-by-Year, tell your friends, and watch it grow. There's a lot left to be done.

For now, here's what it's all about.

The New Testament, as it is, is out of order. Experts claim the timeline is unclear. People pick verses out of anywhere and make them say anything. (Hmmm. These problems seem somehow related.) But what can we do about it?

Maybe, we can focus on the facts. The truth is, things are usually simple. Lots of stuff happened. Some details are more clear than others but very, very little is completely unknown. Actually, we know quite a lot.

Thanks to scholars and historians, the facts and solutions are out there. They're piling up fast. A lot of critical work has been done on New Testament issues in the past 50 years. Really, solidly reliable solutions to old timeline problems have been published. So... why don't you know about it?

Here's one reason. Up until now, nobody's put it all together in one place. All of it. In order. Altogether.

Here's another reason. A lot of christian Bible teachers (ministers and 'laymen' both) rest on the out-of-date stuff their own mentors taught them. They don't stay current. And it's hard to blame them. So much research is so sadly partisan! Even scholars sometimes seem to shift the timeline to defend their pet doctrines, or the basis for their entire denomination! It's as if creeds have commanded them to twist facts.

Now, it may not be my place to say these things. But they really do need to be said. I honestly believe the biggest thing keeping people in the dark on NT Chronology is just the stubbornness and fear of a religious system that - to some degree - seems to want us to stay in the dark!!! (Certain people can make a lot more hay while the sun doesn't shine.)

For a thousand years, the clergy kept the scriptures to themselves. When the people got the scriptures, the reformation erupted. But the protestant clergy kept things under control in their own ways, too. One of their methods, was making the Bible available, and yet claiming you had to be educated and well-trained to really use it properly. (This still goes on. A lot.)

Look, if the Holy Spirit is really inside you, then that's all you need to interpret the scriptures. Really! I don't think the HS is going to tell you something crazy, either. I believe the HS is going to show you Jesus Christ and God's Purpose and nothing less. Think about it. Whenever the Spirit shows you anything at all in the scriptures, isn't that really all it does? It points you to Christ!

So everyone can understand the Bible. It's just all about Jesus. (Duh!)

If you believe God wrote the book then God is also capable of writing on your own heart what he feels is important as you look at each and any page. The Spirit in you already knows what God thinks is important! Every page speaks the Name of Who is most important! Jesus Christ! And the Spirit (and the Bible) love to point Him out to us.

You don't need to read Year-by-Year to find Jesus in scripture...

So why is it here?

Because all of it happened, back then and there.


I think all christians deserve to know the whole story. It's much more than verses. I believe people who read the Bible want to see the whole Bible. It's much more than chapters and books. And I truly feel that believers in Jesus Christ want to see the New Testament as a sequence of EVENTS, during which some WORDS also got spoken.

The Word is about the Lord... it's not about words. Jesus CAME. He LOVED. He FORGAVE. He HEALED. He TRAVELED. He SPOKE. He TAUGHT. He DID lots of things. But those things were not words on a page. The things Jesus did (and said) were EVENTS.

I think it's too easy to miss that. The sense of scriptures as EVENTS.

One more thing - those events have an ORDER. Jesus' life didn't happen four seperate times with different parts included every time. His world turned around one year at a time. The Gospels actually go together very nicely, once you see how they fit. But even if we couldn't see it, it happened.

Either way, the Gospel EVENTS ought to be known in the order they happened.

Why would any christian believer NOT want to know these things?

Did you know Paul's letters are printed in order of length? But Romans was written in 57 AD, 1st Corinthians in 54, 2nd Corinthians in 56, Galatians in 50... and so on. The book of Acts runs from 33 to 61 AD, but you can't tell for reading it. Sometimes Luke skips over years in a half of a sentence! Somewhere in Acts, there's one spot at which Paul sits down and actually WRITES to the Galatian saints. (That was an EVENT!) Then, someone had to carry the letter! (Guess who? It was Titus!)

We deserve to see this view of Scripture.

So why hasn't it happened before now? Could it be because verse-quoting is easier when you don't have a full, total context? Could it be, at least partly, because verse-quoting works better for men who need to build up doctrines and denominations? That was certainly true 500 years ago, at the Protestant Reformation. Maybe the rest of us just learned from them. (?) But maybe... just maybe... we need to un-learn.

No more "verses". Verses are fine sometimes, but we all deserve the WHOLE WORD! The printed Word is not merely "words". It's words AND events. It's words in the total context of those events. The whole reason He spoke those words in the first place was to affect those events, at that time!

Don't you want to know this Whole Word? :)

When you're done reading Year-by-Year, the Bible will not have been changed. The Word of God will not have been injured. His Holy Spirit will still have the same message - Christ is first above all things! But what might happen to our view of this Christ?

Who knows how He will sound to us, when we line up everything he did and said... and everything his followers did and said... dare we believe it?...

In the order it all really happened?

That is the goal here, of Year-by-Year.

This is a radical idea. It's going to take some time, to get it done. Feel free to stop by anytime, and often. Contribute however you like. And pray. This is all I'm doing, while I care for my family. I pray the Lord blesses it. I pray it will grow into something he wants, and give him something he can use, here on Earth. For His Purpose, here.

I pray, and believe...

This is worth quite a lot.

---------------
Bill Heroman
March, 2008


Read more!

14 AD (Part 2)

Jesus lives in Nazareth. Tiberius begins his rule as Emperor.
***************

In August of 14 AD, Jesus Christ was 20 years & 3 months old. He was a young single man in Nazareth of Galilee. The Son of God was living life as a Man in his prime.

But what was he doing?

Jesus was working with Joseph, doing jobs around town. He was building furniture and repairing homes. At their family home, Jesus sometimes helped his mother Mary with her young children. There were always chores to be done.

The Lord of heaven was acting like nobody special.

Around Nazareth, people knew him as "Joseph & Mary's son". Jesus did his work, stayed honest in trade, and treated others kindly. The Nazarenes liked Jesus, even though he didn’t stand out in any notable way.

In Nazareth, Jesus didn’t seem very pious or holy. He went to their Synagogue sometimes. But whenever he went, he never stood up. He never spoke out. Since childhood, Jesus developed an astonishing depth of knowledge about God, life and the scriptures. But he kept it to himself.

Despite his low profile, Jesus left good impressions on everyone. He honored his Father God by loving his neighbors. He acted justly, but he loved mercy too. He forgave debts. He repaid debts. He did what was right.

Every. Single. Time.

No one had ever lived so perfectly before. No one has ever done it since. And – perhaps most amazing – nobody even noticed at the time!

That is, nobody but One.

Jesus wasn’t just living blamelessly in the sight of all Nazarenes. Jesus was living righteously in the eyes of his Father. He was growing in favor with God just precisely as he was growing in favor with man.

In all the generations since Adam, this was the first time a Man lived a life that was perfectly pleasing to God. The Father was enjoying it. In fact, the Father was impressed!

Another way to put it is that Jesus Christ had to live a full life without sin before he could die for all sin. So he did. But what is a life without sin? It’s total devotion to God. And that’s what Christ did in Nazareth! In fact, Jesus didn’t have to think about sin at all. He focused on his Father. He walked with, talked with, listened to and – most of all – loved his Father. Fully and truly, Jesus loved his Father God in thought, word and deed.

This was the primary mission of Jesus on Earth – for 40 years, from 7 BC to 33 AD. It was simply and purely one simple thing.

Jesus Christ was living to please his Father.

Of course it was easy for Jesus, in Nazareth, to grow closer to his Father, God. Why? Because God the Father lived inside Jesus Christ! The time had come for a Man to worship the Father in Spirit – and he now did!

In every way, then, the Lord and his Father were One. Without his Father’s indwelling, Jesus could not have succeeded in living such a divine life. His ultimate secret was that the Son of God and his Father were living this perfect life in Nazareth together.

To some degree, they did everything together. Of course, they were used to this. The Father and Son had loved one another since before Eternity. And now twenty years into his earthly experience, Jesus was growing each year more into remembering that heavenly past. In other words, Jesus the Man, fully Son of God, was growing MORE into being who he already WAS.

But let’s repeat the most important thing of all.

The Father and Son loved one another in Nazareth, in 14 AD. And God – through Jesus – walked quietly among his people in Nazareth, loving them.

This Life of Jesus was the seed of what God wanted on Earth. And God was pleased to let Life keep growing in Galilee, for several more years. The rest of the world, outside Galilee, would just have to wait.

The rest of the world was distracted, anyway...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On August 19th, 14 AD, the Emperor of Rome died. That same day, his adopted son began ruling the Empire.

Before we get into this year’s events, let’s mention how these two Emperors affected the Lord Jesus.

The dead Emperor, Augustus Caesar, made the decree that caused Jesus Christ to be born in Bethlehem, in 7 BC.[1] The new Emperor, Tiberius Caesar, is going to make several decisions that will affect the timing and method of Christ’s death. Events in Rome and Israel were definitely connected during Tiberius’ rule. But they unfold so slowly...

This is the first year of Tiberius’ reign as Emperor. We have 14 more Year Books until John begins Baptizing.[2]

The year 14 AD is the 21st calendar year of Jesus on Earth. His death and resurrection come in 33 AD, at the start of his 40th year.[3]

There’s so very much to tell, until that happens...

We’d better get started!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Augustus Caesar died at his father’s country house in Nola, South-Central Italy. The Emperor died in the arms of his trusted wife, Livia.[4]

Augustus had ruled the Roman world for 57 years.[5] He was 75 years old.[6] Born “Octavian Caesar”, Augustus was the nephew of Julius and thus the second man named Caesar to rule the world. The third Caesar, Tiberius, was about to begin.[7]

On August 19th, 14 AD, Tiberius and his widowed mother Livia were at Nola, near Mount Vesuvius. They came out of Augustus’ room and announced that the Emperor was dead.

Letters went out from Nola, and then from Rome. Messengers rode to every Governor and Legion Commander in every Province of the Empire. The letters announced the good news that Tiberius’ rule had begun.

The Roman world knew that Tiberius already held the ultimate power since 13 AD and was now the sole Emperor.[8] But Tiberius had not acted like a ruler while Augustus was alive. So no one was sure what the new Emperor would actually do... or how the world would respond!

Augustus himself had been worried that rebellion might break out when he died. Tiberius, however, did not appear to be worried about his position at all.

The new Emperor did not rush into action of any kind. Instead, the 54 year old[9] Caesar took a long slow walk that lasted for two weeks!

Tiberius carried out Augustus’ wishes for a dramatic funeral procession from Nola to Rome. Citizens carried the body by night, from town to town, stopping 13 times.[10] The closed coffin was displayed during the day. Then that city’s chief officers carried Augustus to the next town by night.[11]

On September 3rd, Tiberius finally reached Rome with his father’s body. The Senate cancelled all business and the coffin was placed on guarded display. There was nothing pressing that needed to be done. All the important men of Rome had already taken an oath of allegiance to their new Emperor.

On September 4th, Tiberius met with the Senate. Caesar’s son, Drusus, read Augustus’ will, memoirs and final instructions.[12] Next, the Senators worked out every last funeral detail until Tiberius ended the meeting.

Tiberius and the Senators knew the funeral events would take a while. They knew Tiberius had absolute power. They knew Rome’s future was secure and stable.

There was only one question on everyone’s mind.

What was Tiberius actually going to DO???

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For several days, Tiberius didn’t do much at all.

The funeral lasted all day on September 8th. They burned Augustus’ body and Livia sat with the bones for five days, surrounded by Roman noblemen. Citywide mourning ended on Friday the 14th.

Somewhere during this time, Tiberius did have to deal with one minor crisis. The Roman Army in Pannonia was in full revolt!

The news came sometime before the funeral.[13] Three Legions[14] in North Illyricum[15] were demanding higher pay & earlier retirement. The mutineers took hostages and sent their threats to Rome with their Governor’s son.

In Rome, Tiberius held a private meeting with his son, Drusus Caesar, and two other very important men, who deserve a brief introduction.

The first man was Seius Strabo[16], an Italian nobleman who was currently head of the Emperor’s bodyguard, also known as the Prefect of the Imperial Guard.[17]

The other man at this meeting was Seius Strabo’s son, his new co-prefect, Aelius Sejanus.

Remember that last name. Sejanus is going to be very important in years to come.

At this meeting Tiberius decided to keep Strabo in Rome with 7 of 9 Praetorian Cohorts. But their sons, Drusus & Sejanus, would go to Pannonia with a large military escort.[18] The Emperor hoped 2,000 men would be enough to protect Drusus & Sejanus (against 15,000 or more) if they needed to escape during negotiations!

At any rate, Drusus & Sejanus had plenty of time to talk strategy. Their tiny force needed about two weeks to march into Pannonia.[19]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some days after this task force left Rome, Tiberius met with the Senate again. He’d waited for their next regular meeting, on Monday, September 17th.

When the Caesar entered the Senate, all 600 Senators stood up out of respect for their New Emperor.

Everyone knew the old man was fully in charge. But the Senators still wondered – how was Tiberius planning to USE his supreme power? And exactly how would their new Emperor expect the Senate to play along?

Basically, Tiberius & the Senate just had to settle their practical boundaries. It all boiled down to – Who would do what? There was no need for the Senate to confirm the Emperor’s position.[20] But there were still lots of things to discuss.

First of all, Tiberius & the Senate declared Augustus was a god! They voted for a golden statue, a temple, shrines, priests, priestesses, officials and annual festivals – all in the honor of their dead ruler.

The common, pagan people of Rome had plenty of reasons to worship Augustus. Tiberius & the Senators had many good reasons for honoring Augustus. In the Senate, on September 17th, every man in the room knew just how terribly they were all going to miss their political savior, Augustus.

The Empire had grown too big, now. Even the Senators knew Rome had to be ruled by one man.[21] Every Roman hoped Tiberius would be able to fill the shoes of his dead ‘divine’ father.

These thoughts led to the next order of business.

The Consuls put forward a motion, in some form or another. Basically, they proposed that Tiberius should rule them in the very same way and every bit as much as Augustus had ruled them.[22]

Oddly enough, Tiberius had different ideas.

The new Emperor wasn’t about to give up any power, but he’d been secretly hoping to avoid bearing most of the responsibility. This was partly due to his nature, partly due to his old age (55 this November)[23] and partly due to his extensive army experience.

Tiberius had never really entered politics. He’d been Consul, but not stood as Senator. He’d been a General since 20 BC. Tiberius was a pure soldier and he couldn’t help but think with a military mind.

Simply put, the old General wanted to delegate all his actual duties. Tiberius wanted to let the Senate run things, but veto whatever he didn’t agree with. But the Senators – no fools – wanted Tiberius to tell them what he wanted before they made decisions.

The Senate was so used to being ruled, they liked it!

So – at first – they were more than a bit surprised by the Emperor’s negative reply to the consuls’ flattering proposal.

Tiberius made a short speech to argue his point. The Caesar said that his year of sharing power with Augustus had shown him something. Tiberius now believed the Empire was too much for anyone other than Augustus to rule alone.

The Senators were so shocked, they were actually confused. But they knew what they wanted. A dramatic debate lasted all day long. Tiberius and the Senate argued over various points. And still, the Senators just wanted to know what their new Emperor was willing to actually do!

Tiberius thought just holding his position would be enough to maintain security. He wanted the Senate to do the business of government. But the Senate wanted their ruler to actively rule them. They knew the Empire Augustus built had to have an Emperor.

The irony is as rich as the debate was confusing.[24]

Finally, Tiberius gave in. Already Emperor, the son of Augustus Caesar agreed to govern just like his father, as the Senate requested. But the promise didn’t mean much. For one thing, the whole ordeal had just reminded the old General how much he hated politics.[25]

So Tiberius tied his promise to one small request. The Caesar asked the Senate to offer him a permanent rest as soon as it was possible.

The Senators had never heard anything like this. Right at the start of his rule, the new Emperor said he was eager to step aside!

This begins a rather odd period in Roman history.

Tiberius had all the power in the world. And the only thing he wanted to do was retire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tiberius & his Senators made one other decision on September 17th.

At the Emperor’s request, the Senate renewed the special Imperial powers of Germanicus Caesar!

Germanicus got total power over Gaul and Germany back in 12 AD. For the third year, now, Germanicus was campaigning with eight Legions on both sides of the Rhine River. The young General was still securing Rome’s Boundaries in Europe, since the disaster in 9 AD.

Augustus himself had named Germanicus as next in line to Tiberius. Loyal without limits, Tiberius even dis-inherited his natural son, Drusus, to adopt Germanicus, his nephew.

Germanicus was extremely popular, but still extremely unfit to be Emperor. Tiberius didn’t like him. But Tiberius needed him. The old General wanted the new General to grow up as quickly as possible.

So Tiberius sent a group of Senators to see Germanicus, to console him on the loss of Augustus, and to inform the young Caesar on the renewal of his special powers in Gaul & Germany.

Actually, on September 17th, Rome was still a week or two away from finding out that Germanicus was already fighting a full scale mutiny in Gaul, just like the one going on in Illyricum!

But we’ll get to that soon enough...

This Year Book can only put down one mutiny at a time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week after the debate, the Emperor’s son Drusus Caesar reached Pannonia[26]. On September 25th, Drusus and Sejanus the Praetorian Prefect marched into the rebellious Legion camp with their 2,000 bodyguards.

The Rebel Leaders of the Three Legions let Drusus and Sejanus come inside the camp to negotiate. The Mutineers made demands while Drusus listened. But when Drusus began to talk about Tiberius being in charge, things broke down.

The main Rebel Leader shouted that Drusus needed to pay their demands or shut up. Then the Rebels stormed out of the meeting tent. But they let Drusus stay in camp, hoping he’d give in.

Naturally, this was their big mistake.

Drusus stayed awake with his advisors late into the night. About 3 AM, the moon went into eclipse![27]

Drusus sent Sejanus and their men around the camp to spread doubt about the rebel cause. Common soldiers woke up to see the eclipse and believed the gods were against them!

By dawn, the Legions had repented and turned in their ringleaders. The men were spared and the Rebel Leaders were executed! With that, Rome’s authority returned to every flagstaff and every heart. In a matter of hours, Drusus and Sejanus had restored perfect obedience.

Finally, Drusus Caesar promised the Legionaries that his father the Emperor would consider their need for more pay and fewer service years. Over the next few days, the Three Legions broke up and headed for their separate quarters to make winter camps.

Of course it didn’t hurt Drusus’ cause that winter had come early that year. And it was coming in hard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the way, the same eclipse Drusus saw in Pannonia also appeared in Israel at about 2 AM.[28] Almost nobody saw it, at that time, but the watchmen reported it.

That morning of September 26th happened to be the first day of Tabernacles in Israel.[29] So the Feast of Temporary Dwellings[30] began with an eclipse that came about three weeks after they got the news that Augustus was dead. So many symptoms of change seemed to be coming all at once – even in the sky!

We can only wonder whether Jews in Israel felt superstitious about these coincidences, this year. But one man in Jerusalem already knew he had reasons for concern.

In Jerusalem, Annas the High Priest knew that Tiberius would probably replace Judea’s Governor. And Annas knew the Governor would probably consider replacing the high priest.

This was going to be a problem!

Annas liked being high priest. He’d done a lot to help keep Southern Israel stable since 6 AD, when Archelaus got exiled. As the chief Sadducee, Annas had no trouble dealing with the Pharisees and did a fine job leading the Sanhedrin in running Jerusalem. They’d kept up the restoration project, still going on around Herod’s Temple (which burned nearly down in 4 BC). Overall, there were no major conflicts to speak of.

But change was in the air...

Annas the High Priest had to wonder if this was his last chance to preside over the Festival of Booths. For seven nights, he ate dinner in tents. But Annas had seven months, at least, to wait and wonder who Tiberius would send to govern Southern Israel.

Annas also used that time to consider his options.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While we’re in Southern Israel, let’s not forget about the North. Even though Judea, Samaria & Galilee were being ruled by a Roman Governor in 14 AD, Northern Israel was still ruled by two sons of King Herod the Great.

Now beginning the 18th year since their dad’s death, Herod Antipas was still ruling Galilee and the Jordan Valley, while his brother Philip still held on to the heavily Arab region of Trachonitis and the Golan Heights.

Antipas and Philip had their own natural reactions to the start of Tiberius’ rule as Emperor. But this Year Book is long enough as it is.

We can catch up with North Israel in 15 AD. For now, let’s go up to the Far North of Europe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Germanicus Caesar had been guarding the Rhine River without Tiberius for about 24 months now. Both Legion Commander and Proconsul, the 29 year old Caesar governed Gaul on his left and raided Germany on his right. But the young General was no military equal to his adopted father, Tiberius – a fact he was getting ready to prove.

Germanicus was riding around Gaul and Belgium on minor business when Augustus died. The General took his top officers along as well. Foolishly, none of them went to be with the Legions when the sad news came.[31]

Half-way up river, the four Legions of the Lower Rhine were grumbling. September brought on the start of a harsh early winter[32] while they waited for Germanicus. About 19 thousand soldiers were stuck in one summer camp, waiting for orders, and they hadn’t even been paid yet for the year!

Then two more weeks passed.

Germanicus was busy becoming more popular when the news came to Belgium. Legions I, V, XX and XXI were in full revolt! Their long wait for winter quarters and the annual payments had grown into bigger demands. When the Caesar finally reached them, the men had killed 240 Centurions and locked up all their higher officers!

Germanicus tried to address the Legions en masse, but the young Caesar’s charm failed him. Talking about their past loyalty to Tiberius didn’t work either. The Legions just shouted they’d rather Germanicus be their Emperor – as long as he’d pay them! And when Germanicus replied he’d rather kill himself than turn traitor, the soldiers told him to go ahead!

The General’s officers stopped his fake suicide attempt and rushed him to safety. The next day, Germanicus produced a fake letter from Tiberius claiming all their demands had been met. No one really believed it, but they were happy to get paid. The General caved in to all their demands and sent them to separate winter quarters. So the revolt was over.

Or so it seemed.

Two or three weeks later, in early October, a small group of Senators rode into the winter camp at Ara Ubiorum. They’d finally arrived with their message from September 17th. The soldiers of Legions I and XX were convinced these Senators would overrule the fake letter so they started a new uprising.

This time, Germanicus thought all was lost. At this point, the young General had to be saved by his wife, Agrippina[33]!

This granddaughter of Augustus and daughter of Marcus Agrippa had been in Germany most of the year. Every bit as bold as her bloodline, Agrippina came up with a plan to put herself on the front line of danger!

Agrippina and her children took a carriage out of the city, pretending to flee. The other officers’ wives went along, weeping and wailing to attract attention from the Legion’s camp (just outside Ara Ubiorum). When the soldiers took them all into the camp as hostages, Agrippina went to work!

Using all her considerable feminine wiles, the General’s wife quickly made the soldiers ashamed for threatening four members of the Imperial Family – and women and children no less! Very soon the Legionaries all felt guilty enough to quit revolting. But secretly, Agrippina was so sure this would work she never worried about her little sons, Drusus, Nero and Gaius[34].

It didn’t hurt that the soldiers all loved the littlest Caesar, who she always dressed in a tiny soldier’s uniform. This year, the Legions had even nicknamed the two-year old “Little Boot” - Caligula. So it was thanks to Agrippina and her “Little Boot” that the new uprising ended in less than a day.

Then it broke out again.

By mid-October, Legions I and XX were still at peace at Ara Ubiorum, but Legions V and XXI were back in revolt, sixty miles downriver. So Germanicus told Legions I and XX to prepare for Civil War! Then he sent a threatening letter ahead that made the rebel camp up north tear itself apart.

When Germanicus got down river to that camp (at Castra Vetera) he found such a massacre he wept openly. Thanks to his letter, the disloyal troops had all been killed, but many loyal ones died in the battle. As a result, the surviving soldiers were so charged full of fury they didn’t know what to do with themselves!

It looked like the mutiny might spark back up anytime.

It was past the middle of October, over a month into a harsh early winter, and Germanicus had only 12,000 men left alive and still serving the four Legions that had boasted more than 19,000 just six weeks earlier. But – again – this horrible disaster still wasn’t over!

To wash away the guilt and stain of Roman blood, Germanicus now took all four Legions over the Rhine for a chance to spill some German blood!

Forcing a march for several days through thick German forests, the Legions found their target. Several villages of the Marsi tribe were holding a festival under the full moon[35] on October 24th. The Romans waited until they were all drunk and sleeping and spread out into their four Legionary divisions again. Then Rome wiped out the tribesmen, burning everything in a fifty mile radius. Germanicus and his soldiers murdered every last Marsi man, woman and child.

The guilty Legionaries made this one memory horrible enough to drown all the recent ones. Then they turned back for the Rhine.

Some other German tribes nearby tried to trap the Legions in the woods on their march back. It almost worked, but Germanicus rallied his troops to stay on the move and fight their way through it.

The four Legions made it back to Castra Vetera not much larger than two normal sized Legions should have been. Exhausted, but still calling themselves four Legions, they all spent a cold, peaceful winter at Castra Vetera.

Of course, Germanicus went back up river to Ara Ubiorum, to be with his family.

The trouble on the Rhine was finally over now, nearly at the start of November.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in Rome, Tiberius knew all about the Rhine Legions and Germany before December.

The old General was horrified. Tiberius campaigned with Germanicus in Illyricum and Germany when the young man didn’t quite know what to do, but this whole disaster was a new low for the young Caesar.

The Emperor must have thought, “This is the man who’s going to rule Rome after I’m gone?”

The old Emperor wanted to stay loyal to the wishes of Augustus, but Tiberius was also desperately longing for an early retirement. The masterful ex-General was wise enough to know he wasn’t going to retire any time soon if it meant letting Rome depend on Germanicus! At least, not at this stage...

To make things worse, Tiberius had to spin the report in Rome to make it sound like a great victory over the Germans! In all Rome’s history, of all Rome’s enemies, Rome’s people held no greater fear of any barbarians than the Gauls and the Germans. Therefore, to comfort everyone in the city, Tiberius Caesar had to make his incompetent nephew even more popular than he already was among the common people of Rome.

This was a bad combination, bound to get worse.

Tiberius had to believe Germanicus would be the death of Rome, if the young Caesar ever got to rule it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Besides all this, the Emperor still had one other major irritation. Tiberius was secretly furious that Agrippina – a mere woman, in his view – had been able to stop the mutiny when the use of the Caesar’s Imperial name had failed.

By this time, Drusus and Sejanus were back from Illyricum. Drusus, the natural son of Tiberius, did a far better job this year than Germanicus, the adopted Caesar. But Tiberius couldn’t say so in public.

And this is when the prefect Aelius Sejanus begins his long, slow power play.

Sejanus, as co-leader of the Emperor’s personal bodyguard, began to spend lots of time near the old Caesar. Sejanus would compliment the family of Drusus and criticize the family of Germanicus. Soon, the Emperor discovered Sejanus shared Tiberius’ particular loathing against aggressive royal women.

(Yes, that included the 71 year old Livia, perhaps most of all. But Tiberius was loyal to her as his mother, and he needed her as Empress!)

Anyway, for this and many other reasons, Caesar and his chief bodyguard began to be friends. In a few years, this friendship between Sejanus and Tiberius is going to affect every corner of the Empire. But not just yet.

Another thing Tiberius and Sejanus had in common was the patience to pursue ambitious projects...

very...

...slowly!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is 14 AD. The major pieces are all in place, now, for the next twenty years. The Imperial Family is going to go through a great deal of trouble.

As if it hadn’t already!

For example, Augustus wasn’t the only member of his family who died this year. The Greatest Caesar had worried for years that some rival Senators would try to use his exiled daughter, Julia, or her last living son, Posthumous Agrippa, as the rallying points of an uprising.[36] So Augustus added two cruel decisions to his legacy, outside his official papers.

A year before Augustus died, while writing his will, the Emperor decided his grandson would have to go. But the Great Emperor didn’t want to live with the pain or the guilt of killing his grandson. So Augustus planned for Posthumous Agrippa to just barely outlive him!

Shortly after August 19th, 14 AD, on the island of Planasia, the soldiers guarding Agrippa got word that Augustus was dead. Their commanding Centurion had a standing order to kill the Exile at that point.[37] So he did.

Tiberius did not know about Agrippa’s death until the Centurion reported to him in Rome. The new Emperor told the Centurion he hadn’t given the order. Then the Emperor told the Senate it must have been Augustus’ order.

Tiberius promised an investigation, but never ordered one. The Centurion was never punished. And rumors spread that Tiberius had ordered the killing. The true facts were never proven, but everyone knew Agrippa’s death made Tiberius’ position more secure.

Most people in Rome simply believed the rumors. And nothing else was ever done about it. But Tiberius was actually innocent of that death.

Just not of the next one.

After swearing he did not murder his former step-son, Agrippa, Tiberius turned right around and killed Agrippa’s mother Julia, the Emperor’s own ex-wife!

Actually, here’s what happened. When Augustus deliberately left Julia’s allowance out of the will, Tiberius simply stopped her payments. So Julia must have gone broke about the same time she heard her son Agrippa was dead. The depression and poverty, together, probably made Julia stop eating. But just to make sure, Tiberius also sent soldiers to keep Julia trapped in her home with no new supplies or visitors!

From all three causes, Julia starved to death before 14 AD ended. Her father’s will – which failed to mention her allowance – specifically commanded that Julia was not to be buried in the family tomb. Augustus Caesar was gone forever and so was his bloodline... almost.

Only Agrippina and her children still survived to carry on the Julian line.[38]

So the Imperial family was now almost all from the bloodline of Tiberius.[39]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, before we close this very busy Year Book, we must return to the most important question of all.

How does all this affect a certain 20 year old Nazarene Carpenter and his very Jewish world?

Actually, the answers to that are a little surprising.

First of all, the politics of Rome always affected the politics of Israel. Judea is now run by Rome and Galilee remains free at Rome’s pleasure. The High Priest, the Sanhedrin and Herod Antipas – in different ways – all rule under the constant risk and fear of incurring Rome’s wrath. Therefore, if anything happens in Israel, the powers that be don’t make a move without thinking about how Rome would take it. That means they paid close attention to how Tiberius was acting at all times.

Successful rulers made it their business to be familiar with the moods and whims of their Emperor. And those whims could change! Especially in the case of Tiberius, as we will see...

Furthermore, Rome also affected the common Jews of Israel, in variously big and small ways, over time. The decisions an Emperor makes always affect all his subjects, eventually. And Tiberius is going to make several decisions that affect the Jews in particular.

Finally, Roman events will begin to affect Jesus much more directly in 29 AD, once the Lord goes public. Certain dramatic events that happen in Italy from 29 to 31 are going to be very distracting for the Tetrarch of Galilee. And a large part of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee gets to happen (the way it does) specifically during the time when Herod Antipas gets so distracted!

What are those dramatic events? Oh, just wait. We’re building to all that...

Ultimately, of course, Rome is going to rule over the climax of all history when Pontius Pilate crucifies Jesus. And in many ways, all these years lead up to that event. The decisions Tiberius makes in Rome... the political pressure that builds up for Herod Antipas... the combination of factors that forces the Sanhedrin to have to go to Pilate at all, in the end...

These are the reasons Jesus winds up getting crucified instead of stoned, burned or beheaded! In many ways, it all comes back to the next 19 years in Italy!

It’s amazing, actually, to watch it unfold. Along the way, you might almost swear Someone was behind it all, directing events, building them into a useful climax for the Fullness of Time.

You might even decide what you think God “did” and what you think “just happened”. But that’s not for these Year Books to say...

All we can say is what happened.

You decide for yourself whether God made it happen. But keep Him in mind as we lay it all out...

Year-by-year.


---------------------------------
Begin Footnotes to 14 AD (Part 2):

[1] See Year-by-Year, Volume One, 9 BC, 8 BC & 7 BC.

[2] We can reconstruct the year and month of Jesus’ baptism by study of the Gospels. Explaining how and why Luke (3:1) counts 28 AD as the “fifteenth” year of Tiberius is a whole other issue. There are at least two ways that work. Either Luke counted inclusively by calendar years, making 14 AD “year one” and 28 AD “year fifteen”, or else Luke counted chronologically from mid-13 AD when Tiberius accepted the Imperium on par with Augustus. We don’t know which method Luke used, but Luke’s statement gives us a window of possibilities for the date of Jesus’ baptism, which allows other evidence to settle the issue more precisely. For more on this, see footnotes to 12, 13 & 14 AD in Volume One and 28 AD in Volume Two.

[3] This same count works with both the Roman and the Hebrew calendar. Jesus’ birth in 7 BC came some weeks or months after Passover, the start of the festival year. So the Passover of the Lord’s Crucifixion began the 40th festival cycle of Jesus’ earthly life. (To check the math, remember that there was no “year zero”.) So we could say his 40th year had begun, even though he was just shy of his 39th birthday. Further, if Jesus’ birthday came on or just before his ascension (before Pentecost in 33 AD) – and remembering that the 39th birthday is the start of one’s 40th year – then this would mean Jesus had just begun his 40th chronological year on Earth when he left the planet physically.

Any of these counts suggests God gave his New Man a full forty years of proving before bringing him home. (Forty being the biblical time of testing, and a single day of the 40th year counting as a full year in Hebrew thought.)

[4] Rumors come out later that she poisoned him, but no ancient historian says she actually did it.

[5] Ancient counts differ, for example: Dio Cassius counted from the battle of Actium on September 2nd, 31 BC, to get 13 days shy of 44 years. This is an accurate count. Josephus counted from the death of Julius Caesar on March 15th, 44 BC, to get 57 years, six months & 2 days. This includes Augustus’ years of rule as Octavian with Antony & Lepidus. Josephus is off by about 28 days, but odder still, he ignored the “inclusive method” (see next note). This only proves Josephus’ counting is inconsistent, which is at least helpful to know.

[6] Born on September 28, 63 BC, Augustus died at age 75 years, 10 months and 23 days. (Though somehow, Dio Cassius counted 26 days.) Josephus’ report that Augustus was 77 years old is typical of Jewish inclusive counting – and compare this with the above note about counting Jesus’ years on Earth – so that if each year from 63 BC to 14 AD counts as “one”, then Augustus was in his 77th calendar year. This tendency will come up again at other points during Volume Two. (But see previous footnote on Josephus’ inconsistency.)

[7] Josephus at this point calls Augustus the second emperor (autokratos) of the Romans. Julius Caesar was never called “Emperor” (princeps) but he did become dictator for life, and all ancients considered him first in the line of Caesars. Any debate is semantic. See back matter.

[8] Augustus Caesar shared power several times from 44 BC to 14 AD, but no Emperor after him felt the need or desire to do the same. This made the situation of 13-14 AD unique in history – all later Emperors had a “day of accession” when the Senate awarded them the Empire, but Tiberius was already Emperor on the day Augustus died.

[9] Tiberius turns 55 this November, so he’s 54 now. Authors shouldn’t forget to count months.

[10] The procession averaged between 10 and 15 miles a day. Meanwhile, the news of Tiberius’ accession to sole power was spreading by relay in 8 hour shifts, covering 150 miles a day!

[11] The continuance of this tradition with later emperors may be what caused Josephus to mis-time the funeral procession of Herod the Great when he wrote his first account of it. (But compare Josephus’ Wars versus his Antiquities.) This remains an important issue to the chronology of 4 BC. (See 4 BC in Volume One.)

[12] Augustus left five lengthy documents in all: (1) his will, (2) his funeral instructions, (3) his memoirs of all the great things he’d gotten done, (4) his personal account of the Empire’s military and financial status, and (5) final personal commandments for Tiberius and the people.

[13] This could have happened as early as September 3rd, if the revolt broke out quickly and news came to Rome right away. We’ll cover these Pannonian events a bit more later on in this yearbook. Still, there’s no way to tell how long Tiberius deliberated before responding.

[14] Legio VIII Augusta, IX Hispania & XV Appolonia were stationed at Poetovio, Siscia & Emona, respectively, but had come together at some central place for their summer camp. Their Governing Proconsul was Q. Junius Blaesus, the uncle of L. Aelius Sejanus, who we meet now.

[15] There was no more “Provincia Illyricum” since 9 AD, but the Romans continued using the term to refer to both Dalmatia (South I.) and Pannonia (North I.) in general.

[16] Not to be confused with the still living, but very elderly Strabo, the famous Geography writer.

[17] The Praetorian Guards were the Emperor’s personal bodyguards and special enforcers at Rome. Augustus established nine Praetorian Cohorts of 500 (or possibly 1000) men each, stationed (at this time) just outside the city of Rome.

[18] According to Tacitus, Tiberius sent “a staff of nobles” with two Praetorian Cohorts, some Cavalry and selected men from the city guard. Rome also held three Urban Cohorts of 500 men each, the local police force. Even if Tiberius had wanted to challenge the mutineers in battle, the whole city had no more than 10,000 troops. For now, diplomacy would have to do.

[19] There is some possibility Drusus stayed for the Senate meeting of the 17th and then caught up by making double-time. Either way, scholars agree that the troops left Rome some days before September 17th, and Drusus was either with them at that time or else he caught up to them quickly after the 17th.

[20] This is a unique situation that never repeated itself. After Tiberius, no one ever received full imperial powers until after the prior Emperor was dead. The uniqueness of Tiberiu’s “non-accession” (combined with the overwhelming prevalence of every succeeding Emperor, each of whom had one official “date of accession”) has confused historians from ancient time until recent decades. For more on this, see back matter.

[21] Scholars suggest this may be the central thesis of Dio Cassius’ whole History.

[22] The exact wording of this consular motion is lost. Levick borrows the language of Velleius Paterculus (“succeed to the position of his father”) and calls the motion complimentary and formal. Seager suggests the motion was an official renewal of Tiberius’ “province” (his particular and official duties). Whatever the exact wording, both Levick & Seager agree that the purpose of this consular motion was to formally invite Tiberius into actually wielding the full responsibilities of his already limitless authority. Of course, the aged & stoic Tiberius had a very different idea, as we are about to see.

[23] Fifty-five is VERY old in the ancient world. Common men didn’t live that long. Wealthy kings and emperors could make it past 70, but imagine going through what we call “middle age” without modern comforts! Augustus at age 55 was settling down to groom his successor. But Tiberius at 55 had to gear himself up for a much greater and – more critically – a much different challenge than anything he was used to.

[24] There are various and complicated reasons why historians – for centuries – misunderstood this debate, wrongly declaring it to be about Tiberius’ Imperial powers and position as Emperor. The biggest problem was that every Emperor after Tiberius had a specific day when the Senate proclaimed him and issued his powers. Even the ancient historians (beginning 102 years later with the Annals of Tacitus) misunderstood the “accession” of Tiberius by interpreting the records through their own familiarity with later traditions that stood from 37 AD on. It was not until the 20th century that classical scholarship finally showed a convincing way through the maze of conflicting ancient interpretations. See Bibliography (especially Levick & Seager) and other back matter for much more on this.

[25] Most Emperors had a mixture of military and political experience, but Tiberius was a pure soldier at heart who spent most of his adult life with the Legions. Tiberius never served more than a year of magistracy at Rome (3 other times he got called away) but he’d spent nearly all of the past 33 years commanding troops. Tiberius Caesar was unskilled at speaking and had trouble giving clear instructions in civilian life. Close, loyal subordinate commanders like Velleius Paterculus had always been there to help him relay orders on campaign – whereas Tiberius was bound to find no such compatriots in the Senate.

Frankly, Tiberius wasn’t cut out for Augustus’ job and he knew it, but somebody had to fill the position. The only way Tiberius is going to master politics is going to be when he turns it into a traitor hunt, almost like a wartime campaign, a few years from now. As a matter of fact, certain Senators named in the September 17th debate seem to have been secretly marked as enemies by Tiberius from this moment on, although Tiberius slow-played his hand, as he always preferred to do in any military campaign. The new Emperor surveyed the challenge like the expert military tactician that he was, measuring his advantages, noting all obstacles, calculating variables and considering his targets strategically. In all this, the old General was biding his time! When you consider these things together with the typical but incredible slowness of Tiberius’ preferred methods on campaign, the next 13 years begin to look like Tiberius decided to wage politics as war. Whatever the case, the new Emperor is going to play things very close-to-the-vest, so to speak, which was also very characteristic of Tiberius.

However, since his motives are so debatable, we will focus on his actions!

[26] Legions VIII Augusta, IX Hispania and XV Appolonia were camped together somewhere near the junction of the Balkans and the Alps, probably near the flats of Siscia (Segestica) on the Save River. Their usual winter quarters were at Poetovio, Siscia and Emona, respectively.

[27] We should wonder if Tiberius’ personal astrologer Thrysallus predicted this and led Drusus to consider the superstitious potential in advance. Otherwise, what was Drusus banking on, going up against Three Legions with nothing but 2,000 men and his father’s good name? Thrysallus might not have been at the strategy session in Rome, but he would certainly have known in advance about the eclipse, so it’s a plausible consideration.

[28] Approximately, I presume, as Israel is approximately one time zone East of NW Pannonia.

[29] It was the morning when they awoke before the festival was set to begin that night.

[30] The Feast of “Booths” or Tents was the third major feast after Passover and Pentecost. One major theme of the week was to remember the times of wandering and exile (by both the patriarchs and the nation) when the promised land or its restoration was still being expected. Since many Jews in 14 AD were waiting for an end to Roman occupation, the festival was pregnant with extra meaning to begin with. And since everyone in Israel remembered the Purim eclipse that preceded the death of Herod the Great, it’s likely there was some discussion about this Tabernacles eclipse that followed the death of Augustus. (Author’s note: Personally, I don’t think either eclipse means anything. But I bet some of them did, at the time.)

[31] Germanicus and his officers surveyed Gaul’s harvest for tax purposes, a menial chore which someone else should have been doing, and then he inducted the Belgian tribes into friendship with the empire, which gave Rome free access to the mouth of the Rhine. True, the North Sea was a key gain, but it could have been postponed.

[32] That harsh early winter hit the North Balkans, much further south, by late September. So how much earlier would it have hit the lower Rhine in North Gaul and Germany?

[33] History will record this woman as “Agrippina the Elder” and her daughter Agrippina will be more famous in her day. For now, we note that this present Agrippina was born to Augustus’ daughter Julia in her first marriage to Augustus’ top General, Marcus Agrippa. Her three brothers and her sister (Gaius, Lucius, Posthumous & Julia-the-younger) met death and exile in Volume One, but Agrippina sealed her fortune by marriage to Germanicus, grandson of the Empress Livia. This winter, Agrippina begins proving herself to be a powerful woman in her own right – a fact we will begin to explore more fully next year.

[34] Roman Imperial Family names repeat themselves often. This is the third Drusus in our Year Books. His grandfather Drusus died in 9 BC and his uncle Drusus we’ve followed this year. Secondly, this Nero is not the famous Emperor – not born until 37 AD – but “Nero” was actually the original surname of Tiberius’ family. And thirdly, this Gaius was named after his mom’s oldest brother (not to mention Gaius Julius Caesar the Dictator), but this Gaius IS a future Emperor-to-be, who we know better by his nickname, “Caligula” (on which, see above).

[35] I presume the German nocturnal festivals were always under the full moon, as in other cultures. This fits the timeline perfectly, but underscores how late in the season this was, and that being over six weeks into an early winter!

[36] Julia was exiled for adultery in 2 BC and Agrippa for various reasons in 8 AD.

[37] It’s unclear whether Augustus left the order himself, beforehand, or whether Augustus told a loyal nobleman to send the order as soon as he died. A leading theory is that the nobleman, one Sallustius Crispus, sent the order and somehow copied the Imperial Seal, which convinced the Centurion it was actually Tiberius’ order. Ancient sources split and qualified their judgments but leaned toward blaming Tiberius. Few present day scholars disagree, however, that Augustus instigated the order, either directly or indirectly.

[38] There was one beside Agrippina and her children – the separately exiled Julia-the-Younger. Sister of Agrippina and Mama Julia’s other daughter, this younger Julia was still in exile on the island of Trimerus, east of Italy. (See 8 AD in Volume One.) Although Tiberius killed mama Julia, younger Julia’s step-grandmother (Livia) had enough mercy to personally send the poor woman an allowance to live on. So the surviving Julia lives in exile until 28 AD. After that, Younger-Julia’s only daughter will one day have four children, three of whom will eventually die (under the Emperor Nero) simply for being in Augustus’ bloodline. Those deaths, under Nero, will end the line of Julia the Younger, in history, but none of these people become significant in and of themselves.

[39] For a rundown of family members at this time, skim this Year Book again, check the Character Glossary, or see the Bonus Material.


Read more!

14 AD (Part 1)

Jesus turns 20. Augustus dies. The first year of Tiberius’ rule as Emperor.
***************

At the start of 14 AD, Jesus of Nazareth was 19 years old, going on 20. The final months of the Lord’s second decade on Earth were over in May. And by the look of things, he had nothing to show for it.

God’s own son was here, in the prime of life. He was the world’s Savior, but he was not a great man.

The greatest men were world beaters by this age.

Seriously…

Alexander the Great turned 20 in 336 BC. That year, Alexander became King of Macedonia. Right away he began preparing his invasion and conquest of all Asia. Likewise, Augustus Caesar was only 18 when his uncle Julius died, in 44 BC. And in 42 BC, “Octavian” (as he was then called) ended the civil wars and started ruling the Empire![1]

But here’s Jesus, turning 20 and doing nothing… it seemed.

Sons of Kings always made their mark by age 20. Herod’s son Archelaus was King of Israel at age 19 (4 BC). His younger brother Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee, forged a marriage alliance with King Aretas of Nabatea the year he turned 20 (1 BC). Even Herod’s son Philip was only 18 as he secured peace ruling mostly Arab peoples (2 BC).

All the young Herods we’ve seen were taking on great challenges at young ages. In Italy, the young Caesars were no different at all.

Augustus Caesar sent his grandson, Gaius, off to far away battles, leading over 20,000 men… when Gaius was just 19 (1 BC). And when Caesar’s great-grand-nephew Germanicus turned 19, Augustus made that young man second-in-line to rule the world (4 AD). Even the difficult Posthumous Agrippa (Caesar’s 3rd grandson) became a big enough threat to be exiled… you guessed it… at age 19 (8 AD).

Nineteen. This is not a small observation. At that age, if you’re going to rule any decent sized Kingdom, you’d better get around to it. Or at least start acting like it!

But here was Jesus. God’s Son, the Messiah. The one born to be King of the Jews… even the King of all Kings! And what was he doing?

The same things as always.

Jesus was living in Nazareth. He was pulling saws with Joseph, doing chores for Mary, watching out for little James, and taking care of his aging grandparents. He was earning his daily bread and forgiving bad customers’ debts. He was calling on his Father’s holy name.

To earthly eyes, this was nothing. No one could see what a great Man this Jesus was. No one could tell he was perfectly blameless. No one imagined he’d NOT been overcome by the darkness of the evil one. No one else knew where to find such protection.

No one thought Jesus was anything like a great man.

No. The glory of this one, holy life was as yet unseen.

No one heard him when he called his Father’s name, or when they talked to each other. No one heard when Jesus asked his Father for things. And no one was aware enough to be amazed by this fact, either… but when Jesus prayed, he asked for things that God wanted!

To heaven’s eyes, this was glorious. Jesus was doing what no one else had the power to do! The Lord, as a Man, was showing his Father what it could look like for an earth man to live like God was in charge.

So that’s what Jesus was doing at age 19 and 20. That was all. He was not some “great man”. He was God’s man.

In 14 AD, Jesus the King was not yet in his kingdom…

But he knew it would come.

The Kings of the earth kept on ruling. The world kept on turning. And God’s Son kept praying…

Year after year.

***************

Once again, 14 AD brought no news from Israel.

Rufus was still Procurator at Caesarea. Annas was still High Priest at Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin was over half-way done re-building Herod’s Temple.[2]

There was certainly no trouble in Judea, at all.

The people of Israel seemed to like this new Roman “Kingdom”!

***************

At the start of 14 AD, the “King” of the Roman Empire was 75 years old. Augustus Caesar would not reach his 76th birthday. Here’s what happened.

The Emperor’s heir, Tiberius Caesar, had been over Italy during the winter, taking a census. It was also a tour to let Italy see the face of her new ruler-to-be.

By spring, Tiberius and his census teams were all done. Augustus and his “imperial colleague” held a ceremony on May 14th – to celebrate completing the census.[3]

Shortly after their reunion, Augustus made Tiberius leave again!

This was critical. Since the census began, the two Caesars had shared equal powers, at least officially. For nearly a year, Rome had two masters… at least, technically.

In fact, Augustus was still fully in charge and Tiberius was still below him. That’s what was still happening, in practice. The official “equality” in power was just so Tiberius could begin ruling, legally, the moment Augustus was dead.

But things had to look proper. Technically, Rome had two masters, and it just wasn’t wise to keep two masters in town together. They had to have separate duties, somehow. Besides, at the very least, they didn’t want to set a bad example for future generations!

So Tiberius had to go on a new mission. It had to be close, because Augustus could die anytime. And it had to be an easy mission, so Tiberius could return when called for.

Augustus was sending Tiberius to North Illyricum. There were no uprisings, of course. Everything had been at peace there, in Pannonia, since 9 AD. So the only task the future Emperor had to do there was oversee the ongoing improvements in the new province.[4]

But the mission didn’t have to start right away. Augustus still had lots of things left to tell Tiberius.

The two Caesars spent the rest of May together in the city. And June. And July.[5]

By late July, Tiberius got ready to go. But Augustus wanted to make a trip into the country for a while. Augustus had also been invited to attend some games in his honor, that would be on their way.

So they left Rome together.

Somewhere around late July, the two Caesars headed south, down the coast, towards Campania. They went very slowly, because of the Emperor’s age.

Augustus and Tiberius were carried in a litter down the coast, but changed their minds after a few days and took a ship, to make the trip faster. The August northwesterlies were just kicking up and the breeze was strong, blowing them southeast, down the coast of Italy.

But traveling by ship meant spending a couple of nights at sea. Somewhere in those strong gusts of salty night air, Augustus caught a stomach virus. So now he was on a boat, at night, dealing with diarrhea… at age 75!

The Emperor was getting pretty weak by the time they reached his villa on the Island of Capri. Willpower and the island stay kept him in a happy mood. After four days on Capri, Augustus and Tiberius took their traveling party across the Bay to Naples. The Emperor was still dealing with illness, but wanted to make his appointment. Then, the first day after the games, the two Caesars went inland, heading East.

The whole party went about 50 miles to Beneventum, on the Appian way. There, Tiberius said good bye and Augustus turned back towards Rome. But these extra days of travel had weakened Augustus and made him sicker. The Emperor didn’t think he had the strength to make it back to Rome, or even to Naples or Capri.

About 35 miles after Beneventum, Augustus stopped at the closest spot he could take a long rest at. The old country house of his father, Octavius Caesar was on the road back to Capri, at the town of Nola.

Augustus knew his own father had died in that very house. He had to know it was his time as well.

The Emperor didn’t last long at Nola.

On his last day, he kept asking whether there were any uprisings around Italy. Augustus was afraid of trouble because he knew he was dying.

His wife, Livia, was there with him and a few friends. The Emperor had some last words. He told them he found Rome as weak as clay bricks, but now left it to them as strong as stone or marble. Then Augustus asked them all to applaud because he was an actor who had played his part well, and now had to leave the stage.

That afternoon, Caesar kissed his wife, reminded her to be faithful to him, and died – quietly and suddenly.

The official day of death was given as August 19th, 14 AD.

The Emperor, Augustus Caesar, had lived 75 years, 10 months and 26 days on planet earth. He died just shy of his 76th birthday, which made this his 77th calendar year.[6]

The Emperor was dead.

***************

The Emperor was very much alive.

Tiberius was barely in his province when he got the news that Augustus was dying. It took him just a few days to sail and ride quickly to Nola. Once there, Tiberius’ mother Livia, the Emperess, had already taken charge in the house.

Tiberius and Livia went in to see Augustus together.

But we do not know if Augustus was still alive at that time.

Later on, Tiberius and Livia both said that Augustus held on until his son arrived. The new Emperor and his mother told everyone that father and son had gotten one final day to visit and say goodbye. They told some that Augustus had died in Tiberius’ arms.

We don’t know for sure.

We do know that other stories and rumors got started soon after this.[7] There were many in Rome who believed Livia had set up the murder of the princes, Gaius & Lucius, because that was when Tiberius came back into Rome (see 4 AD).

In fact, since that time, another rumor had started that Livia sent someone to poison her own son, Drusus, when Drusus was lying wounded in Germany (9 BC). So it wouldn’t be long until new rumors popped up that said Livia had poisoned Augustus, now, too! (And it gets wilder than that! But those stories will come soon enough.)

Did Tiberius see Augustus alive?

Rumor says that Livia kept the death a secret until Tiberius reached Nola. Then – maybe – she lied about the death date to hide her cover up. And that might be true.

All we know for sure, right now, is this.

On August 19th, 14 AD, Tiberius and his widowed mother Livia were at Nola, near Mount Vesuvius. Augustus Caesar was dead. Tiberius was now the new Roman Emperor.

At age 54, Tiberius Caesar began his final mission – ruling the world!

The new Emperor probably didn’t get much sleep that night.

Suddenly, there was a lot to take care of…

***************

END OF VOLUME I – JESUS IN THE EMPIRE OF AUGUSTUS CAESAR

***************

BEGIN VOLUME II – JESUS IN THE EMPIRE OF TIBERIUS CAESAR


14 AD, Part Two…

COMING SOON!


Begin Footnotes:

[1] Albeit with two partners, Antony & Lepidus, the “second triumvirate”.

[2] It sure seems complete when Jesus walked through it, but the Temple Courtyard won’t be paved (the final phase of work that Josephus called totally finished) until the early 60’s AD.

[3] This was a traditional event called the “Lustrum”. For Tiberius’ official position as “colleague in imperium”, see footnotes to 12 and 13 AD.

[4] Armies were building roads and prep-work was being done for the founding of colonies. These years in Illyricum (the two new provinces of Dalmatia & Pannonia) were like the years in Galatia after 25 BC – which was discussed in the footnotes of 6, 5 and 3 BC.)

These ongoing efforts mean that Dalmatia will be fairly civilized and safe when the apostle Titus goes there in 63/64 AD.

[5] No one could criticize them for staying together, since they had already made official plans to separate again. This was the point things had come to – keeping up appearances and satisfying technicalities. But the reality was whatever the Emperor wanted, happened.
[6] I mention this specifically to illustrate a point made in previous Year Books about the methods of counting someone’s age. I mention it now because the Jewish Historian Josephus says Augustus was “77 years old” when he died. This is a perfect example of “inclusive” counting, typical of Jewish thought.

Jesus Christ is going to be 38 years, 10 months and some days old at his crucifixion. He will ascend into heaven at least a week shy of his 39th birthday (Roman Calendar) but it may have been exactly on the day of his 39th birthday (Jewish Calendar). So it might have been, chronologically, the first day of his 40th year when he rose into the sky, leaving Earth. (Forty is the biblical time of testing, and by the Hebrew laws, part of a year counted as all of a year.) Either way, Jesus spent forty calendar years on Earth, by the Roman AND by the Hebrew calendars.

(See footnotes to 9, 8 & 7 BC, and bonus sections.)

[7] By that point, they’d just had three months together; surely, Augustus had as many chances as he wanted to talk to Tiberius. If Livia and Tiberius lied about the last day’s instructions, it was only for dramatic effect of the timing. We aren’t sure about the timing, but we’re absolutely certain there WERE final instructions!


Read more!

13 AD

Jesus turns 19. Germanicus leads 8 Legions in Germany. Augustus secures Tiberius’ succession once and for all.
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In January of 13 AD, Jesus was 18 years old. In May he turned 19…

(Read more about Jesus in future editions.)

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There is no news from Israel this year. Rufus was still Procurator at Caesarea. Annas was still High Priest at Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin was still making slow progress towards rebuilding Herod’s Temple.

Everyone seemed to be doing well under Roman rule.

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All winter, Augustus had been working on his will and his memoirs. He had also been nudging the Senate and People of Rome closer and closer towards seeing Tiberius as his sole successor.

When spring came, the Emperor sent Germanicus back into Europe. The young General was now in charge of eight legions, at age 28!

This farewell was the last time the two Caesars would see one another. It was one more way Augustus firmed up his plans. Tiberius was staying in town. Germanicus was leaving. Augustus was brilliant.

This was one extra safeguard against civil war.

Next came the papers.

When the snows had thawed and the seas were all safe, Augustus sent messengers all over the Empire. The Emperor had finished his memoirs, called “Things I Did”[1] It was several pages long, but Caesar wanted it carved into stone many times, at least once in each province.[2]

It was about this same time that Caesar finished his will.

On April 3rd, 13 AD, the Emperor sealed up his will. It took up two bound volumes of parchment![3] Both books were sealed and secured in the Temple of the Vestal Virgins.[4]

At this time, no one but Augustus got to read the will.

The Vestals also secured three other documents for the Emperor. Augustus gave them a copy of his “Things I Did”, a list of instructions for his own funeral, and a personal accounting of the Empire’s financial and military resources to that date.

That was the end of Caesar’s publishing efforts. He was now ready to die, sixteen months ahead of time! Still on top of everything…

Still on top of the world.

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Tiberius, the Emperor-to-be, was Augustus’ right hand man in Rome all year long.[5]

Augustus was still doing all his normal duties by himself.[6] Now, starting this year he sometimes did them on a couch, reclining. And he was still skipping Senate meetings, where Tiberius was sitting in for him.

This was the only official duty Tiberius carried out for most of the year. It didn’t mean much. It was about to mean even less!

Sometime around the middle of the year, Augustus asked the Senate for two things.[7]

First of all, the Emperor had them renew Tiberius’ Tribunican Powers for another ten years – even though it was a year ahead of their expiration date.[8] Now there was no way Tiberius would not succeed as Emperor.

After that, Augustus asked the Senate for a special decree of some extra special powers.

Basically, the Emperor wanted to start his own mini-Senate!

The senate agreed, and voted to give Augustus a special Council.[9] Anything Caesar’s Council decided would count as if the entire Senate had voted on it. And naturally, the Council only answered to Caesar.

Who was on this Council? Guess! Augustus, Tiberius and the two Consuls of the year, for starters. Germanicus was also included, officially, even though he was absent from the city. Tiberius’ son Drusus was also included, along with twenty personal counselors the Emperor selected with approval from the Senate.

The Senate itself kept meeting[10], but all important decisions went through the new Council.

All decisions, that is… except one.

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The Senators only thought they were going to have extra time on their hands.

Actually, the Emperor had one very big axe to grind. It was the last potential problem big enough to rebel over, and Augustus knew he had to kill it for good.

This last major issue was… the “death-tax”!

Several Senators and other wealthy nobles around Rome had been grumbling for years about the new 5% tax on inheritances. Augustus had been ignoring the complaints since the tax started in 6 AD. But the wars that broke out that year (and in 9 AD) were finally all settled.

Now the grumbles had grown louder. There was actually a good chance Rome’s wealthy class might spark a revolt over this! So Augustus dealt with the problem like he always did.

He conquered it. But he conquered it shrewdly.

The Emperor told the Senators he would gladly end the death tax if they could come up with another way to collect as much money.

They worked on it. They came up with nothing. So Augustus made his own suggestion – a property tax! And he had the Senate vote for Tiberius would begin a new census of Italy.[11]

Wealthy Italians had never paid taxes on their wealth before. It didn’t take them long to decide how they felt about it.

Soon, Tiberius started out across Italy with his census team. The census was going to take until next spring to complete.[12] But the Senators knew how they felt before winter arrived.

The Senate voted to keep the inheritance tax. The census continued, but the property tax was dead. So was the last hint of uprising.

Augustus had seized peace for his world, once again.

***************

In some ways, that was a busy year. Lots of things happened, and nothing really changed. But Augustus had now, truly, finally finished securing his plan for Rome’s future.

Tiberius still wasn’t Emperor yet, but now there was no doubt…

He soon would be.[13]


Next Year Book: 14 AD!


Begin Footnotes to 13 AD:
--------------------------------

[1] A poor academic translation, perhaps, but a good Americanized one, which is fair. A more precise translation of the actual title, “Res Gestae”, might be “Things Engendered by me”, but the real idea of it was: “Look how much great stuff happened because – and only because – I, Augustus Caesar was alive and walked the face of the earth. And therefore, everyone should know forever just how great I really was!” (Now, try to say that in two American-English words! It would probably be: “Things I did!”) By the way, after commissioning this huge undertaking, there was still plenty time for Augustus to send out final edits or amendments, if he decided to add something later. Which he did. (See the Loeb edition.)

[2] “At least.” There were two carvings in Galatia – at Ancyra and Antioch-near-Pisidia. Naturally, these are the two remaining copies we have in existence today.

[3] Loeb says “two notebooks” – “duobus codicibus” in Latin. This was the new technology (still very recent – see previous footnotes) called “codices”. They were the first western “books”. Not surprisingly, it seems the Emperor had access to cutting-edge upgrades in writing! But most writing in existence was still in “scrolls”.

[4] These priestesses tended the sacred flame of Vesta, Roman goddess of the hearth. By tradition, it was very important to Roman beliefs that these women remained actual virgins… so the place was heavily guarded, one reason it was a secure location for keeping Augustus’ will.

[5] But not “co-Emperor” or “co-” anything else. See footnotes in 12 AD.

[6] Read Dio Cassius and look at his subjects and verbs. Augustus is still the one doing things, and thus, still the one in charge. Tiberius’ name only appears twice in Dio’s account of 13 AD. Both times, the proper noun is merely an object. [The other ancient sources are not much different.] In contrast, Augustus stands grammatically responsible for no less than twenty active verbs, by my count. So the man taking the action must have been the man in charge – which was only Augustus! And Tiberius, for all his increased and expanded powers, was merely along for the ride at this point, practically speaking. No matter what we call Tiberius, and whatever his official political status may have been this year, it’s clear from Dio’s language regarding actual events that Tiberius was in no way “ruling” anything… yet.

[7] Actually, it was three. Before anything else, the Senate “offered” and Augustus “accepted” a fourth renewal of powers for a fifth consecutive term as head of state. Like the renewal of Tiberius’ powers, this vote came a year ahead of time. (See below.)

[8] Granted in 4 AD, the year of Tiberius’ adoption, these were set to expire in 14 AD. The early renewal was official this year, set to take effect automatically next year, and there was therefore no overlap in the two ten-year terms. Now, the reason for the early renewal was so the Senate couldn’t simply let it lapse, after Augustus died. (As if they would have!) But this was Augustus making absolutely sure of his control, once again. And the timing – just one year early – was apparently the soonest it would have been appropriate (or necessary) to have the renewal approved ahead of time.

[9] This was called Augustus’ “Consillium”.


[10] How much power does Tiberius seem to actually be wielding now? The only actual duty he’d had, since last Autumn, was sitting in for Augustus and presiding over Senate meetings. Now it was merely a half-year or so later and the Emperor had taken all the teeth out of that, too! Anyone still want to call this “co-ruling”?

[11] Aside from sitting in meetings, this was the only actual duty the new “vice-emperor” (as we might call him) actually had all year, and yet it required him to leave the city for several months! How is that “ruling”?

[12] Again we have a short-notice, quickly executed census. In all these yearbooks, it’s the third time we’ve covered a census and the second one that went really quickly. This is worth consideration.

In 8 & 7 BC, Saturninus’ census of Israel covered Herod’s whole kingdom. He had to plan for unknown terrain, a foreign population, and local officials that might not prove totally cooperative. It was all from scratch. Even though Saturninus only had to count heads, he had to ensure an accurate count against all those factors and record individual, verifiable names, based on their cities of ancestry! (That took a year to plan, and most of a year to carry out.)

In 6 AD, Quirinius was able to plan in a matter of days for a property census of Southern Israel (Galilee, Judea and Samaria only) where names were already known, and recorded population rolls were only twelve years old. (The preparation was as simple as grabbing the archived lists and going from town to town, assessing real estate and counting (the unsuccessfully hidden) coin purses of wealthy people.)

By the way, there’s another major factor that makes a property census faster than a population census. You don’t have to spend much time counting the “property” of the very poor – which of course was nearly nothing, and included almost everyone.

But now, in 13 AD, Tiberius ran a population-and-property census, but somehow it went very quickly. How is this possible? Circumstances. It was Italy. It was familiar territory. All necessary resources were centralized in Rome. It had been 21 years since the last census of Roman citizens (in 8 BC), which is not a long time in a region and era of such complete stability. Every citizen household had someone who’d been through the previous census. In short, the routine was well established and everyone knew the drill.

The only new detail for this census was property assessment. As with Quirinius in 6 AD, extra planning was negligible. All Tiberius had to do was grab the lists of population records from the most recent population census and take his soldiers from town to town. A troop of soldiers could search a residence at rapid pace and tell the results to the account outside, whose scribe simple wrote down each valuation reported. The only real time-constraint involved was physical travel and work time. Planning was simply a matter of which town was next down the road, and how many teams could be sent out at once. (Messengers were also sent to Governors all over the Empire, who must’ve merely updated or verified the count of Roman Citizens in their Province and sent back the new total by spring. Thus, Tiberius & Augustus announce the new total in May, 14 AD.)

So Tiberius’ property census of Italy was perfectly executed in less than a year, with virtually no lead time. This confirms Quirinius had every plausible chance to do the same in South Israel in a similar time frame, especially given a smaller population with a smaller distribution of wealth (since Archelaus had claimed most of it, like his father Herod before him).

Finally, the similarities between Tiberius’ and Quirinius’ property censuses are what inversely support the reconstructed version of events found in the Year Books for 9, 8 and 7 AD – namely, that the population census of Saturninus was of a vastly different nature to require longer term planning and more careful execution, scheduled out in measured steps. The parameters in each case fit the task and situation at hand.

[13] There is one last modification of Tiberius’ powers, which was probably made this year, even though no ancient source even remotely attempts to date the event. (This is why it was left to this footnote.) Now, Tacitus’ statement that Tiberius was made Augustus’ colleague in imperium (which implies absolute power at home, which was more than Tiberius gained on his return from Germany; see 12 AD) – that statement implies that Tiberius’ powers did equal those of Augustus at least at some point before the Emperor actually died. (For example, Tiberius begins exercising these powers right after Augustus dies, before the Senate was able to meet or change anything.) The best we can guess is that this last upgrade of powers took place sometime mid-year in 13 AD, probably at or around the same time as Tiberius’ Tribunican powers were approved for early renewal, which was also about the time when the census was ordered.

Since Augustus’ own writing in the “Res Gestae” says that Tiberius was his colleague in the imperium at the close of the census (the “lustrum”, in May, 14 AD), we assume that final upgrade must’ve become official around the opening of that census. If so, that means Tiberius was capable of exercising ultimate power, equal even to the Emperor, anywhere, and even in the city, by mid-13 AD.

That is, Tiberius was in possession of such power technically. But does anyone think the old General could have issued orders in opposition to his father’s? Also, as noted before, it’s just at this point when Tiberius suddenly has to leave the city for several months! And upon return, next year, he will very shortly be sent out again, to Illyricum. (See 14 AD.) Could this timing be precisely because of the new domestic imperium?

If so, we have a consistent pattern during these transition years. Just as Augustus put Tiberius over the Senate, in 12, and then promptly stole all power from the Senate, here Augustus gave Tiberius’ powers their full effect in Rome, in mid-13, and then promptly removed him from the city! The circumstances, put into sequential context, add extra weight to the placement of this “final upgrade” in 13, not in 12. (This conclusion seems to blend perfectly with those of both Levick and Swan.)

But whether the final powers came in 12 or 13, it remains consistently clear from October 12 until September 14 that the practical situation had not really changed. It was merely that the legal situation was finalized to a further degree. As noted previously, the recorded, actual events show that Tiberius wasn’t doing anything worthy of (or requiring) the possession of absolute power… even after he definitively held it! Nothing like “co-ruling” was ever going on, much less was it ever intended to be. The “collegia imperium” was ultimately and merely a setup for a smooth transition.

Therefore, and for the last time, Tiberius seems to have held absolute power not before the summer of 13 AD, and yet he still was in no way actually ruling until 14.

(See footnotes to 12 AD and Bonus Materials for an explanation of how this connects with Luke 3:1.)


Read more!

12 AD

Jesus turns 18. Rufus 3rd Procurator of Judea. The future Emperor Caligula is born. And Augustus increases Tiberius’ powers to secure his future takeover.
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In 12 AD, Jesus was 17, going on 18.

(Read more about the Lord in a future draft.]

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In the summer of 12 AD, Southern Israel got a new Procurator. A Roman named Annius Rufus replaced his fellow Italian Ambiblius as Caesar’s personal agent over Judea, Samaria & Idumea.

Rufus settled into his headquarters at Caesarea-by-the-Sea. Before long, he’d met the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, too. Wisely, Rufus allowed Annas to stay on there as High Priest. And so the southern Jews passed another quiet year under Rome’s new peace.

By the way, 12 AD was a “Preparation Year” in Israel. This spring and summer, the Jews expected to gather a double yield harvest. This Autumn, the Sabbath-Year would begin. As usual, for a resting year, the fall planting in November was officially cancelled.[1]

Aside from these details, Jewish life in Israel kept on as usual.

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Speaking of details… a future Emperor was born this year in Rome, on August 31st.

The baby boy was a son of Germanicus and Agrippina. The father was Augustus’ adopted grandson, and the mother was the Emperor’s natural granddaughter. So this infant was Caesar’s great-grandson, twice-over!

Germanicus & Agrippina named the baby Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, but history will remember him as the murderous psychopath named Caligula![2]

At this time, Germanicus Caesar was in line to rule Rome, and more popular than ever. The 26-year old held the consulship all year long, and stayed in Rome.

Overall, Caligula’s birth year was a quiet year in the capital.

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Meanwhile, up north, Tiberius Caesar spent the summer patrolling the Rhine River. At times, the General crossed into West Germany, but his Legions didn’t fight any major battles.

The 52-year-old Emperor-to-be was even more careful than normal. Mainly, Tiberius wanted the Germans to see his forces at full strength. He knew Augustus still wanted to re-conquer Germany to the Elbe River. But for now, the old General was just happy to make sure that Gaul stayed secure.

Tiberius basically made the Rhine the new boundary. To his credit, the Germans didn’t cross it. Which was a very good thing…

Other problems were building up elsewhere, around the Empire.

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Far away to East, across the Euphrates, the Parthians started messing with Armenia again.[3] At the same time, in southeast Europe, the King of Thrace died without choosing an heir. Augustus called in the Princes of Thrace and settled that issue[4], but had no way to do anything but ignore Armenia. Parthia now controlled the whole East bank of the Euphrates! Meanwhile, much closer to Italy, Illyricum was proving it still needed constant attention during its rebuilding phase. Suddenly, it looked like half the Eastern Empire might need military attention at any time.

With all this going on, Augustus realized two things. First, it was probably the wrong time to start any new efforts in Germany. And second, if Tiberius wasn’t going to attack the Germans anyway, it was probably time to bring the future Emperor home.

The King of the World was getting ready to let someone else rule it.

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In Autumn of 12 AD, at age 74, Augustus now began the final stages of passing on his throne.

First of all, the Emperor asked the Senate to increase and expand Tiberius’ powers over all the Legions & Provinces. This way, the General could rush back North OR East, if a new conflict broke out.[5] The son was now his father’s equal in many ways – but not in Rome![6]

Now, Augustus kept up almost all his regular duties, all year – with one exception. Once Tiberius was settled back in Rome,[7] Augustus quit going to the Senate!

The Emperor claimed he was too old to get there, especially with winter coming on. But really, he just wanted another way to slide Tiberius gradually closer to absolute power.

So, sometime before winter, the Emperor appointed Tiberius as “guardian” of the Senate.[8] Tiberius began sitting in the Emperor’s seat at Senate meetings. The Senators were getting used to the face of their new ruler.[9] And everyone knew what was really going on.

Augustus was phasing in his successor.

With Tiberius all set up to gain the Empire, Augustus could now spend the winter on final things. Caesar still had to finish his will, write his memoirs, coach Tiberius and record some final instructions. In every way now, the Emperor was getting ready to die.

There was much to write, and much to say.

***************

That’s all for 12 AD, but notice this carefully.

As winter came on, Tiberius was 53 years old and he still wasn’t Emperor yet! [10] But that was okay…

Tiberius was used to moving slowly…


Next Year Book: 13 AD!


Begin Footnotes:
----------------------------
[1] We don’t know for sure if the Jews observed the Sabbatical Years at this time, but it’s likely they did. For one thing, we know they were doing it as recently as the days of Julius Caesar, when Josephus says he exempted them from tribute in the 7th year. For another, one of the things Archelaus did that got him in trouble (at least with the Essenes) was reaping ten harvests in a row. This year (12/13) was the first chance South Israel had to observe the Sabbath Year without Archelaus’ influence affecting things. All in all, there may have been some landowners who planted, but the religious leaders probably pushed most folks into holding back.

Of course, this year without agriculture affected national revenues, and Jerusalem was no exception. This means the Sanhedrin’s annual budget would have been affected – yet another factor delaying their already slow progress in rebuilding the Temple (that burned in 4 BC). And on that note – in case we’re keeping count – it’s now been 15 years since the burning, and there are 17 years to go until Jesus opens his ministry at Passover in 29 AD. So the temple reconstruction is just almost half-way done!

[2] In “future” years (from 37 to 41 AD), Caligula is going to earn every bit of his infamy. But “now”, in 12 AD, the baby Gaius is simply the adored child of a national war hero.

[3] The Parthians had been keeping to themselves for a decade, but not anymore. A strong new ruler, named Artabanus dethroned the King of Armenia (Artabazus, a Roman ally since __ AD) and replaced him with the pro-Parthian Tigranes V. This move restarted the old tug-of-war over Armenia, which continues between Rome and Parthia from now until Germanicus goes East in 18 AD.

[4] King Rhoemetalces, Roman ally since 11 BC, was the last in the line of the Kings who united the Thracian tribes (for over 50 years). This year, Augustus gave Rhoemetalces’ first son, Cotys, the urbanized coastal areas, and the second son, Rhascuporis, got control over the inland regions. In years to come, the inland brother is going to get very jealous and upset with his coastal brother. We’ll see these two again in 19 AD.

By the way, the Thracian coast is the last piece of the Agean coastline not as yet Romanized or fully pacified, practically speaking. At this time, Roman highways stopped just outside Thrace, too. Not coincidentally, this region is the same stretch of land Paul of Tarsus skips past when he first sails from Troas to Philippi, at the crack of Autumn in 50 AD. At that time, Thrace had only been Roman for 6 years, officially! That said, we’ll take a closer look at Thrace’s development under the Emperor Claudius, when we get to 46 and 50 AD.

[5] Without suffering any political delays, like what happened in 6 AD. This reasoning helps place the expansion of powers in this year. (See next note.)

[6] Tiberius already held Tribunican Power and Proconsular Imperium, but the Imperium was limited to Northern Europe, before this time, so Augustus simply had the Senate remove those territorial restrictions. While he was at it, Augustus had the Senate specify that Tiberius’ powers were equal to his own as Emperor – but only in the Provinces and armies, NOT over everything! Tiberius was not yet Augustus’ equal in Rome itself, so there was still only one Emperor!

Scholars disagree on the details of this decree, on whether this happened in 12 or 13, and on just what exactly it meant. The legal technicalities are/were complex – officially, Tiberius’ rise to power didn’t have to happen all at once – whereas the practical realities (naturally) stood out above all political language and appearances. The fact is Augustus was phasing Tiberius into his new position bit by bit, securing the intended succession but keeping it as smooth as possible politically. A lack of consistency in the sources (Tacitus, Dio, Suetonius & Velleius) may merely reflect a lack of clarity evident in the times themselves. (Only Tacitus calls Tiberius a “colleague in Imperium”, without date or context, in a sentence that sums up a decade of time!) In a whirlwind of transition, the legal and/or practical details may have seemed unclear even to those involved, but they knew what was coming… and we know the result.

So was it 12 or 13? A nuanced explanation is necessary, and Levick’s is probably best – namely, Tiberius’ preexisting Proconsular Imperium was expanded geographically this year (for good reason, see note above), but Tiberius was not able to exercise it in the city until 13 or 14. Other powers were added or expanded along the way, over the following 18 months. Throughout this critical period there were various events that took place and different aspects of power that took effect at different times. (We will cover each in turn; keep reading.)

The key point here is that the purpose of all this was not to install a partner for Augustus, but to accelerate all momentum toward an increasingly inevitable succession. (Believing his death wasn’t far away, Augustus wanted to leave absolutely no chance at all for the Senate to contest Tiberius’ takeover.) Therefore, the old style of calling Tiberius a “co-regent” is oversimplified to say the least, and seems misleading and inaccurate, given the facts. Besides, Augustus kept on doing most of his normal duties, while Tiberius’ one urban task – sitting in for the Emperor at Senate meetings – was added just before that task became meaningless. (See notes on the Consillium, next year.)

One thing we know most certainly is that Augustus was still “Princeps” – the “first man in Rome”. (Romans didn’t actually use the term “Emperor” the way we do today.) Since there can be only one “first man”, Augustus was Princeps as long as he lived, meaning Tiberius was no better than number two. That was true practically to an absolute degree, and that was true legally, even if it must be taken to a more nuanced degree. Therefore, to say Tiberius now begins “ruling together with” Augustus, that statement would only mean as much as it means, whatever that might be! The realities, more complex by far, are too vague to oversimplify conclusively – except in one detail.

The bottom line is this: Tiberius did not begin to rule as Princeps until 14 AD.

[7] The Senate, in turn, voted to give their future Emperor another honor. The General finally got his old Parade put back on the schedule! Remember, in 9 AD the Senate had voted a Triumph for Tiberius’ victory over Pannonia (of 8 AD), but the General had postponed it because of things in Dalmatia & Germany.

So now, on October 23rd, Rome finally celebrated Tiberius’ victory over Pannonia. It was only three and a half years late! By the way, Bato the Desidiatian (captured leader of the Southern Illyrian rebels) had been kept alive all this time to be displayed in the parade. After the triumph, Bato was given some money to live on and banished to Ravena in North Italy. The former rebel leader was either fully pacified, crippled, kept under guard, or just plan broke, because we never hear from this Bato again.


[8] In the same decree, Augustus also made the Senate the “guardian” of Germanicus. Whatever the political or symbolic truth of this act was, supposedly, it certainly didn’t mean the Senate had as much power over Germanicus as Tiberius now had over the Senate! Once again, Augustus used a nuanced legality to increase the acceptability of his succession plans. Basically, the 2nd part of this decree was to soothe the Senators with nominal honors while making it clear (one more time) that Tiberius was next in line, ahead of Germanicus.


[9] The Senate “stewardship” was another coup. Let’s sum up the progress so far. Tiberius now had power equal to Augustus over armies & provinces, plus some degree of control over daily meetings of the Senate. Beyond that, he still held Tribunican Powers (most recently granted in 4 AD for a ten year term). Altogether, he was still a solid “number two” below Augustus in rank. (Tiberius still didn’t have power over the city, let alone over the Emperor Augustus himself!) The overall purpose and effect, still, was to put Tiberius in a position to be easily confirmed as Emperor whenever Augustus finally died.

By the way, 12 AD was too early to renew Tiberius’ Tribunican power (set to expire July 1st, 14 AD) but Augustus knew at this point that if he lived another year they could renew early at that point. For now, all was secure.

[10] Again, Tiberius was not “co-Emperor” or anything like that. The years of his “rule” did not begin until 14 AD. But that brings us to the reason this is all such a big issue in the first place: because of Luke 3:1. Luke’s gospel ties the public ministry of John the Baptist to “the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar”. At issue, therefore, is what year John began preaching. Scholars suggest anywhere from 26 to 29 AD, but it’s time to fix things once and for all.

Here are the facts. One: Tiberius began his “rule” when Augustus died in 14 AD. Two: John the Baptist started his public preaching in the spring of 28 AD. Three: Luke [we deduce] must have counted inclusively, so that 14 AD was “year one” and 28 AD was “year fifteen”. And Four: The only reason we can deduce Fact Three is by first proving Facts One and Two. (There is no other way to deduce fact three, beforehand.)

Proof of all this will come later. (See also bonus materials.) For now, back to 12 AD.

The reason 12 AD is such an issue is because Biblical scholars used to place Christ’s crucifixion in 30 AD. (It has been soundly revised to 33 AD by many scholars since the mid to late 20th century, most notably Hoehner – again, see Bonus material.) For a long time, and quite understandably, scholars working backwards from 30 AD felt a need to try squeezing things back a year or two. If Jesus’ public ministry lasted more than two years, they needed another explanation of Luke 3:1. This led to theories about Tiberius’ years of “rule” having begun in 12 or 13, which then positioned John’s ministry around 26 or 27. Naturally, this was all wrong, but sadly, many chronologies in popular and Christian publishing still use this outdated scholarship. As goes along with people of faith, many opinions have long been entrenched, and therefore… to the point at hand… the debate over the actual start of Tiberius’ “rule” has remained a major issue.

Again, Tiberius’ political status before Augustus’ death is one issue. John’s year of ministry is another. They must be settled independently of one another. (John’s dates are simple when we work back from 33 AD, using the Gospels. Hoehner was close, but Cheney is correct; see Bonus Material.) Only when those two separate issues are separately settled can we begin to assess the accounting method in Luke’s statement.

And regarding Luke 3:1 itself – we don’t have to prove that it makes more sense for Luke to use any particular method of counting. Luke’s own point of view may not even matter! He probably copied that detail from another source anyway. (Christians, then, may believe that the correctness of his source was a matter of Luke’s diligence, combined with the Lord’s providence. But that point is not an argument here.)

All we have to prove about Luke is that his number fits, and that there’s no evidence suggesting he [or his unknown source] couldn’t or wouldn’t have used this method of counting. Nothing else needs to be shown.

Maybe Luke simply copied a line from a Jewish source that he found in Caesarea. (See 57-59 AD.) We know the Jews counted years of rule inclusively. Josephus did it. Nicolas of Damascus did it. Paul of Tarsus did it. (See 50 AD.) Even a Jew counting by the traditional Hebrew calendar (spring to spring) would find Tiberius’ fifteenth year beginning in the spring of 28 AD – which is when John began preaching. The Hebrew civic calendar (fall to fall) works too. Or Luke is also correct if he was using the Roman calendar, as long as it was inclusively. Simply put, it doesn’t matter which of those it was, as long as it was inclusive.

Now once again, finally, here is the actual point at hand. Luke 3:1 has been a factor in past considerations of Tiberius’ status in 12 and 13 AD. At times, this was covert, if not overt, but it happened. It needs to stop.


Read more!

11 AD

Jesus turns 17. Germanicus and Tiberius patrol Germany.***************

In 11 AD, Jesus was 16, going on 17. By now, Jesus was a carpenter. Jesus lived with his mother. Jesus looked out for his brothers and sisters (who were much younger than he was)[1]. And Jesus worked with Joseph, pulling saws and swinging hammers.

By now, Joseph was old enough to need a helper. And Jesus was strong enough to be a good one. Somewhere in his mid-30’s, Joseph might expect to live another 20 years, but not more[2]. And past age 40, Joseph wasn’t going to see the plumb and cut-lines as well as he once did. So it was time to start training the boy – not just for working, but for taking over Joseph’s work.

In a few years, the family was going to have to rely on Jesus for income. That means that before long, after 11 AD, Jesus is going to start becoming the man of the house in many ways.[3]

Of course, Jesus had already spent the past few years becoming the Man of his Father.

Already, by age 17, Jesus was his Father’s Son and his Father’s Man. And yet, he was still becoming that, more and even more…

More than anything, Jesus just kept loving God. The Lord loved his Father with all his heart, all his soul, all his mind, and all his strength. Jesus loved his Father in every way that mattered. And the Father enjoyed it.

For several years now, God had had one man on the Earth who was doing what mankind was always supposed to be doing. Jesus was devoted to his Father.

That made God happy![4]

Meanwhile, of course, the rest of mankind was up to its usual business.

***************

In 11 AD, mankind’s usual business was pretty boring! Not much happens, anywhere.

In Israel, everything was status quo. There were no major events.

In Europe, Tiberius finally stopped sitting on the bank of the Rhine. He started patrolling it. The old General even crossed the River a few times, but there were no major battles.

Back in Rome, Augustus Caesar was at his limit of patience with Tiberius. So he sent Germanicus into Germany to help the Emperor-to-be. Not that it did a lot of good…

Tiberius & Germanicus took their Legions across the Rhine, but not far. They knew the Emperor was hoping they’d reconquer Germany to the Elbe River. But the two Generals also knew they had to be cautious. The Germans had proven they were no pushovers!

The two Caesars were actually afraid to push too far. They fought no real battles. But they made a show of force. They marched up and down through Germany. They just didn’t go very far in, past the River.

Further in, Arminius heard what the Romans were doing. And he left them alone.

On September 28th, 11 AD, somewhere between the Rhine & the Elbe, Tiberius & Germanicus set up an altar to Augustus! They camped there and held games, celebrating the Emperor’s 73rd birthday! It was September 28th, 11 AD – the Emperor’s birthday!

After the games, Tiberius & Germanicus led their Legions right back over the Rhine, into Gaul. Safely back in Roman territory, they made winter camps. Tiberius stayed in Gaul, but Germanicus went home.

Back in Italy, Augustus was a bit upset about the lack of progress up north. But the Emperor kept Germanicus in Rome for the winter,[5] which proved to be a fateful decision…

Somewhere in Rome, late in 11 AD, Germanicus Caesar got his wife pregnant![6] Now, that child, born next year, is going to grow up and threaten all Rome, Italy… and all Israel, too! Who is this child?

The future Emperor… Caligula.


Next Year Book: 12 AD!



Begin Footnotes:
--------------------------------------
[1] How big was the family, by now? Jesus’ famous brothers (James and Jude) are both going to live until the 60’s AD. So they were probably born in the early half of this decade. Naturally, we don’t know just when, but it must have been soon, because Mary was at least 32 by now. (Health & safety issues get much more serious for women giving birth in their 30’s.) If James & Jude were alive at all “now”, they weren’t very old.

We can guess their ages with some rough accuracy, now. If James & Jude were both born by 15 AD, the younger would be 14 years old when Jesus left them all in Capernaum. Either way, James & Jude are anywhere from ten to twenty years younger than their older brother. It adds a little something to the picture of how they related to him. (Or didn’t; see John 7:2-5.) Now, the Tabernacles scene of John 7 happens in Autumn 31 AD, so James & Jude were at least old enough to go to Jerusalem together, by themselves, by that year.

What’s a reasonable, specific estimate? Figure James was born around 10 and Jude around 12 or 14 AD. That won’t be far off, and they die in their 50’s. (James dies violently – see 62 AD.) By the way, this also strongly suggests that Mary (or Joseph) spent the first several years of Jesus’ life deliberately avoiding other pregnancies, but began having more children after Jesus turned 13. (After Archelaus was gone!)

[2] How do we figure out Joseph & Mary’s ages? That’s a great question!

First, we assume Mary was at least 13 when Jesus was conceived in 8 BC. But Joseph was probably five to fifteen years older than Mary – as was very common. A young teenager didn’t often have enough income (or even prospects of income) to merit a successful betrothal. (Besides that, it’s hard to imagine two 14 year olds taking a baby down into Egypt by themselves!) That’s why we can safely guess that Joseph was at least 5 years older. So then, if Mary was exactly 13 in 8 BC, then Joseph was perhaps 18 at that time. That means, for example, that in 30 AD, Mary would be 50 and Joseph 55 (or so).

We know Joseph lives until at least 30 AD because the family moves to Capernaum in 29 and the townspeople there still have time to get to know both Joseph & Mary. (See 29 thru 31 AD & John 6:42, which is a past tense statement.) But we also figure strongly that Joseph has to die before 33 AD. Remember, when Jesus is hanging on the cross (in 33) he asks John to take care of Mary. This means (at least) that Joseph was gone. (We’re not sure what it says about James & Jude.)

Now, in the ancient world, only Kings or wealthy men lived very far past their 50’s, if they even got that far. The truth is, with health conditions being what they were, most common folks died long before that age. Still, we’re not pushing things at all if we say Joseph must’ve lived well and made it to age 55. He must’ve died in 30 AD. Again, living to 55 is impressive enough, but not out of the question for a common laborer.

(Note that the tightness of these constraints, altogether, make these numbers fairly attractive estimates! In fact, these ages are probably very close to the truth… That is, unless Mary & Joseph both lived inhumanly long lifespans, for commoners. And there is no reason to believe they lived miraculously long. Honestly, the fact that they both reached their 50’s is amazing enough!)

[3] Let’s put it all together. In 11 AD, we can now safely estimate that Joseph was about 36 years old. That’s old enough to be a grandfather in the ancient world. It’s also old enough to start giving his young, strong 16/17-year-old son more of the duties in their carpentry business, not to mention around the house. And after age 40, Joseph counted on Jesus almost entirely… but James & Jude weren’t old enough to help much for another dozen years or more.

This is all very important. Think about it. We’re talking about the Son of God here, sent to Earth to do the most important thing that ever got done here, or will get done here. And. He. Still. Took. Twenty. Years. To. Take. Care. Of. His. Family!!!!! (Oh yeah. And also get to know his Father & experience life as a Man.)

Come on, now. THAT’S Amazing!

[4] All four gospels record the event of Christ’s Baptism. Three of them record what God said there, and John says it in other ways. That makes this one of the most trustworthy things we find in all the gospels. The simple fact is: Jesus makes God happy! It’s a good, good thing that He does!

[5] Germanicus was also scheduled to begin a year as Consul in January.

[6] They already had 2 to 4 kids. Three of their daughters will also be famous, when grown.


Read more!

10 AD

Jesus turns 16. Hillel the Elder 'retires'. Gamaliel takes over Hillel's teaching circle. And Tiberius guards the Rhine for Augustus Caesar.
***************

In 10 AD, the Lord Jesus was 15 years old. In May, he turned 16. All year long, nothing else happened that people would have mentioned. But Jesus was busy.

The Lord was living life as his Father’s Son. As a man, Jesus was doing what needed to be done. In fact, the Son of God was doing what no man on Earth had ever done properly, before him.

He was living unto God.

Jesus was living his life in a way that was pleasing to God. That was his primary mission. That’s all Jesus was doing. It was worth doing right.

It was worth several years.

**********

There was no action in Israel this year (to speak of)[1]. But something historic happened that has to be mentioned this year. By 10 AD, if not before, a certain Jewish Pharisee became a Legend.

Hillel the Elder was the most famous Rabbi born in Israel, up to his time. This great teacher lived during the reigns of Herod and Augustus, but ended his career by 10 AD, at the latest.

Hillel became a well respected leader among the Pharisees. He started a school where his students learned milder views of Jewish law. In time, Hillel’s teachings became the most popular among Israel’s Pharisees & common people. The Hillel “School” lived on after his death. Some of the Rabbi’s famous sayings were actually written down and saved – which of course was a very rare thing, in ancient times.

Now, what did Hillel actually do, during his life? As far as we know, nothing but talk! And this is important. We have to note that this man lived and taught in Jerusalem for all of the years we have covered in these Year Books. But he doesn’t show up in any accounts of any events!

The Teacher (as he was later called) was present in the Holy City in 9 BC, when Zechariah came out of the Temple blind and ranting. Hillel was there in 7 BC, when a prophetess named Anna went all over Jerusalem telling devout people she’d seen the Messiah. But as far as we know, neither event affected Hillel in the least.

Hillel was either a member of the Sanhedrin or at least had great influence among its members. In every practical sense, he was an “Elder” of Israel. But somehow, we don’t see him involved (at least, not by name) when the Elders of Israel were active. In every event from 4 BC to 6 AD – when Herod, Varus, Caesar, Archelaus & Quirinius met with the Sanhedrin and/or the Elders of the Jews - Hillel is not named.[2]

In all those events, Hillel simply did nothing! At least, he did nothing important enough to write down into history.

All we know says that this great Rabbi did nothing but teach.

It’s just interesting, no matter how you look at it.

Hillel saw war, tyranny, terror, rebellion, and the first total takeover of Rome in Judea. This great man was present at the coming of the Messiah, and surely heard the rumors that went with his birth, as well as many rumors of false messiahs. And yet, through all that…

The Rabbi Hillel kept his full focus on nothing but the Hebrew Law, and teaching it.[3]

Oh. Hillel did one other, very key thing. At some point, near the end of his career, Hillel trained a young Pharisee who actually will influence a major event in history, in 33 AD.

Hillel trained the Rabbi Gamaliel.

***************

By 10 AD, Gamaliel was the leader of Hillel’s teaching circle. And Hillel was gone.

Now, all we know about Gamaliel is that he was a Pharisee, a Rabbi, and he taught in the school of Hillel. But one day in the future, Gamaliel is going to train another young Pharisee. And this future student of the law will grow up to become more famous than even Hillel himself – and that’s saying something!

Sometime in the next 20 years, Gamaliel is going to take Saul of Tarsus into Hillel’s school. Saul, of course, will become Paul, the Apostle of Christ to the Gentiles.[4]

The first time we’ll actually get to meet Saul the Pharisee is in 33 AD, which is also the year when Gamaliel does his one bit for history.

Only 23 Year Books to go, as we eagerly await those events…

***************

What else was going on, in 10 AD?

In Rome, Augustus was still depressed about Varus and afraid that Germany would invade. Four new Legions had marched to defend the Rhine River, and no German tribe had crossed it… so far.

As soon as the Alps were thawed out (enough to cross), Tiberius Caesar rode north. When he got to the border of Germany, the General did… well, next to nothing!

This was not only true to his nature. Tiberius was playing it safe after Varus’ mistakes.

For the rest of this year, Tiberius did nothing else but hold the line at the Rhine. He built bridges, but he did not cross them. He got to know the situation on Rome’s side of the river. He sent scouts to learn what the Germans were doing. And he let his troops rest after several busy years at war.[5] Besides, General Tiberius was about to turn 51. Moving slow worked better for him, now than ever.

So the Emperor-to-be picked up the same slow-working strategies that served him so well in Pannonia. Wisely, the old General stuck to the plan. Even though Augustus was furious, all year long, back in Rome.

The Emperor was frustrated with his son. Augustus wanted Germany back!

At the same time, Germanicus was in Rome, now a successful conquering General. Tiberius’ adopted son and next-in-line was growing more popular every day. Germanicus often stood up for people in need. The city began to love him like they’d once loved his father, Drusus (see 9 BC). And the young man (age 25, this June) didn’t mind at all!

So. Germanicus was winning the hearts of Rome’s people, gaining power & influence. Tiberius was marching around Germany, sleeping in a tent. And Augustus was trying very hard to settle his mind.

When Caesar wasn’t upset about Varus, he was impatient with Tibeirus. Sometimes, out of nowhere, Augustus would just scream out loud. Often, he would bang his head on doors, over and over.

Yes, this was the ruler of the world!

Sometime in 10 AD, the Emperor actually (finally) shaved! But he took no other action, himself. He turned 72 in September.

Meanwhile, Arminius the German chief was still building up his forces, East of the Rhine.

But there was no fighting in Germany… at least, not this year!



Next Year Book: 11 AD!





------------------------
Begin Footnotes to 10 AD:

[1] Salome, sister of Herod the Great, died and left all her fortune to Caesar’s wife Livia. Her main reason for doing this was that the two had been friends. Salome outlived her big brother by 13 years! She was 73.

[2] One factor, of course, is that Hillel was a Pharisee while the most powerful men in the Sanhedrin were always Sadducees. The Sadducees worked towards political control of Jerusalem and competed to get next in line to become the High Priest. The Sanhedrin was mainly wealthy Sadducees who represented the upper class, but the Pharisees held the ears of the common man. This partly explains why, as a well respected Law teacher, Hillel could have influence among the Elders, but never take an active role in leading the Council.

[3] Actually, when you think about it, Hillel’s single-minded focus – when viewed in the context of such a particularly volatile era, in all possible respects – that may be the biggest reason of all why Hillel was so revered in his lifetime, and to this day. The record strongly suggests he truly kept his whole public focus purely on the Law. No matter whether we find this impressive, regrettable, or understandable, it’s absolutely remarkable.

[4] Saul, or Paul, was either a small child or infant in Tarsus, at this point – or else he wasn’t yet born. Naturally, we only know birthdays of Emperors and other key figures of history. But Saul must have been in his 20’s at Stephen’s stoning, in 33 AD. And Paul lived until 64 AD, so he couldn’t have been born much before this. Most likely, Paul was born sometime this decade – in the “teens” AD. If we guess 15 AD, give or take a few years, he could be about 18 at Stephen’s stoning, roughly 32 when he and Barnabas start traveling, and close to 49 when Nero burned Rome and killed most of Rome’s Christians. Those numbers (give or take a few years) are as close as we’re likely to get for Paul’s age. In any event, there’s no way Paul lived to age 70, which puts his birth date some time after the death of Herod, to say the least.

[5] Three of the eight German Legions had just come from Dalmatia or Pannonia. And up to half of the other five may have sent detachments to those wars. So it’s possible as much as 70% of his soldiers were simply exhausted! This fact is worth considering. So is the point that Augustus didn’t seem to care, but at this point somehow expected them to press into Germany.


Read more!

9 AD

Rome divides Illyricum into two Provinces. Tiberius defeats Bato in Dalmatia. Varus loses three Legions in Germany.
***************

In January of 9 AD, the Son of God was 15 years and 7 months old. Jesus, Israel’s Messiah was still a young man living in Nazareth of Galilee. But nobody knew he was special.

People in town knew who he was – Joseph & Mary’s boy! But that was all they knew. There was nothing about Jesus (at this time) that drew people’s attention.

At age 15 & 16, Jesus kept a low profile with his parents, in Nazareth. Meanwhile, he kept up his secret relationship with his true Father, the God of the Universe. Jesus also kept his true mission a secret, at this point, even from Joseph & Mary.

Of course, while Jesus went on living peacefully in Nazareth…

The rest of the world was in various stages of chaos.

***************

At Passover in Jerusalem this year, something happened that was truly odd.

Several hours before dawn, on the Preparation Day (Friday, March 29th, in 9 AD), the priests had just opened the gates to the Temple Courtyard. Each year, people would come so early that the Temple grounds would normally be full of people by dawn.
This year, when the priests opened the gates, some uninvited guests snuck in, under darkness. It was a large group of Samaritans holding sacks. And the sacks were full of human bones! Quickly and quietly, the Samaritans went all around the courtyard, scattering bones until they’d covered the grounds.[1]

As soon as the priests noticed what was happening, they called out for the city guards. The guards ran off the Samaritans, while the priests shut down the Temple!

For several hours, that morning, the Temple courts were closed while the priests worked hard to clear and purify the area. Once the gates finally re-opened, the priests worked twice as hard to finish their duties on the year’s busiest day. Somehow, they still managed to sacrifice tens of thousands of lambs before sunset, when the Passover Sabbath began.

From that day on, the Sanhedrin & the priests found ways to be extra careful about Temple security.[2]

***************

By the way, the inner and outer courts were still under re-construction, since the fire at Pentecost, in 4 BC. This is the last time we get to see anything happen at the Temple for another twenty years. So just remember that – on the Sanhedrin’s small city budget – the re-construction project is less than half-way done![3]

Now, here’s what was going on in 9 BC, in the rest of the empire.

***************

About three months after the human bones incident, Rome sent a new Procurator to govern Judea. Around July, Coponius left Israel after three years in Caesarea-by-the-Sea. His replacement, Marcus Ambibuls, had just arrived from Rome.

Augustus was wise to send Romans, not Greeks, as Procurator. Judea was mostly Jewish, but there were many Greeks in Samaria and some other cities, like Caesarea. Whenever the Italian Procurator judged against someone in a case, they couldn’t say he was just siding with his own race. So being an Italian was an advantage for Ambibulus (like it had been for Coponius).

Ambibibulus now begins a quiet three years as Procurator of Judea. Before winter, Ambivulus visited Jerusalem and met the Sanhedrin. Wisely, the Procurator decided to let Annas the High Priest keep his post. (See 6 AD.)

Southern Israel stayed perfectly stable this year, and learned to live under a new commander without any problems.

In Judea, in 9 AD, the Roman Peace was three years old and growing strong.

But this same year, Rome’s War in Europe got a lot, lot worse!

***************

From Northwest Illyricum, Tiberius Caesar rode back to Rome in the Spring of 9 AD, after the Alps had thawed. The old General had wanted to stay with his Army, but Augustus was calling him home.[4]

Back in Illyricum, Germanicus Caesar[5] was preparing to help Marcus Lepidus finish the war. At least, that was the plan. But Lepdidus & Germanicus soon found out things this year were going to be harder than anyone had thought.

Early in the year, most of Rome’s Legions stayed in Pannonia, mopping up small bands of rebels that were still causing trouble. Germanicus took some troops down into northern Dalmatia and took one city,[6] but stalled out trying to take the next one.

Meanwhile, most of Dalmatia had rallied around Bato and his Rebel Army since their return from Pannonia, last year. It turned out the Dalmatians had occupied several strong fortresses in the Illyrian Mountains, during the winter. The Romans knew these positions were going to be very difficult to take.[7]

Suddenly, the war they’d thought was almost over now looked like it was just getting started. Lepidus and Germanicus finally noticed the Southern Illyrians were the stronger group of rebels.

All thru Spring, the Generals sent letters to Rome with more news.

Back in Rome, Augustus dealt with some civic matters[8] and hoped the news from Dalmatia would improve soon. Meanwhile, the Senate voted to honor Tiberius with a Triumphal Parade, but the parade was just as quickly postponed![9]

All of Rome knew a hundred thousand Soldiers were still in Illyricum. The whole city expected Rome’s Legions to conquer Dalmatia very soon. But it was barely late Spring before Rome found out how badly they’d misjudged the Dalmatians!

When the first reports coming back said that Dalmatia had actually grown stronger over the winter, Augustus got worried again. Everyone wanted the war to be over. The city was ready, Rome’s food supply was strained again,[10] the Legions were getting frustrated, and Augustus was half-past age seventy! The Emperor and Senate were definitely ready to end the Illyrian war, and there was only one way to do that quickly.

From Rome, Augustus sent Tiberius Caesar back to Illyricum. To Dalmatia, that is. And the Emperor even changed Rome’s Empire maps to reflect their new view of the Northern & Southern Illyrians.[11]

***************

This change in maps is not a small issue.

Augustus, his Generals & his Senate had all finally recognized the profound differences in North and South Illyricum. The Pannonians were defeated, but the Dalmatians were finally proving to be the stronger enemies. Simply put, the Emperor now saw this as a separate war against a separate people. So he separated the two regions.

Augustus had the Senate rename North Illyricum “Pannonia”, and South Illyricum became “Dalmatia”. Rome even sent a Governor for the new Province of Dalmatia – the Proconsul Vibius Postumus went over this year and joined in the fighting. At the same time, Caesar sent orders that Marcus Lepidus – already serving well in the North as the Governor of Illyricum – was now to stay on as Governor of Pannonia.[12]

This is important for understanding events in the decades to come. From now on (for another three centuries) there is no more “Provincia Illyricum” in the Roman Empire. Officially, Illyricum was replaced by “Provincia Pannonia” and “Provincia Dalmatia”. Un-officially, of course, some people are going to keep using the name “Illyricum” for quite a while! [13] (This is going to be important when we get to the 50’s.)

Now back to the action!

***************

By now, it was early Summer. Tiberius Caesar sent new instructions to his Legions (who were mostly still up north in Pannonia) to join him at some place. The Legions marched down into Dalmatia separately and reunited under Tiberius there. At that point, the old General split them up into three groups again, but now with a new plan.

Tiberius, of course, took the biggest part of the rearranged army. Lepidus, now Governor of Pannonia, led a smaller force back north. We don’t know which part of Illyricum Silvanus took his forces into, but we know he was successful there. And then General Caesar himself marched his Legions all over Dalmatia, trying to find the Rebel Leader, Bato.

Even now, it took some real doing to win this war! Tiberius, Lepidus & Germanicus[14] spent several months of hard fighting, with the General’s personal leadership at the front. It helped that the Rebels no longer vastly outnumbered Rome’s Legions (like in 6 AD). And also this year, Rome totally cut off the Rebels supplies. Altogether, it worked.

Tiberius’ main strategy was to besiege city after city, fortress after fortress. One by one, the Dalmatian strongholds fell. But the General still had to chase Bato all over the region.

Finally, somewhere around mid-summer, the Rebel Leader decided to make his stand at the Dalmatians’ strongest fortress (Andetrium, near Salonae by the coast). Tiberius began a long, difficult siege of the mountain base, but won it by Autumn. After some time, the General took the fortress.

Dalmatia was conquered, but Bato escaped. And then Bato came back! The Rebel Leader surrendered to Tiberius at the Roman camp near Salonae. Bato told the General to kill him, but spare the Southern Illyrian peoples.

Tiberius didn’t know whether to be impressed or furious. The General asked Bato why on earth he and his Dalmatians had fought so hard and for so long. And then the Illyrian Chief said something truly memorable. Bato said: “You Romans are to blame! Because you don’t send dogs or shepherds to guard your flocks. You send wolves!”

Amazingly, almost at the moment Bato said that, another Roman wolf was under attack by his flock! But no one in Italy or Dalmatia knew that yet…

For now, Tiberius & Germanicus kept Bato alive and left some Legions in Dalmatia. Back in Italy, Germanicus announced the victory. The Emperor-to-be was planning to display Bato[15] in chains during his Victory Parade, just as soon as it could be re-scheduled. But that parade was about to get re-postponed!

Just days after the Victory announcement, Rome got word of a massive defeat up in Germany. The Proconsul Publius Quinctillius Varus was dead. Three Roman Legions had been destroyed, with him.

Once again, Augustus put Rome on alert…

***************

Here’s what happened in Germany.

Since last year, Governor Varus had been trying to Romanize the Germans (across the Rhine). Full of himself, he was trying to do it too quickly! Varus was treating the Germans like slaves, but the tribes had just been playing along, until the right moment.

So, for over a year, the German chiefs Arminius & Segimerus earned Varus’ complete trust. And then – around late September – they led their fool of a Governor right into a trap! Arminius & Segimerus convinced Varus to march deeper into Germany with three Legions. (They told him German tribes needed his protection there.) But once Varus’ forces were spread out, marching into the thick, Bavarian forest, the chiefs took action.

Deep inside the darkness of the trees, Varus' Legions were stretched out for miles in one long column. Ahead of them, Arminius’ German Auxilliaries (forces trained by the Romans) were waiting in ambush.

Varus never saw it coming. The Germans attacked from behind the trees, out of nowhere! The Legions were surprised, unprepared, and had no space to regroup in. Then weather became a factor. The chiefs had picked a rainy season, and sure enough, the heavens opened up. Heavy rain made the dirt road difficult, while the Germans ran in and out of the woods, attacking at will. Supply carts were caught in the mud, blocking the retreat. With wind and rain, word was slow to reach the rear of the column, and communication was cut off. Besides, wherever the Germans picked on one portion of the Roman column, the Legionnaires were grossly outnumbered. And the lightly armed Germans were faster, while the Romans had to bear wet gear that got heavier as the rains kept falling.

The word horrible doesn’t even come close. It was total disaster.

The rains (and the German attacks) lasted for three or four days. The Romans never really had any hope. By the fourth day, nearly every one of Varus’ men – more than 10,000 soldiers and helpers[16] – were killed. A few escaped, to get word back to Rome. But the Governor himself refused to escape, and refused to be taken alive.

Near the end of the 3-4 day ordeal, Publius Quinctillius Varus took his own life by the sword. Rome’s 17th, 18th & 19th Legions were completely destroyed. Even their marching banners were lost in the mud – those bright red flags with Rome’s golden eagles on top. That’s how totally the Legions were destroyed. Even their standards fell, right there in the mud.

This was huge. These lands (claimed by Drusus in 9 BC) were lost to Rome forever.

Nobody anywhere could believe it. Germany had beaten the Romans![17]

***************

The death of Varus was big news. Before long, it was all over the Empire.

In Israel, it had been 12 years since Varus put down their rebellions after Herod’s death. (See 4 BC.) Now this year, if any of the Jews felt a sense of justice about the Governor’s death, they sure didn’t do much about it.

Varus’ legacy in Judea was still in effect. The 2,000 crucifixions he ordered were still doing their job. In other words, the Southern Jews were still leading quiet obedient lives.

To this day, Varus is mainly remembered for his European defeat. But history should also remember his Eastern victories. For the next several decades, they were just as important! So then, as we say goodbye to the tragic Governor, keep this in mind, too.

It’s largely thanks to P. Quintus Varus that Israel stayed rebellion free for 70 years.[18]

And that affected so many other, very important events.

***************

Varus’ dead body was abused by the Germans. Arminius cut off the head and sent it to Marobroduus, chief of Bohemia. (See 5/6 AD). Arminius wanted an alliance, but the Bohemians stayed independent, and sent the head on to Rome. There, Caesar buried it.

Rome was lucky the Germans had no allies. They were even luckier the Dalmatians went down before Germany rose! Still, Germany alone is going to be enough trouble for the next several years.

Arminius stays a major threat until 19 AD.

***************

Now, Rome heard about Varus around early October.

Augustus’ first reactions were harsh and the city mood sank deeply. The Emperor was trying to find more citizens into his army, but almost every man of fighting age had already been drafted during the Illyrian Wars! When no one else volunteered, Caesar punished every tenth man – severely. And before long, somehow, Augustus pulled together more new soldiers from the city, to send up to Germany.

Winter was coming soon, so the new troops were trained near Rome. Tiberius, also, waited for spring. But Augustus was afraid the Germans would try to cross the Rhine before Summer… so he made a few late Autumn changes.

Caesar ordered all 25 Legions, around the Empire, to be on alert. He warned all Governors to look out for rebels, and delayed all replacements for at least a year. Finally, Augustus moved four Legions into Germany – one from Spain and three from Illyricum. So these four Legions went up to eastern Gaul to guard the Rhine.[19]

Now, that was the Emperor's public reaction. In private, the great Caesar actually sank into a deep depression!

Augustus tore his clothes and went into mourning. Caesar was terrified the Germans would invade Italy. Paranoid, he exiled all Germans and Gauls from Rome. Superstitious, he offered new games to Jupiter. Off and on, Augustus swore he could see “signs” of the gods’ displeasure all around him. So the Emperor took turns blaming Varus, blaming the gods, and blaming himself for whatever he must have done to deserve this!

Caesar worried about all these things daily for the rest of the winter. He didn’t shave his beard or cut his hair for several months. And sometimes he would beat his head against the wall and scream out, “Quintus Varus, give me back my Legions!”

Augustus has just five years left to live. He turned 71 just days after Varus’ disaster. From this point, the Emperor’s active days are pretty much over.

Caesar had gained the whole world, and then he lost Germany. Now he was losing his mind, with no peace in his soul. But the world was still his.

And it kept right on spinning…[20]




Next Year Book: 10 AD




------------------------------
Begin Footnotes to 9 AD:

[1] We don’t know what this was supposed to mean. One theory (cited in Loeb 433), says the assigned readings for the Synagogues that night was Ezekiel 37, about the valley of dry bones. Resurrection was a theme of Passover. It’s likely the Samaritan bone spreaders were making some kind of statement about that.

[2] This must be the main reason Josephus mentions the episode. Temple Security becomes a big issue during the rebellion of the late 60’s AD. It also shows that tensions between Samaritans & Jews were still ongoing despite Rome's occupation.

[3] What Herod built in 14 years (between 18 and 4 BC), the Sanhedrin needed 32 years (from 4 BC to 29 AD) to finish. That’s a total of 46 years, by the way! (See John 2:20 and also footnotes in 4 BC & 29 AD.) It’s also worth asking how the priests were able to lock people out of a courtyard whose walls were only partly finished! The answer is that the only public entrances were either at a bridge crossing [actually, one of two] or up stairs through the mountain, inside the western wall (the modern “wailing wall”, a retaining wall built up from the mountain’s foot.) So the walls at those three points must have been rebuilt early, for security at the entry locations.

[4] See last year. Swan did a very good job of clearing up the chronology here, blending the account of Dio with Suetonius and Velleius Paterculus. From this year to the death of Augustus, I rely very gratefully on Professor Swan’s extensive commentary.

[5] Germanicus had spent some time in Rome over the winter, but returned to the battlefront by Spring.

[6] Germanicus went back to the region of Splonum, where he’d fought in 7 AD. It was a rookie or sophomore level assignment, at best. Marcus Lepidus was clearly the commanding officer of the war, at this point.

[7] These are the Balkan Mountains in the former Yugoslav Republics.

[8] The Emperor called a meeting of every young single nobleman in Rome. He made a long speech about the importance of marriage and child rearing. His concern was largely for the future of the state, but Dio portrays the speech as being morally based, also. This same year, Augustus also strengthened the laws and penalties against confirmed bachelorhood, among the nobility. The speech came first, in the spring.

[9] Tiberius’ Triumph was awarded for his defeat of the Pannonians, last year, but the old General refused to be honored while his Legions were still busy fighting. Later this year, that postponement is going to get stretched out yet again, and Tiberius won’t actually celebrate the Triumph of Pannonia until October of 12 AD!

Incidently, the Senate also voted (this year, sometime) to let Tiberius’ son Drusus (now about 20 years old) attend Senate meetings without being a Senator, along with other honors similar to those granted to young Gaius Caesar at age 15. Of course, the Senate voted greater honors to Germanicus, this year, than it did to Drusus. Still, the honors voted for Drusus were as a gift to his father Tiberius. At any rate, both young men’s political careers were advanced significantly this year.


[10] Rome had been in and out of famine since 6 AD, partly because of sending supplies to the Army.

[11] This entire episode is more evidence, yet again, of Bato the Desidiatian’s significance and his prowess in leadership. In 6 AD, it was his vision and direction that united the Illyrian Rebels. In 7 & 8 AD, the Rebels in Pannonia had little to no significant success apart from his involvement. Bato the Desidiatian showed leadership in executing his namesake, the traitorous Breucian. Now, it seems, Rome finally realized how big a factor Bato the Desidiatian was and had been all along!

The facts line up very well, chronologically. Before winter, Augustus & Tiberius acted as if they could leave marching orders for mopping things up. And it wasn’t until this point that Rome reassessed the war and started calling it a Dalmatian one. Augustus’ quick re-dispatching of Tiberius shows that he had previously been expecting a quick victory – which again shows that Rome had still viewed the southern Rebels as a remnant of the Northern activities and expected Dalmatia to be a mopping up operation.

Dio says the surge of strength thru winter is what surprised Rome (Dio 56:12:1, “the remainder of the Dalmatians rose and the war kept dragging on”). This is the point in the records at which the war in Illyricum becomes the war in Dalmatia. So we see that Rome’s sudden recognition of Bato’s strength and the power of Dalmatia was the main reason why, at this point, Rome begins to respect Illyricum’s Northern and Southern halves as two separate regions – not only in war strategy and in government (this is the year we have separate governors/legates named in Pannonia & Dalmatia) – but also in Geography. Wilkes agrees. The division of Provincia Illyricum into Provincia Pannonia & Provinicia Dalmatia took place this year. Evidentely, this division also took place before the war ended, instead of after.

Finally, remember, the reason this matters for the New Testament is because Paul says he went to “Illyricum”. That might sound like a toss-away reference, but Paul’s distance (and time spent) traveling in those years (55-56 AD) is actually a major lynchpin of Pauline chronology. (See notes since 6 AD and Bonus Materials.)

[12] Vibius is named the Governor of Dalmatia (Velleius 2.116), and Lepidus (evidently made Governor of Illyricum after Messallinus) had his assignment reduced to Pannonia alone. Prior to this three way rendezvous, Silvanus was aggressively subduing the remnants of guerrilla resistance in Pannonia, having success at it, and yet facing continued raids by certain brigands that would take a long time to stamp out (Dio 55.34.7). Neither Dio nor Velleius mentions Lepidus or Silvanus after their meeting with Tiberius, suggesting that Silvanus went back to Pannonia with Lepidus..

Before this division, Lepidus had command over the brigands in Pannonia AND the strongholds in Dalmatia, which was all just too much, and that was a major reason why the war was “dragging on”. In fact, Lepidus was so incapable of addressing two regions at once that – clearly – he was still in the north when Tiberius sent word about the rendezvous. The whole land of Illyricum had become too much for one man to subdue. The split had to happen this year.

So this is why, even though there were active military operations in both regions, Augustus went ahead and made them both official Provinces before the war was fully over. This was not poor timing, but excellent timing – the split was a deliberate “divide and conquer” strategy. Even though the southern Bato had already divided things for them, de facto, it was still Rome’s prerogative and responsibility to address it that way, and make two campaigns out of one. So Augustus chose to leave Lepidus (with Silvanus) in charge of searching out and mopping up the Pannonian brigands, while Vibius was sent full scale into the Dalmatian War.

[13] Another “Provincia Illyricum” will be formed by Diocletian, about 300 years later. Until then, the name “Illyricum” will still be used occasionally in official and unofficial documents, by Italians, to refer to various parts of Pannonia and/or Dalmatia – but not as a reference to any Province, officially or properly. These records, however, do not contradict the official change of title. They are merely common use anachronisms, such as how many Americans today (in 2007) still say “the former Yugoslavia”, because most people are more familiar with that name for the region. (It’s also because you can name the place with one name, instead of many, which was exactly the same for the Romans. Sometimes they kept using the word “Illyricum” because it was easier than saying “Pannonia and Dalmatia”.) A final factor may be that the two new provinces seem to have been taxed by the same Imperial Procurator until the Flavian period (Wilkes, Illyricum, Chapter 8.)

As a matter of fact, Romans who kept saying “Illyricum” were just like Paul the Apostle when he called Western Macedonia “Illyricum”. The Romans, westerners, used the word as the name of their old province; and Paul, an easterner, used the word as the name of the ancient Kingdom around Dyrrachium (the former Epidamnus, circa 200 BC). Interestingly, the precise boundary between the provinces of Macedonia and Dalmatia was the Drin (Drillon) River – the same point marked by Octavian & Antony when they split East from the West. So East from West is the perfect difference in mid-first-century use of “Illyricum”! Above the Drin was land that Westerners might call “Illyricum”, and below the Drin was land that Easterners might call “Illyricum”. (At least, this seems secure for the years of focus, which is from “now” until 70 AD.)

Of course, when the diplomatic Doctor Luke wrote to Roman officials about Paul’s trip he called the region (properly) “Macedonia”. (Compare Romans 15:19 with Acts 20:1-2.) (See also notes to 6 thru 8 AD, and 55 thru 60 AD.)

By the way, another common use of archaic references is found today all over America when professional sports stadiums are renamed after corporations, but much of the local population continues to use the old, classic stadium name (whether habitually, nostalgically, or just stubbornly)! As of this draft (Fall 2007), I could easily list a dozen examples. But for a more personal experience, see again the footnotes for 6 AD.)

[14] Germanicus, by the way, was joined and helped by the new Governor, Vibius Postumus, who stayed to finish subduing the interior after Germanicus went back to rejoin Tiberius near Salonae.

[15] Here is a final pair of contrasts between the two Batos. First of all, the surrender of the Desidiatian was honorable, and done for the sake of his people, whereas the Breucian’s surrender in 8 AD was clearly treacherous. Moreover, Tiberius had treated the Breucian as a tool, while the Desidiatian was kept alive to display as a worthy adversary in his Triumph. It’s really amazing how many distinctive differences there are (in Dio and Velleius both) showing the impressive nature of Bato the Desidiatian. This one man did so much, envisioned an empire, turned a brief rebellion into a four year long ordeal, and essentially cost Rome Bohemia as well as Germany. Someday, someone should write a book all about Bato and his vision of a united Illyricum!

[16] How many Romans actually died with Varus in the Teutoburg Forest in Germany in 9 AD? Three Legions at full strength would have been more like Twenty Thousand troops, but those German Legions must have sent detachments to Illyricum after 6 AD (Velleius says Tiberius had 100,000 troops in Pannonia, and Suetonius says he had 15 Legions “for three years”, but Suetonius can only be correct if some of those 15 were actually detachments; see notes to 6 AD). Further, those detachments were most likely still in Dalmatia or Pannonia for most of this year.

If this is the case, then Varus’ three Legions were actually at half strength when the disaster occurred. This scenario seems even more likely, given that it would help so much in explaining the totality of the German advantage, and the result. Even with the Germans' many native, natural and strategic advantages on this particular occasion, it’s still much easier to believe they wiped out three half-Legions, than three full ones.

[17] In so many ways, this truly was Rome’s greatest defeat. Thanks to Varus, Over-Rhine Germany was lost forever. (Did any other nation EVER successfully reclaim their own territory from Rome, after Rome conquered them? I can only think of Israel, in the 60’s – but that was so very brief!)

This is a huge turning point of history, in Europe. The Rhine became Rome’s permanent boundary, and that boundary continued to affect European history and culture for fifteen centuries and more, even to the present day.

[18] That is, from 4 BC to 66 AD. The “rebellion” of Judas the Galilean in 6 AD was a failed plot that never broke into actual fighting, and the conflicts from 36 to 65 were brief, isolated events that never gained traction. Indeed, the teachings of Judas took 60 years to produce any sizably significant result.

[19] Four Legions replaced the three that were lost. This is often referred to as a year of major reorganization, but really it was just these four Legions that went anywhere new. The only other changes this year were that detachments (or whole Legions) that had been sent to Illyricum in 6 AD were now sent back where they came from.

If there were still detachments of the 17th, 18th & 19th (that is, if they were still serving in Pannonia or Dalmatia), these must have been absorbed into other Legions, perhaps to replace casualties of the Illyrian Wars. We know the Legions were not reconstituted. Their eagles were gone. So their detachments would have been reassigned – unless they had somehow rejoined Varus before the disaster, which is unlikely. (See notes above.)

This is the last realignment of Legionary positions for 33 years. So here are the assignments: 4 in Lower Germany (I,V,XX & XXI), 4 in Upper Germany (II,XIII,XIV & XVI), 3 in Pannonia (VIII, IX & XV), 2 in Dalmatia (VII & XI), 2 in Moesia (IV & V(b)), 4 in Syria (III,VI,X & XII), 3 in Spain (IV(b),VI(b) & X(b), 1 in Egypt (III(b)), and 2 in Egypt (III(c) & XXII). In years to come, nine other Legions will be created by various Emperors. Nine, that is, up to 70 AD. The next permanent shuffling of Legions comes in 43 AD, when the Emperor Claudius uses three Legions to invade Britain.

[20] One last footnote to 9 AD: of all years, this was the year when the future Emperor Vespasian was born, in November, in Italy. Vespasian and his son, Titus Vespasian, are the ones who will reconquer Israel after the rebellion begins there in 66.


Read more!

8 AD

Tiberius & Germanicus pacify the North Illyrians, while Varus stirs up hostile tribes in Germany.
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In January of 8 AD, Jesus the Messiah was 13 years and 7 months old.
We don’t know what he did this year[1], but he grew! And he got to know his Father better, as a man.

Now, here’s what else was going on in 8 AD.

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In 8 AD, Augustus Caesar was increasing his power over everything.

In early January, the Emperor cancelled the annual elections in the Senate. Then he appointed all the officers & Governors himself. Augustus did this to end some major fight among the Senators. But we don’t know what the Senators were fighting about.

We do know Rome was still hearing talk of rebellion, right up to the end of last year. But Augustus put a stop to that once and for all when he banished his granddaughter, Julia the younger.[2] With no one left to rally around, the noise about rebellion died down.[3] Besides, the famine was finally over, so there was one less factor fueling the people’s anger.
Early in the year, Augustus held chariot races and gladiator fights to celebrate their good food supply. Caesar even brought in a Rhinoceros to fight an Elephant, which nobody had seen before! (Somehow, the Elephant won.) So everyone in Rome had bread and something to talk about. Rebellion was gone from the city.

So was the last of Augustus’ blood kin.

Sometime this year, a giant archway went up in North Italy. A carving of the Imperial Family was put into the Arch. Augustus, Livia, Tiberius & Germanicus were on it.[4] Even the Emperor’s two dead grandsons, Gaius & Lucius, were carved into the arch. But their brother, sister and mother were not included. Augustus’ daughter Julia, her son Posthumous, and her daughter Julia the younger, were all in permanent exile.[5]

Augustus had a new family to protect, now. So he turned his attention to them.

Tiberius Caesar & Germanicus Caesar (the Emperor’s adopted son & grandson) were still fighting the Rebellion in Northern Illyricum. But the war was now entering its third year! And Augustus was upset because he thought Tiberius was taking too long. So, while it was still early in 8 AD, the Emperor decided to take a more direct hand in the fighting.

Now that Rome was secure[6], Augustus went into North Italy. From Ariminum on the coast, Caesar sent for his son, Tiberius.

So the General came and gave a full report to his Emperor.

***************

Things were going well in Illyricum. Or, to put that another way, absolutely nothing was happening!

Tiberius had been sitting at Siscia all winter, with a hundred thousand troops camped all over West Pannonia. The General knew the Rebels were running out of food, and he felt like the best plan was to keep waiting them out.

Meanwhile, on Mount Alma in East Pannonia, the Illyrian Army was struggling, shrinking and starving! All thru winter, they’d had nothing to eat but strange roots and herbs. The rebels were fighting disease. Some tribes had left. And their Leaders – the two Bato’s – still weren’t getting along.

Finally, the Northern Bato (the Breucian) decided to give up. He turned in his co-ruler of the Northern tribes (a Pannonian named Pinnes). In return, the Romans let him go free, as long as he went back and led the united Illyrian tribes to end their rebellion. But when Bato the Breucian came back to Mount Alma, he started acting like Rome’s appointed dictator of Illyricum.

The Southern Bato was furious! He seized the Breucian and executed him as a traitor in front of the whole Illyrian Army. But Bato-from-the-South couldn’t control his namesake’s northern tribes at all! The Pannonian Tribesmen started attacking Romans again, but wildly.

Bato could see it was over in Pannonia. He moved his Southern Tribesmen back down to Dalmatia. Bato knew his dream of a united Illyrian nation was dead. His new goal was a united Dalmatia.

By the way, in all this time, Rome’s Legions didn’t do a single thing! Augustus kept calling Tiberius to Ariminum, and the General kept saying it was still best to wait. But the Emperor was losing patience.

After Bato’s Dalmatians left, Rome’s Legions finally got to attack. Without Bato, the Pannonians were easy to defeat. Rome won quickly. The Northern Army surrendered in August, but Tiberius knew the Southern Army was going to be much harder to defeat.

The wise old General (almost 49 years old, now) was even more cautious than usual, and sent his Legions to winter camps in early Autumn! But that was too much caution for Augustus!

Caesar called Tiberius back to North Italy one last time. There at Ariminum, Augustus told his heir what to do. Tiberius could stay in Illyricum for the winter, live with his Legions, and plan out their strategy for next year’s attacks in Dalmatia… but the Emperor wanted him back in Rome by Spring’s thaw.

Augustus went back south before winter, and Tiberius went back to his men. The Emperor-to-be liked army life better than politics.

But the old General wondered if this was his last war…

***************

A new war was brewing in Germany this year, but no one knew it!

The Proconsul Publius Quinctillius Varus was still Governor of Germany. Varus was ruling Caesar’s new lands over the Rhine[7] with an iron fist. Actually, he was treating Rome’s new subjects like slaves. And the German tribes were getting madder and madder… But not careless!

The Germans had a plan. Two of their chiefs (Armenius & Segimerus) told their people to play along for now. The chiefs said that if Germany obeyed Varus perfectly, he would relax. And it worked! Armenius & Segimerus did everything they could to treat Varus with dignity and respect. And the new Governor became so impressed with himself, he let his guard down.

Varus even began taking the German Chiefs’ advice! After a while, Armenius & Segimerus became official advisors to the Roman Proconsul! Everything they told Varus worked out, and the Governor thought they were being truly loyal. After a while, Varus’ Roman advisors got suspected a trap, and warned the Governor. But Varus rebuked them!

That’s when the Germans knew they had him. By winter of 8 AD, Armenius & Segimerus started planning the final part of their trap.

Next year, in 9 AD, the Proconsul Varus is going to follow their final advice right to his own doom. But not just his own…

Get ready for the biggest disaster in the reign of Augustus.


Next Year Book: 9 AD!


[1] Did Jesus go back to Jerusalem between 7 AD and 29 AD? We don’t know. Now, some Christians believe Jesus had to fulfill the whole Jewish Law, right down to the letter, which included attending three festivals a year in Jerusalem! But that Jewish Law also included honoring Joseph & Mary, and Luke specifically tells us that Jesus was obedient to his earthly parents as long as he lived in Nazareth. So the answer rests with them. Joseph & Mary probably didn’t want Jesus causing another stir (yet) so they might have left him in Nazareth after 7 AD. But then again, they may have taken him along each year and just reminded him to keep a low profile. Either way, Jesus would still have fulfilled the Old Testament Law, so we can’t say for sure whether he went to the festivals again until spring of 29 AD.

By the way, after 7 AD, it’s true to say that EVERYTHING Jesus did, he did in perfect obedience to his Father. Much more than the Law, Jesus knew and obeyed the Author of the Law, whatever he did.

[2] Apparently it was a two-stage banishment, like that of Julia’s brother Posthumous, but the final exile came in 8 AD. (Adultery was involved at first, but Julia’s final crime is unknown.) Julia’s husband, Lucius Paulus, had been executed recently for plotting to kill Augustus (probably in 6 or 7 AD), but Julia herself was never implicated. It’s possible that Paulus & Julia were partly behind the rebellion posters of 6 AD. And their activities in 6 & 7 must have been tied to Agrippa’s two-stage banishment in those years. But no ancient source fills in those blanks for us. Somehow, though, all this was connected, including whatever the senators were fighting about when Augustus seized their elections! (For more, see the next footnote.)

[3] It’s interesting that the elder Julia had come back into Italy (but not Rome) in 4 AD – and now in four short years both her living children had been exiled from the homeland. It’s likely that Augustus either learned about a plot or he was paranoid enough to suspect a plot, because Julia did have her supporters in Rome (and there had been rumors of treason & revolt the past two years, but no arrests). Either way, the banishment of Julia the younger (early this year) was the final blow to any supporters of her mother who even might have been hoping for a new government under Julia & her son Posthumous. In the final analysis, it doesn’t really matter what Caesar’s grandchildren were (or weren’t) guilty of. Basically, the Emperor exiled them to be perfectly sure that his chosen heir(s) could take over without conflict.

[4] Tiberius’ natural son, Drusus (20 this year), was also in the carving. So was Germanicus’ brother Claudius (17 this year) and Germanicus’ two little boys, Nero Germanicus & Drusus Germanicus. (Nero Germanicus is NOT the same as the future Emperor Nero.)

[5] Augustus also banished the famous poet Ovid this year. Ovid’s banishment was partly for an unknown crime (the Poet himself called it a “mistake”) and partly just for publishing poems Augustus didn’t like. We can’t say whether Ovid’s banishment was related to the political dramas, but we do know all about the poetry.

Ovid’s book of "love" poems (published in 1 BC) had grown more popular in the 8 years since release. And we know Augustus was growing more concerned about a decrease in marriage and fatherhood among Rome’s young noblemen. So maybe Caesar was just cleaning house a little, by his own moral code, ahead of next year, when (we will note) Caesar begins making moral demands of the young noblemen. What we do see, for sure, is Augustus seizing control more and more, in yet another way.

[6] The banishing was over. Also, Augustus chose three proconsuls to handle his business while he was away.

[7] Remember, Tiberius reconquered Germany from the Rhine to the Elbe in 4 & 5 AD.


Read more!

7 AD

Jesus visits Jerusalem 2 months before his Bar-mitzvah. Mary & Joseph lose Jesus for three days, after the Festival. Rome begins direct taxation of Judea. And Tiberius & Germanicus fight the rebellion in Illyricum.
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In January of 7 AD, Southern Israel belonged to Rome!

At this point, Quirinius was still Governor of Syria. Rome’s Procurator in Judea was Coponius. The High Priest of Jerusalem was Annas the Sadducee. Up north, the Galileans were still under Herod Antipas, the tetrarch. But Judea was now free from all the Herods, since last year.

The Southern Jews had no other King but Caesar.

***************

In March, Joseph & Mary went to the Passover Festival, as usual. But this year, with Archelaus gone, Joseph finally felt like it was safe to take Jesus along.

So, for the first time since they fled from Bethlehem, Joseph & Mary bring their boy back into Judea. Now, the last time Jesus saw Jerusalem he was an infant. But that was nearly thirteen years ago!

This time, the Lord is twelve years old.

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The Feast began on the evening of March 21st. [1]

Most pilgrims had to come in days ahead of time, just to get a place. Like others, Joseph & Mary shared the cost with family and other travelers. But once the room was rented, there wasn’t much to do except wait for the feast. Mostly, people just sat around visiting with relatives.

Now, the city was crowded beyond all description. The streets were not safe for children. But Jesus got at least two good chances to get out of the house. The first was early in their trip, when Joseph had to go buy a perfect, unspotted lamb.[2] And the second chance was when Joseph had to go present that lamb at the Temple, on the morning of the 21st. [3]

Now, we don’t know if Jesus went to the Temple that day, but we do know this:

If Jesus did go, Joseph didn’t get the impression that the young man cared much about being there!

As a matter of fact, Jesus did nothing all week to make his parents think he cared about seeing the Temple. He didn’t seem eager to go see the rituals. He didn’t ask many questions or seem to want to learn more. The Lord didn’t say anything that sounded like he was at all interested in going up to Herod’s Temple! And whenever the subject came up, Jesus just acted like he didn’t care much about the Temple at all!

And how do we know all this? Because during this trip, Joseph & Mary formed a surprising new opinion about Jesus, the child they knew was God’s Son.

They came to believe that the Temple was the last place they’d ever find Jesus, in that city! [4]

Anyway, Joseph went to the Temple on the morning of the Preparation Day. He went there with or without a certain uninterested young Lord. There, in the Temple, thousands of lambs were being slaughtered.[5]

That night at sundown, the Jews in every household ate roasted lamb with bitter herbs & flat bread. For the next seven days, they followed many other Passover traditions as well.

Joseph, Mary & Jesus spent two weeks[6] in Jerusalem. During that time, Jesus’ parents made one other observation about their son. They noticed he spent a lot of time talking with others! In fact, the Lord spent more time with people in the house than he did with Joseph or Mary.

These two observations – that Jesus didn’t seem interested in the Temple, but he was very friendly with other travelers – are very important.

These two things Joseph & Mary noticed explain everything that happens next…

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The out-of-towners all left Jerusalem on the morning of March 29th. Joseph & Mary began walking home in a caravan of family & friends. But Jesus was not with his parents.

Still, Joseph & Mary didn’t think that was unusual.

Jesus’ parents just assumed he was somewhere else in the caravan. Mary liked thinking that Jesus had made some new friends. And Joseph expected they’d find him at the end of the day, when everyone was making camp.

Evening came. Camps formed. Joseph & Mary went up and down the roads calling for Jesus. But they couldn’t find anyone who had seen him since early morning.

Joseph & Mary were upset, but they had to sleep. The next morning, they woke up about 20 miles outside of Jerusalem and began walking back. So Jesus’ parents were in Jerusalem again before sundown of the 30th.

They started searching the city that afternoon. Joseph & Mary were frantic, looking everywhere! They looked into the night of that second day, and all day long on the 31st.

Joseph & Mary spent over 24 hours searching Jerusalem before they even thought to go look at the Temple! They were actually convinced that was the last place they’d ever find Jesus.

But the truth was – they just didn’t understand their son very well.

***************

Back on the morning of the 29th, Jerusalem had changed, ever so slightly.

For two weeks, the Jewish Pilgrims had swarmed all over the Temple. Every Jew acted like a devoted follower, at Passover. But truly, many never gave their God a second thought on other days. Even the local Jerusalemites seemed more devoted during the Festival than after it.

And then, in a flash, the crowds were gone. The Temple courts went back to normal again. The non-stop daily show of customs & rituals was over. Things were a little quieter. Far fewer people visited the Temple courtyard at all.

The crowd in the Temple after Passover was different. People were more likely to have some kind of a real devotion for being there. And then, of those people, some of them actually cared for the Lord!

The day all the Pilgrims quit going into the Temple was the day Jesus went there. [7]

That Tuesday, when Joseph & Mary were leaving Jerusalem, Jesus had slipped away. Still just a child in men’s eyes, the Lord walked up to the Temple Courtyard.

He spent the whole day there, just talking to people.

The second day was Wednesday, March 30th. [8] While Joseph & Mary were on their way back, Jesus was still at the Temple.

By this time, some Rabbis had met Jesus. He listened when they held their study groups. Still a child, he sat extra patiently. But at times, he asked questions. Jesus didn’t try to start teaching, himself. But the Rabbis were amazed at his questions.

By the third day, March 31st, Jesus was surrounded by a whole group of Rabbis. One twelve year old held the full focus of grown, learned men! And still, he was asking them questions. Still, the Lord Jesus was humble. He did not try to act like they needed his teaching.

But he could have. Because they did!

After a while, the Rabbis started asking Jesus questions. And the Lord answered them. Jesus still wasn’t teaching. He was just talking and listening. But the young man revealed great understanding. The old men could see Jesus had deep understanding, about God and his ways.

Overall, people were simply amazed. Actually, that’s our best hint as to why Jesus went there.

Whatever else was true, we know this. Jesus was simply being there, talking with people about God. And it was having a big effect on them. Jesus was challenging them to consider their God in a deeper way.

As a matter of fact, that’s all Jesus ever did, for the rest of his life, as often as he ever got the chance. Talking to people and challenging them to move more towards God.

Those were his two biggest things.

***************

So Joseph & Mary spent over 24 hours searching the city, from March 30th thru the 31st. They looked everywhere, all over Jerusalem. But they did not think Jesus would be in the Temple… until they ran out of other places to look.

After that third day was over, Joseph & Mary finally went to the Temple. Still, they didn’t really expect to find Jesus there, and they were shocked when they did! [9]

Mary pulled Jesus aside and spoke to him alone. She said, “Child, why did you do this to us? Just look at your father and I, we’ve been worried sick, looking for you!”

Then Jesus said, “Why were you even looking for me? Didn’t you know I’d have to be in the things of my Father?”

This didn’t make any sense to Joseph or Mary.[10] They really, truly, deeply did not understand what he was doing there. But they knew it made them lose three days!

Joseph & Mary told Jesus it was time to leave. So the twelve year old Lord got up. He obeyed his earthly parents. And they started walking back to Nazareth.

It took five long days, walking back to Galilee. Since most other Pilgrims were already off the roads, Joseph had to find a place to rent a room every night. It just wasn’t wise for a man, woman and child to sleep along the roadside alone.

Joseph was grumbling the whole time about all the extra time and expense. But Jesus’ mother was still just amazed by what Jesus had done. All the way home, her emotions were totally caught up in what he’d said to her.

Mary didn’t understand anything about it. But she didn’t let it go. Jesus’ mother kept all of it inside her heart.

And thru the years, as Jesus grew older, she began to understand him a little bit better…

***************

Now, this is important: No one in Nazareth knew what Jesus had done in the Temple!

All the other Nazarene Pilgrims were over half-way home before Jesus was done there. And his parents didn’t tell anyone what he’d been doing when they found him. People who knew Mary & Joseph were just glad to know that they’d found him. And nothing else was ever said about those three days… at least, not in Nazareth.

And then, two months after that Passover, Jesus turned thirteen! By Jewish custom, the Lord was now a man. So naturally, the whole town expected him to join the synagogue.

On Saturday, June 4th (the first Sabbath after the Lord’s Bar-mitzvah) Jesus obeyed his parents and went to the Synagogue. The young man sat on the main floor, near the other men. But women and children had to sit in the balcony area.

Near the end of the service, the Rabbi called Jesus by name. So the Lord stood to be recognized.

Mary & Joseph braced themselves. They were waiting to see if Jesus was going to make as big a scene now, in Nazareth, as he’d done after Passover, in Jerusalem. But nothing happened.

The Rabbi called Jesus’ name, mentioned his birthday, and welcomed him into the adult community. Then Jesus sat down. And that was pretty much the last time anyone noticed him there for another twenty-two years! [11]

To obey his parents, Jesus kept attending the Synagogue. But he never spoke up there. Most people in the Synagogue didn’t even know who he was, except as a part of his family. And Jesus mostly left them alone, too.

For some reason, Jesus didn’t feel like he needed to “do his Father’s things” there in Nazareth.

***************

From 7 AD on, the Lord lived very quietly in Nazareth.

Jesus acted respectfully as a young man of the community, but he never did or said much that was noteworthy. As a matter of fact, he grew up without much reputation at all! He did nothing and said nothing that drew others to notice or admire him.

Not in his teens or his twenties. Not in Nazareth.

Jesus knew his time had not yet come. He also knew nobody ever listened to a hometown boy speaking prophecies. So the Lord was content to live and grow quietly in Nazareth for another two decades, plus some!

But of course, Jesus was far from alone. By 7 AD, Jesus had learned how to share everything with his Father, by the Spirit inside of him.[12]

Jesus hadn’t amazed the Jews in the Temple on his own. The Lord, by age twelve, had learned to hear God speaking inside him. The understanding and insight he showed in Jerusalem came from that experience – from knowing his Father in spirit.

And that experience kept going on, after 7 AD…

***************

Jesus wasn’t exactly your typical teenager!

Six days a week, Jesus worked with Joseph in his carpenter’s workshop. Every day, whatever Jesus was cutting, molding or joining, he shared that experience with his Father.

One day, when Jesus went to cut down a tree, the Father told him to look at the tree. And Jesus remembered being with his Father before Creation. In that moment, Jesus remembered when his Father and He had made the first Tree!

Another day, Jesus was with his mother. And Mary was feeling sentimental and told him, “The Mighty One did a great thing when he brought you to me.” And Jesus remembered the Love his Father had for this woman, when He chose her to bear Him.

Most Saturdays, Jesus obeyed his parents and went to the Synagogue. The Synagogue Ruler would always read from Scripture. But Jesus wasn’t listening to him.

Jesus was listening to his Father.

If the Synagogue Ruler read Isaiah, Jesus would turn inside himself and hear his Father, speaking that scripture to Him. Or sometimes, Jesus would remember the day He and his Father had written that scripture, by speaking to their prophets, back in those days.

And every time anyone stood up to read scripture in the Synagogue, Jesus had blinding wisdom and stunning insight he could have shared about it. But he didn’t share any of it there, in the Synagogue!

For the next 22 years, Jesus kept it all to himself.

That is, he shared it all with his Dad.

Jesus had amazed the Rabbis of Jerusalem. But he laid low in Nazareth. Now, we may never know all the reasons he did that, but that’s what he did! Jesus Christ was not doing anything special in Galilee… and there’s only one decent guess as to why.

He did it that way simply because it pleased the Father.

By this age, already, Jesus didn’t know any other reason to do anything.

***************

Year by year, Jesus kept on growing up.

He spent his teen years getting taller, stronger, and better at doing things in the world. He worked quietly with his hands, in his town. He learned how to earn men’s good graces. But Jesus’ name was never well known, in Nazareth.

Nobody paid much attention to Jesus of Nazareth, during his teens and his twenties.

But Jesus was growing in more ways than one. More than anything else, Jesus was seeking his Father. Every day, Jesus talked and listened and loved being with his Father, in their Spirit.

For the next twenty-two years, Jesus is going to live like God intended the first Man and Woman to live, on the Earth! Jesus thrived on every moment he got with his Father. He worshiped his Father. His Life was spent purely in service to Him. Just to Him. All to Him.

All this time, the Father kept growing prouder and prouder of Jesus. Truly, God became more and more pleased with his Son in each passing year.

In other words, Jesus was growing in favor with God.

***************

That’s all we have to say about the Lord’s life on earth, before 28 AD. Read it again and again, because that’s how he lived it. But you’ll have to come back to this Year Book, to read it.

The next twenty Year Books (sadly) are mostly just world events. Feel free to skim them, or skip them, or not. But at least know this much…

Time kept on ticking, while Jesus grew up.

***************

One big “non-event” happened in Israel, in 7 AD.

Early this summer, after Passover & Pentecost, Rome took its first direct tax of South Israel. The non-event was… there were absolutely no problems whatsoever.

The Roman takeover, from last year, proved to be secure.

Speaking of last year, the Proconsul Quirinius stayed for a very short term as Governor of Syria. (He leaves either this year or next.)[13] And after Quirinius leaves, the whole region – Syria & Palestine – is going to keep stable for about twenty years![14]

There are no more big problems to speak of in Israel, for the rest of the reign of Augustus.

But plenty was happening elsewhere!

***************

This year, 7 AD, was the second year of the revolt in Illyricum.

The Roman General Tiberius (Augustus’ heir) held seven Legions blocking the roads into Italy, all winter long. But Augustus & the Senate decided seven Legions wasn’t enough!

In the Spring of 7 AD, Plautius Silvanus brought Legions V & VII from Galatia. Silvanus came near Moesia and joined Caecina Severus who brough Legion IV. The Thracian King Rhoemetalces also added his army to their forces. And Tiberius sent two of his own Legions East (around enemy territory) to help bring these new forces back through Pannonia.[15]

These Five Legions marched West, together with the Thracians. They survived one major attack by the Illyrian Rebels and made it safely to Tiberius, at Siscia, by Summer.

Augustus had also ordered Germany’s Legions to send extra troops to Illyricum.[16] The Emperor even sent his grand-nephew Germanicus (2nd in line for the Empire). Caesar raised new cohorts of freedmen from Italy and sent them up to the war with Germanicus.

Now, all of these forces came together under Tiberius & Germanicus. By mid-year, the Romans had about a hundred thousand troops in the Province. All the soldiers were very encouraged by their new strength in numbers. But a few days after the last reinforcements got there, the General split them all up again!

Tiberius didn’t try attacking any Illyrian rebels this year. He knew their fields were still bare (see 6 AD), but that Rome kept on sending fresh grain for the Legions. With this huge advantage, the 47 year old General kept his main strategy going, from last year. He waited!

The Legions were sent to make winter camps almost before Autumn.

But Germanicus made his own plans![17]

***************

At age 21, the son of Drusus Germanicus was eager to follow in his father’s conquering footsteps. So the young man took advantage of the special status Augustus gave him in the war.

Germanicus took a large group of cohorts down into Dalmatia and harassed some southern rebels there. Then he made it back to Tiberius before winter.

The young Commander gained experience in skirmishes and light action. But Germanicus fought no major battles… at least, not this year.

***************

Meanwhile, the United Illyrian Rebels were starting to break apart at the seams.
The famine was the main problem. There was so little food, one of the largest tribes, the Mazaei, left the Mountain Base and went home! (The Mazaei are the southern tribe Germanicus attacked.)

The Rebels’ other problem was their leaders. Bato the Breucian and the southern Bato were not getting along! After less than a year of working together, the two Batos couldn’t agree anymore! So now, aside from no food, and a shrinking Army, there was no plan of action for most of the year.

Except for the springtime attack on Silvanus & Severus, the Batos did almost nothing, in 7 AD. This was a big change from last year, when Bato drove his Dalmatian forces with such strength and vision.

Bit by bit, the southern Bato began to despise his more small minded namesake, the Breucian.
The United Rebels are going to stay on their Mountain Base all year, and into the winter. But next year, in 8 AD, some decisions are going to be made.

***************

That’s all for Illyricum. Now for a quick stop in Germany.

In January, Gaius Sentius Saturninus was still in charge of the Rhine Legions. But in July, the Upper German Province welcomed a new Governor… one with a semi famous name.

The stage of History is now pleased to welcome back: the Proconsul Publius Quinctillius Varus!

Oddly, Varus replaces Saturninus as Provincial Governor in Germany, just like Varus replaced Saturninus in Syria (in 6 BC). And just like last time, the new Governor is going to spend three years in his province. But the challenge Varus has to face in Germany is going to make his war in Israel (4 BC) look like a sneeze!

An enormous disaster is on the way for Varus… and for Rome.

In two years, this disaster will change the course of Western History.

***************

For the moment, Rome had enough trouble just getting thru 7 AD!

The Emperor stayed worried about the war in Illyricum. Plus now, Caesar was starting to feel paranoid that Tiberius kept sitting on a hundred thousand troops, doing nothing! This year, Augustus began to think seriously about pulling his adopted son out of the war.

Meanwhile, the famine came back. And voices spoke out against the Emperor when he officially banished his grandson (Posthumous Agrippa) to the island of Planasia.[18] And of course, Augustus was still dealing with his many unsolved problems from last year.

The Emperor of the Civilized World turned 69 years old, before Winter.

For Caesar, these years just seemed to be getting worse and worse…


Next Year Book: 8 AD


---------------
***************
Begin Footnotes:

[1] Passover Night always starts at sundown after the 13th day of Nissan, since sundown begins the next day.

[2] The family would keep the lamb alive during their stay, until the time of its sacrifice. Before that day, the children got to hold the lamb and pet it and help keep it clean. But after their new pet was sacrificed for them, they would help eat it!

[3] That day was called the Preparation Day. All Jewish men had to visit the Temple before sundown. At age 12, Jesus was not yet considered a man, but Joseph would naturally have invited him to come along, as a way of including him with the men. At the very least, it was a chance to get out!
[4] If you don’t already know the story, keep reading. This fact will become evident after the festival ends.

[5] It doesn’t matter if Jesus did or didn’t go – Joseph still formed the distinct impression that he wasn’t that into it. But just imagine if Jesus at least walked thru the Temple Courtyard with Joseph on that Preparation Day! Here’s the Lamb of God, at twelve years old, watching hundreds of lambs be slain for Israel’s sins, and yet none of their blood was a permanent sacrifice before God. Imagine, if Jesus saw this, what his Father must have been saying to him, inside of him, as Joseph took him through it all. And now, just imagine what might have been on Jesus’ face, to give Joseph the impression his boy didn’t like being there! But whatever else happened that day, Jesus also wasn’t interested in the outward ritual of the Jewish sacrifices. Whatever else we know, we know for sure that Jesus was paying more attention to the Father inside of him, than he was to the religion around him. (Events later in this Year Book show that Jesus was already hearing his Father’s voice within.)

[6] The days of unleavened bread lasted for a week – the second week of the pilgrims’ stay in Jerusalem.
[7] Yes, as an adult visiting the Festival, there will be a couple of times when Jesus seeks out the crowds full of pilgrims, but there will still be many quieter times, like this one. So it seems the Lord had different goals at various times. Anyway, this year he’s only twelve. And this time, he avoided the large crowds of pilgrims!
[8] We don’t know where he slept, or what he ate! Apparently, he wasn’t worried about those things… at age 12, he already knows that His Father will take care of him. So what did he do? Maybe he slept in the Temple courtyard. We know Anna the Prophetess was doing that, back when he was born. So some people were allowed to sleep on the ground there. (It wasn’t’ paved yet.) And what did he eat? Maybe he fasted. Or maybe kind people brought him food. Or maybe he went to the market each day, if Joseph had given him any money to hold. Whatever he did, he relied on his Father. But each day, he was at the Temple…
[9] Luke’s used two different Greek words to tell how the people were amazed, but Mary & Joseph were astonished (or vice versa, depending on your translation.) In Greek, both words can mean ‘amazed’ or ‘driven from ones senses’. But the word for Mary & Joseph’s amazement literally means ‘struck senseless by a sudden shock’. By the way, the other word that describes the people’s feeling, literally, means to ‘displace’, ‘change’, or ‘alter utterly’. So Jesus was affecting the people. But his parents were simply dumbstruck! Also, Luke doesn’t say the crowds were what shocked them. He said, “and seeing him, they were shocked.”

[10] No kidding! Aside from what most translations read, the Lord did not say, “I had to be in my Father’s house”. The original scripture does not say the word “house”. No, and besides – if Jesus had said that, he would have made been making sense!!! But Luke clearly says they didn’t understand what he was talking about. (So what was he talking about?) The translations that read, “about my Father’s business” are better, because Joseph & Mary would still be confused as to what “business” he meant. But the scripture’s actual wording is very odd. It says, “Why [is it] that you were seeking me? Didn’t you know that in the [_____] of my Father it is needed for me to be?” Now, the most literal translators fill that blank with the word “things” or “affairs”, which is good, but very strictly, it only says, “Didn’t you know that I had to be in the of my Father?” Talk about not making sense! No wonder they didn’t understand him!!! What is “in the of my Father”? Hmm? Lord Jesus… (!) But the one thing we can say for sure is that Jesus’ focus was purely on his Father. He wasn’t talking about a special building and he wasn’t talking about any particular task. It was just Him and His Father. They were doing their thing(s)!
[11] When Jesus finally speaks in the Nazareth Synagogue, in 29 AD, they all say (basically) “Who is this?” (!)
[12] Jesus didn’t amaze the Jerusalem teachers because he was repeating things he heard at the local Synagogue in Nazareth. The depth of his awareness in the Temple this year proves that, by some point before now, Jesus was actively communicating with his Father in spiritual ways… and had been for some time. But that doesn’t mean God was ready to call him “fully gorwn”. Jesus has another 21 years to practice knowing his Father as a man, before he goes to get baptized by John. How profound is this? Complete awareness of God at age 12, plus another two decades to ripen in that knowledge. Astounding! (Truly, the ways of God are far beyond the ways of man.)
[13] This spring or next, Quirinius sent a Legion against the Itureans in Lebanon. (ILS ___ - see Milar.) But that’s the last real action in Quirinius’ whole career. The Roman Governor leaves Antioch this summer or next, and some other Roman Proconsul takes his place in Syria. But there are no other events to report in Syria, of these years. For the record, the next Governor of Syria we know by name is Creticus Silanus (Gov.11-17 AD). But his term will be uneventful, too!

[14] No significant armed conflict is going to touch Syria or Palestine itself until the 30’s AD.

[15] Velleius says Silvanus & Severus get attacked while encamped with five Legions, but we know they only brought three from the East. So Tiberius must have sent two in support, to help the new three get to Siscia..

[16] We count only ten Legions assigned to the province for this war, but Suetonius says there were fifteen. The only possible solution is that Five additional Legions sent detachments (which also helps a bit in adding up the seventy extra cohorts mentioned by Velleius). Therefore, Tiberius had ten full Legions, but fifteen total Legions were represented in his forces, overall.

[17] Germanicus was Tiberius’ nephew, adopted son, and rival for Augustus’ favor – even though he was still behind Tiberius in line for the Empire. Now, part of the reason Augustus sent Germanicus to Illyricum this year was because he felt paranoid about Tiberius sitting on so many forces at once, especially since the General was taking so long to finish things. The Emperor decided Germanicus would help Tiberius ‘stay honest’ and gave him special autonomy in the war. So, the point is, Germanicus could make his own plans!
[18] Posthumous, remember, had been disowned and sent to Surrentum for misbehaving towards his adopted parents (Augustus & Livia).


Read more!

6 AD

Jesus turns 12 in May, two months after Passover. Augustus banishes Archelaus and adds Judea to the Syrian Province. Quirinius takes the SECOND Census of Southern Israel. And just as Tiberius is marching into Bohemia, two Major Rebellions break out in Illyricum!
***************

In January, 6 AD, Jesus was 11 years & 7 months old.

Just before April, Joseph & Mary went to Passover in Jerusalem, but left Jesus in Nazareth, as usual. Joseph didn’t know it, but this was the last year he’d have to worry about Archelaus.

Jesus turned twelve on May 27th of 6 AD.[1]

***************

Now, during that past winter, a secret had been uncovered in Judea!

Somehow, the leading Jews found out what Caesar had ordered Archelaus, last year. The Jewish Ethnarch was supposed to treat his people more mildly. And these Jews felt strongly that their ruler was ignoring his orders!

These Judeans were so eager to get rid of Herod’s son, they even went to their despised neighbors, the Samaritans. By springtime, a group of leading Jews & Samaritans gathered evidence to bring to Rome.

As soon as Passover Week was over, on April 10th, they sailed to Italy, to report to Augustus. But for all this time, Archelaus never knew anyone had discovered his secret orders from the Emperor!

The westbound Leaders are going to get to Rome before June. But Archelaus won’t have a clue until July!

***************

The young Herodian had just celebrated his 10th Passover as ruler of Judea & Southern Israel. He went ahead and gathered the spring harvest. Then he collected the taxes that came due after that.

This year, for the second time in ten years, Archelaus broke the law by taking a harvest during the Jewish Year of Rest![2] Of course, this just gave the Jews one extra reason to hate him.

That is, aside from his cruelty. And Glaphyra.

Glaphyra, by the way, was just about sick of all the scorn she’d been getting in Israel.

Remember, Glaphyra was her husband’s former sister-in-law. The men of Judea were too careful to rebuke their Ruler about it. But the women of Judea were able to punish Glaphyra with looks and subtle gestures. And Glaphyra, as a woman, was painfully aware.

The guilt and shame had been building for about two years. And this spring, it had a serious effect on Glaphyra’s health.

One night, around June, the Ethnarch’s wife had a very bad dream. In it, Glaphyra saw the ghost of her former husband, Alexander, who insulted & accused her. The dream-ghost then promised to kill her so they could be together again!

Glaphyra died a few days after this dream.[3]

People said Archelaus truly loved his second wife. But he wasn’t going to get much time to mourn…

By June, the Leading Jews & Samaritans had reached Rome. And they were very surprised when their request to see the Emperor was answered right away!

Of course, there were good reasons, this year, why Augustus was in such a hurry to see them.

***************

Augustus had no time to waste with the Jews. In 37 years as the First Man in Rome, he’d never faced so many problems all at once, until now!

Here’s a brief idea of how Caesar’s year was going.

In January of 6 AD, Augustus was still sad about losing his grandsons. Also, he had an ongoing financial crisis (see 5 AD). He was losing sleep because his chief Heir, Tiberius, was about to take 12 Legions into a difficult part of South Germany. And suddenly there seemed to be a shortage of Senators able (or willing) to go serve as Governors in the Provinces.

And that was just in January!

By March, Augustus learned about two major uprisings in Illyricum (across the Sea, east of Italy. The Emperor knew this would force Tiberius to abandon Bohemia. Losing that part of Germany was a disaster by itself, but Caesar also believed the Illyrian Rebels were planning a huge invasion of Italy. (More on these wars, in a while.)

That’s still not all. It kept getting worse!

There were Pirates in the Sea, west of Italy. Galatia and North Africa reported minor uprisings. And cities all around the Empire were sending reports that people were angry, getting closer to hostile!

There was even a fire in the city, at some point this year, that destroyed parts of Rome. And the famine of recent years came back with a vengeance. Thousands had to leave the city for lack of shelter or food, including some Senators!

There were rumors of new taxes, and with the famine going on, someone in the city started posting signs that called for a Revolution against the Emperor!

The famine and the other threats went on all year.[4]

By the way, Augustus himself was facing his 68th birthday, later this year. All that extra stress, plus all the normal burdens of running an Empire – altogether, it was more than extremely inhuman.

The fact is, the old man was pushed to his limit like never before. It was truly Caesar’s darkest hour. And at some point in this horrible year, the ruler of the civilized world honestly, seriously considered the option of actually taking his own life.

So that’s the kind of year Augustus Caesar was having.

And it was somewhere in the middle of all that mess and royal stress… that the Jews & Samaritans came to complain about their selfish young Ethnarch!

So you see, this year, more than any year ever…

Archelaus didn’t have a ghost of a chance.

***************

Now let’s get back to this meeting in Rome.

It was right around June 1st, and the Emperor needed to settle his problem in Judea quickly, with as little effort or hassle as possible. Caesar listened to the Jews & Samaritans, thanked them, and dismissed them.[5] But he told them to wait in Rome until he could summon their Ruler Archelaus to a hearing.

The hearing was just a formality. Augustus already knew what he was going to do… even though he wasn’t telling the Jews or Samaritans just yet![6]

Now, Archelaus the Ethnarch kept a servant in Rome. (Oddly, the servant’s name was also Archelaus.) So Caesar called for this servant and sent him to bring back his master. And it was around June 1st or 2nd when the servant Archelaus sailed for Judea, to bring back his master, the Ethnarch.

After that, Caesar got extra speedy!

Augustus called in a recently newlywed Senator who he knew was available. This man had proven to be an excellent Governor, a strong General, and a loyal supporter of Caesar’s personal family.

The Proconsul Quirinius came to answer Caesar’s call.[7]

Augustus told Quirinius about the situation. Caesar declared that Judea, Samaria & Idumea were to be annexed into the Province of Syria! A Roman Procurator was going to supervise the whole region – which would now be referred to altogether as “Judea”. Quirinius was going to go as the new Syrian Governor. And Augustus chose another man named Coponius to be Judea’s first Procurator.

The Emperor told Quirinius & Coponius to go to Syria, wait for Archelaus to leave, and then head down into Judea as soon as possible.

Augustus knew the Jews in power had been ready to welcome direct Roman rule since the death of Herod. (See 4 BC.) But direct Roman rule meant direct Roman tax! So Augustus had one more command.

The Emperor told Quirinius to refresh the Census in Southern Judea.[8]

Then, finally, Augustus told Quirinius to claim, seize or sell all the property of Archelaus, for the Emperor.

Caesar decided Judea could help with his financial problems, while they were at it!

***************

Quirinius & Coponius sailed from Italy a few days into June. Moving quickly east, they were in Antioch, Syria, before mid-July.[9]

The new Governor of Syria and the new Judean Procurator had to prepare a whole census in a very short time! Lucky for them, the Government archives in Antioch had records of the first Census, under Sentius Saturninus.

Now, everyone knows how much easier things are the second time around, than they are when someone doesn’t have a clue what they’re doing!

In 8 BC, Saturninus took a whole year to prepare a that first census. He mastered Israel’s culture & geography, designed an elaborate schedule for Jewish men to revisit their ancestral homes, announced it, ran it, and left extensive notes for those who would come after him.

Right away, the new Governor put a team of scribes straight to work on the old records. They went through all the names, by birth-cities, and made new lists with maps, by current towns. Also, the scribes only had to make lists of men who lived in Southern Israel. The territories of Philip & Herod Antipas were not being counted, this time.

So Quirinius’ census only had to cover half as much ground as the first one did!

When the rolls were all reviewed, Quirinius had a list of all the men in each town of Southern Israel who’d been registered before. His agents would only have to double-check it, and add to it. And there were four Legions of soldiers in Antioch he could call on, for help.[10]

This was a special census, done super-fast style!

Now, in a more normal year, maybe Quirinius would have taken more time to prepare, just on principle. But with the schedule Augustus gave, there just wasn’t time.[11] They had to finish the census by winter, so they could send Roman tax collectors around the next spring.

All in all, Quirinius & Coponius managed to prepare their new lists in about two weeks flat![12]

Then they marched down to Judea, around the turn of August.

***************

Naturally, Archelaus was gone when they got there.

Here’s how that happened:

The Ethnarch mourned for a while after Glaphyra died. But it wasn’t long before he went back to his favorite activity – which was feasting every night with his friends!

Then, one night after a feast, Archelaus had a very simple dream about oxen eating ten heads of grain. But the selfish Ruler woke up feeling very nervous about it. His wife’s recent experience (plus a feeling he couldn’t explain) made Archelaus feel like it must be important.

So Archelaus sent for his advisors and all the dream experts he could find. One of them was a man named Simon the Essene.[13] And when no one else could interpret the dream, Simon spoke up.

Basically, Simon told Archelaus the ten grain heads were his ten years in power. Then Simon told him his days of ruling Southern Israel were over.[14]

And five days later, it came true!

Around July 1st, Archelaus’ man in Rome got to Israel and found his master. The servant told the Ethnarch it was time to go see Caesar, right away.

Archelaus didn’t delay for long.[15] He filled his money bag at the Palace of Caesarea and sailed away before August.[16] .

The oldest living son of Herod the Great was gone forever. Finally, the Jews had no more Ruler or King…

Except Caesar.

***************

About two months later, Archelaus finally reached Italy and went to see Augustus. The Emperor, remember, was still trying to manage his year-long parade of disasters.

Caesar called a meeting with Archelaus and the Leading Jews & Samaritans who’d accused him, in June. First, Augustus made sure everyone got to speak. And then he announced his decision!

Caesar exiled Archelaus to a city in Gaul and told the young Ruler that Rome now claimed all his possessions in Israel.[17] Naturally, Augustus didn’t mention that he’d already made this decision back in June!

And by now, it was nearly October!

Archelaus didn’t know that Rome had been ruling Judea for almost two months already!

***************

Let’s go back to early August.

Shortly after Archelaus went to Sea, Quirinius and Coponius marched into Judea with one or more Legions. They sent Soldiers around to the cities, to make their official announcements. Judea, Samaria & Idumea were now under Rome, thru the province of Syria![18]

The Soldiers also announced the new tax registration.

Now, the wealthy Jews & Samaritans were thrilled to be ruled by Rome at last. They didn’t mind being part of Syria, and taxes were taxes, as long as they didn’t go up![19] So the Jews had no problem with another census.

But then they learned this census was a bit different.

Unlike Saturninus’ turn in 7 BC, this registration was not only for counting heads. Quirinius also wanted to know the value of everyone’s possessions! This one detail worried the upper classes, and they started to complain.

So Quirinius sent Joazar the High Priest[20] around to calm the wealthy. Which he did… but the common people were another story! Despite Joazar’s best efforts, the poorest Jews were getting more and more upset about the new census!

As everyone soon discovered, the commoners were getting stirred up by a stranger from out-of-town!

***************

We now introduce the single most infamous rebel in all of Judean history!

Meet Judas[21], from Galilee.[22]

Judas came down to Judea this year with nothing but rebellion on his mind, even though he wasn’t much of a fighter. Actually, Judas was a talker! Or, you might say, he was a traveling teacher of a new radical philosophy.

As a rebel, Judas’ only weapons were ideas! But these ideas were truly fresh, and very dangerous.

Here’s how Judas got started:

Really big news from Jerusalem always travels fast, even up to Northeast Galilee. So it was still August when Judas heard that Rome was taking over in the South.

Judas felt like God must be deeply offended by Rome’s complete, sudden takeover.[23]

So Judas had a long talk with his wife. Then he left her and their two small boys (James & Simon) with nearby family. Judas kissed them all goodbye and left forever. But some of his parting words to them were, “Israel must have no Lord but God.”

And then Judas went down from Galilee to Judea.

By September, Judas was going all over the South, talking up a storm with his Galilean accent. His first topic, with new people, was always the census. Even the poorest Jews were irritated about the property registration, and Judas worked those sparks into flames. But he didn’t talk about the money. The issue, Judas told them, was about Roman control.

Judas repeated his main idea often: “Israel must have no Lord but God!”

Naturally, the wealthy Jews ignored him while the poor Jews listened eagerly. Soon, Judas found a Pharisee named Saddok who joined the cause and helped him spread the word.

Judas & Saddok built up a wave of strong feelings in Judea. For weeks, they went from town to town and house to house. Some of what they said was typical rebellion kind of talk, but some was very, very new.

Here’s what Judas & Saddok were telling the Jews:

First – the census is enslavement and we should be independent to enrich ourselves, not Rome. That part was no surprise, but the next part was.

Next, Judas told the poor Jews that failure and even death would be as good as success, in this case. He said that dying for this noble cause would be a great honor. The Galilean said that God would bring success to Israel someday, if each generation would just keep giving their lives for the future of their nation.

Finally, Judas always added one more thing. He said that God expected them to kill and shed as much blood as they had to, to free Israel! Now that was a very hard line, but it sold.
Many of the Jews were convinced, in their hearts. Soon, Judas began planning an actual revolution! Everyone who’d agreed with Judas joined the plot, and prepared themselves to strike, when Judas gave the word.

But Judas never got to call that strike.

Somewhere in the middle of all his plotting & speechmaking, Judas got picked up by the Romans. They had no trouble proving his crime, and he was quickly executed. Right away, Saddok & everyone hiding with him quit the movement! They just scattered. They never caused trouble again.

The plot was dead before the rebellion had even begun![24]

The rebellion by Judas of Galilee was even deader than he was. But the ideas from Judas of Galilee lived on, secretly, in the hearts of those he’d spoken to. No one else in Israel is going to even mention rebellion, like Judas did, for forty more years. But everyone, every once in a while, would think about it.

The idea had been planted. The seed just needed time to take root. And that’s why Judas the Galilean (who never actually rebelled) would one day become the most famous Judean rebel in Israel’s history, since the Macabees.[25]

Judas himself ended up being all talk and no action.

But his ZEAL became legendary…

***************

There’s one more thing that must be said, about Judas. His wife lived on in Gamala (near Galilee), and honored his memory. For the rest of her life, this nameless woman, “wife-of-Judas”, taught her sons about their dad and his beliefs.

In about forty years, these tiny boys (James & Simon) are going to be as old as grandfathers. And at that time – in their father’s name and for his memory – these boys are going to revive his new, zealous ideas!

If these Year Books make it as far as 47 AD… we are going to see James & Simon of Galilee, again!

***************

Now, back to the action!

The Romans were making good progress completing the census. They were on schedule to finish by winter, which meant the Governor & Procurator could start hiring tax collectors to be ready in time for late Spring.

You know, nobody ever said Roman Government came cheap! Speaking of which, don’t forget… Quirinius & Coponius themselves spent the whole Autumn stealing and selling all the former Ethnarch’s things!

Remember, Augustus also told Quirinius to reclaim all of Archelaus wealth, and to sell all his property. So the Governor legally claimed & looted every palace, tower, fortress and treasury in the whole region.[26]

Of course, Quirinius had to sell the larger items. The former Prince’s farms, fields, herds and houses were sold off at bargain prices. Everything had to go in a hurry, because Augustus was eager to get the extra cash.

But the Palaces were a problem. Rome didn’t need them, and nobody in Israel could afford to buy them, much less pay for the annual upkeep and staff they required.

Nobody, that is, except one man.

***************

This year, Archelaus’ brother, Antipas, bought his father’s old Palace at Jerusalem.

Now, Antipas still had no power in Judea. But from now on, the Tetrarch of Galilee could visit and maintain a presence in Jerusalem, just in case that might ever work to his benefit. And at the very least, Antipas raised his own status in the eyes of his subjects in Galilee!

Antipas also took one other thing his brother used to own. For ten years, Archelaus had been using the name “Herod” on his coins and official documents. But now Antipas claimed that right.

After 6 AD, Antipas became known as Herod Antipas.

Using the Palace at festivals and printing “Herod” on every shekel boosted Antipas’ image in Galilee, and even Judea. “Herod Antipas” was now the most powerful man in Israel, aside from the Romans!

This is why – after a few years – the Jews all over Israel are going to start calling him, simply…
“Herod”.

***************

Anyway, Quirinius finished selling all the old Royal assets and went back to Antioch, Syria. The money & treasure were kept safe at Caesarea for next sailing season, but the Governor himself rode away from Israel and into the pages of History.

This was the last major event of Quirinius’ great career.

We need to take a minute to review just why this one Roman remained so famous, even among the Jews.

Publius Sulpicius Quirinius was a Senator, a Proconsul, a close ally of the Emperor-to-be, and a celebrated Army hero. He was the first man in his bloodline to rise to such great ranks. Quirinius was famous even among powerful Romans, long before he ever came to Israel. Many men in Italy would remember the name Sulpicius Quirinius for decades, for all that he’d done.

The Jews remembered him mainly because of this year.

The census of Quirinius in 6 AD was uneventful, except for complaints and some plotting. But it was that very thing that made it so memorable.

Normally, when Israel changed rulers, things got violent! (See 4 BC.) So the fact that Quirinius kept everyone at peace all year was simply amazing. The Jews were surprised, but very grateful. And they gave all the credit to their new Governor.

At some point, too, the wealthy Jews learned what a great Roman Quirinius really was. Caesar hadn’t sent just anyone to handle this takeover they’d longed for.[27] Instead, the Emperor had purposely sent them a highly qualified, greatly honored, capable and experienced Governor to safeguard their transition. So now the Jews were sure about their opinion.

Quirinius was the main reason things went so smoothly.

From that day on, the name Quirinius was known and remembered among the Jews of high status, especially in the Holy City and Caesarea-by-the-Sea. Not just because of his census, but because his census came with a peaceful transition!

Likewise, Quirinius’ census was remembered for its own sake, too, because it was part of the takeover.[28]

By the way, that all really needed to be said! [29]

And with it said, now… we move on!

***************

Coponius the Procurator stayed in Judea after Quirinius left. It was his job to finish the census, and then stay there to govern Judea. And so the Procurator made sure all tax rolls were complete before 6 AD ended.

The second Roman census of Judea was now history.

But the Procurator did one other key thing this year.

Coponius found a new man to appoint as high priest,[30] a powerful Jerusalemite named Annas, son of Seth[31]. Now, this was a very big, very important decision.

Over time, it turned out the Procurator made a wise choice.

Annas was a High Priest who proved to have great influence over both the wealthy and the common Jews alike, especially in Jerusalem. This helped bring a new stability to Judea that started this year. But it’s going to last for as long as Augustus & Tiberius are Emperors!

Annas himself is going to be high priest for about 10 years. But he’s going to actually stay in power far longer than that. In fact, Annas is going to make sure his family controls the Sanhedrin until 44 AD![32]

In other words, Coponius’ strong appointment, this year, is going to help keep Judea out of any major troubles for nearly four decades.[33]

The Peace of Rome had claimed all Southern Israel.

And yet, at the very same time, the Wars of Rome were raging around the rest of the Emprie!

***************

Let’s go back to early 6 AD, in Central Europe.

In early March, Augustus’ new Heir, the General Tiberius, had Twelve Legions marching into Southwest Germany.[34] But Tiberius had to make peace there[35], because a major revolt broke out suddenly, in Illyricum![36]

Actually, it was two revolts. One in North Illyricum, and one in the South. Oddly enough, each revolt’s leader was named Bato!

The Northern Bato led his tribe (the Breuci) to revolt because the Illyrian Legions were away, with Tiberius. Other Northern Tribes[37] joined what became mass violence against Roman settlers. And Bato the Breucian claimed a Mountain as their Rebel Base.

The Southern Rebellion was different. The Southern Tribes raised an Army because Tiberius asked them to help in Bohemia. But the Tribesmen were so impressed with themselves as an Army, they refused to obey! That’s when the Southern Bato urged them to revolt and became their leader.

The Southern Bato actually had vision. He wanted to unite all the Illyrian Peoples against Rome, like the Southern Illyrians[38] had united to form their new Army. Bato’s forces fought Romans and recruited Illyrian Tribesmen all over the South and below, into West Macedonia.[39] Then Bato led his Army up into Pannonia, to unite with their Northern kinsmen.

Bato the Breucian accepted the Southern Bato as co-leader of the rebellion. Their united force now boasted well over a hundred thousand fighting men, and swelled past two hundred after the Southern Bato went recruiting all over Pannonia.[40]

Together, the united Illyrian Rebels dominated the countryside and outnumbered the Legions who came back, by mid-year, to oppose them.[41] The Rebels had some success against the Romans, and survived three major defeats[42] – mainly because Tiberius was (wisely) unwilling to stage one single, decisive battle against four-to-one odds!

Cautiously, the General stayed by his fortified positions in West Pannonia[43], while the United Illyrian Rebels made expeditions from their Mountain Base in the East. By Harvest time, the Pannonians burned their fields in the west, to deprive the Romans of food. But Tiberius had the plains of North Italy at his back, and decided his disciplined soldiers could outlast a wild bunch that had four times as many stomachs to fill!

So Tiberius hunkered down for winter. The Seven Illyrian Legions guarded the roads into Italy. And they waited for spring.

***************

Now, this is still 6 AD, but the reason we covered so much about Illyricum is for background to future events. So, with this same purpose in mind, we must now visit two other provinces that affect things in the 50’s, AD.

First, we go to the Province Moesia, on the Danube, NE of Greece. And after that, we’ll see the last war Rome ever had to fight in Southern Galatia!

***************

The Moesian Governor, Caecina Severus, brought Legion IV (Scythia) to the boundary of Pannonia and defeated the Rebels who came against him there.[44] But Severus wasn’t legally allowed to march his Legion into another Province without Rome’s permission. So the Governor waited on the border, ready to go in.[45] But just after clearance arrived from Rome, another message came that Barbarians had crossed the Eastern Danube, raiding Moesia!

Caecina Severus had to go back, and he cleared the Barbarians out of Moesia by the start of winter. But Severus had the same problem again when he saw the Rebels making a raid into Macedonia’s Province… and once again, Roman Law prevented a Governor from defending a helpless province![46]

Tiberius is going to address this problem, when he becomes Emperor. And his decision is going to affect the boundaries of Greece for three decades. (See 15 AD.)[47]

For now, Caecina had to stay where the Senate told him to. But in was starting to look like the Eastern Danube might need extra Legions as much as Illyricum.

And speaking of extra Legions…

***************

The Galatian Governor, Silvanus Plautius, brought Legions V & VII against the Isaurians in Lycaonia.[48] These were the mountain people who bought slaves from Quirinius in 3 BC, after the end of the Homanadensian War. (See 3 BC.) Evidently, they’d rebelled, because Silvanus had to put them down this year.

This was the last native uprising in Galatia, and the Province is going to stay peaceful from this point on![49]

But in 6 AD, it was a good thing Silvanus didn’t need much time to finish the Isaurians. He’s going to get a call to bring the Fifth & Seventh Legions to Illyricum… next year, of course!

***************

Now, before we leave 6 AD, we have to wrap up a few details at Rome.

Tiberius managed to leave Pannonia and visit Rome several times, during the Autumn & Winter. The General was still also the Emperor-to-be, and he had to make his appearances. Mostly, Tiberius was afraid Augustus would start favoring someone else.

In fact, Augustus was actually looking for ways to get Germanicus involved in the War. The young man was 22, in prime position to start winning battles. Indeed, Tiberius’ new heir, Germanicus, was all set to become his next rival! But next year, they’re going to be partners in Illyricum!

Meanwhile, the Emperor’ worst year ever had a few small up-turns. The grain shortage finally let up, before winter, which helped end the calls for revolt in Rome. And the big fire led Augustus to create a permanent, paid fire department… not that that was cheap!

But Caesar’s personal finances got a boost when word came (by December) that Quirinius had reclaimed or sold all the Herodian wealth in South Israel. Augustus claimed it all, and made up everything he’d donated to the Legions’ Retirement Fund, nearly two years before.[50] (Early 5 AD.)[51] But most of the Emperor’s other problems kept on till next year.

So anyway, Tiberius visited Rome often, and learned all this news. But he preferred to be at winter camp, with the Army. Tiberius liked being a General, and saw his future role as Emperor mainly as a duty!

So the future Emperor spent most of the winter near the battlefront, preparing, like a good General, for next year…

***************

What an incredibly busy year – 6 AD! But there’s still one last detail… one more very important event in Judea that has gone totally overlooked by history, but it should not!

Here it comes…

***************

In November of 6 AD, the Lord’s cousin John turned 13!

Roughly six months before Jesus’ own 13th birthday, John son of Zechariah became a man in the eyes of his people. Reaching this bar-mitzvah age wasn’t only symbolic. Turning thirteen was important for practical reasons, too. In Israel, in ancient times, a thirteen year old was considered able to care for himself.

We can also guess that John’s elderly parents had either recently died, or did not have much time left, by now.[52]

This much, we know for sure:

In November of 6 AD, or sometime not far past it, John the future Baptizer left the Judean hill country of his childhood home. John crossed over the Jordan River and moved beyond its valley. There in the wilderness, John learned to live off the land. God’s future front-man, as a young teenager, began learning how to depend totally on God.[53]

By the way, John left Judea shortly after Rome took it. And we have no record that says John ever set foot again into Roman Judea. [54]

We will not see John again until after Tiberius begins his 15th year as Emperor. The grown man John will come back to the Jordan at age 35. His preaching and baptizing is going to begin that Spring, in 28 AD. [55]

But we have a long way to go, before that happens…

***************

The events of 6 AD are now completely told. So now, let’s close this Year Book like we opened it.

In December of 6 AD, Jesus Christ was 12 years & 6 months old, if you count “chronologically”.
Remember, there are three ways to count years: 7 AD is going to be the Lord’s fourteenth calendar year on the Earth. Some Jews would have said he was mid-way through his thirteenth year. But a gentile would simply say Jesus was just “twelve years old”.

Now, the Lord’s bar-mitzvah is next year, in May… which means he will still be “twelve years old” at the Passover!

So what that all means, is this:

Next year, in 7 AD, Jesus finally visits Jerusalem!


Next Year Book: 7 AD!


-------------------------------
BEGIN FOOTNOTES:

*****
[1] Please note: Jesus will still be “twelve years old” (almost thirteen) at next year’s Passover, in 7 AD.

*****
[2] Josephus reports (thru Simon the Essene, who appears shortly) that Archelaus collected ten years of harvests in his time as ruler, even though the fiscal years in 3/2 BC and 5/6 AD were supposed to be free of work and harvesting, up until Autumn. By the way, the planting season began in November. So the Jews and Samaritans would have been able to gather unripe shoots of wheat, as part of their evidence, before they left!

*****
[3] Unless we believe she was actually killed by a ghost (?!?) Glaphyra probably starved herself to death, or died from health problems brought on by intense, chronic guilt & stress. She lived for two years (or more) with what must have been universal, ongoing, subtle derision that her husband was unwilling or unable to control. This seems the most likely explanation. But since we cannot prove there was no ghost… you’ll just have to judge for yourself!

*****
[4] Also, at some point this year, Augustus even had to exile his last living Grandson! Young Posthumous Agrippa spent all his time fishing, or behaving badly, with a violent temper against Caesar & Livia. So Augustus disowned Posthumous, seized his property, and sent him to live in Surrentum, in southern Italy. (Naturally, the property went to help the military retirement fund.) Posthumous turned 17 this year. But we will hear his name again and even see him another time or two, before Tiberius is Emperor…

*****
[5] Augustus also told them to stay in Rome awhile.

*****
[6] Caesar had been gradually preparing himself for this decision since the Jews started complaining about Archelaus in 4 BC. So he didn’t need to decide slowly, as he normally preferred. Besides, Augustus knew Archelaus wouldn’t get to Rome until September at the earliest. And September would be too late to take action from overseas, with winter coming on. This background, the calendar, and the Emperor’s difficult circumstances, altogether, dictated Augustus’ fast decision. The fact that he failed to inform Archelaus or the Jews ahead of time was simply a smooth move!

*****
[7] Did you recognize that impressive resume, before you saw the name? It so happens that we’ve followed the activities of Publius Sulpicius Quirinius in almost every Year Book now, since 4 BC!

*****
[8] The first Roman Census of Israel took place in 7 BC. Luke’s Gospel (2:2) has often been mistranslated, but the verse should say, “this census took place before Quirinius was Governor of Syria.” (For more on this, see notes to Year Books 9, 8, & 7 BC.) Now, the issue of why Luke knew and cited Quirinius’ name (instead of Saturninus) will be explained by the story that now follows, thru the rest of this Year Book.

*****
[9] Remember, sailing east was always faster than sailing west, in the Mediterranean. For the record, Quirinius replaces L.Volusius Saturninus as Governor this summer. Volusius, of course, is not the same Saturninus as the one who ran the original census of Judea, from 8 to 7 BC. That Saturninus, remember, is on the borders of Bohemia this year, leading the Rhine Legions as Govenror of Upper (or Lower?) Germany.

*****
[10] The fourth, Legio X Fretensis, moved from Macedonia to Syria sometime during Archelaus’ rule. The other three Syrian Legions – III Gallica, VI Ferrata, and XII Fulminata – had been there for years.

*****
[11] It’s true the Romans loved to prepare and to organize, before taking action, but they were also masterful pragmatists. Whenever they got in a tight spot, they always managed to improvise!

*****
[12] This is about all the time they have, after we finish cramming all the events of this year into its calendar! By the way, such a quick preparation would have been completely impossible had this truly been the very first Roman census of the province! The second one was only able to go quickly because of the notes Saturninus [naturally must have] left after the first one.

*****
[13] Josephus says the Essenes were devoted to righteousness and farming! There were about four thousand of them in various parts of Israel. They lived without wives or slaves, and elected managers to control their crops and money and do the cooking. They also held their own peculiar rituals for purification and for sacrifices, which always kept the Essenes excluded from the Temple in Jerusalem. Apparently, they recruited new members on a regular basis, because they seem to have kept their numbers up for several decades of the first century.

This is about the only time any Essenes actually take part in any major events of history. But it’s interesting that it was an Essene – devoted to the Law and to Agriculture – who stepped up and interpreted a dream about growing crops that also happened to represent a transgression of the law! It’s also interesting to notice that Simon the Essene didn’t dare mention the issue of the broken Sabbatical Years. But his interpretation alone is probably what any Essene (and certainly, many Pharisees, too) might have expected to see happen, because of the two extra, forbidden harvests! And he did say the word “ten”, which would have sounded conspicuous to anyone present who knew that it should have been “eight”.

*****
[14] Josephus suggests this dream was a message from God, but Archelaus’ own mind was already working overtime. He knew the Jews all wanted him gone. He must have heard a report or at least a rumor that there might be a group reporting to Caesar about him. And of course, he knew he was ignoring the Emperor’s letter, which he had to believe (at least deep down) was going to catch up with him eventually. On top of this, Archelaus may have felt a twinge of guilt for breaking the Jewish laws, as he’d been doing. He knew what Glaphyra had been feeling, and he knew he was over twice as guilty as she was! Deep down, Archelaus had every reason to believe his time was up. So the dream might have been a warning from God, but it seems most likely it was just his subconscious mind manifesting his guilt over the ten harvests (which was two too many) combined with a sneaking suspicion that his crimes were about to catch up with him.

Of course, we have no way to judge, really. We each have to decide if this dream might have been supernatural, or just a bad leg of lamb, plus his own mental anxieties! Naturally, there’s no proving or disproving such claims. Just like the dream of Glaphyra (this year) and just like the miracles of Jesus, you either believe what the writer said happened, or you don’t. For the record, the author here believes in the miracles of Jesus and doubts that the dreams of Archelaus & Glaphyra necessarily had anything to do with ghosts or with God. But the point is, you can’t always argue historically about supernatural claims. Many times, it just comes down to belief!

*****
[15] If Archelaus waited until August, he knew he’d be facing the rough NE winds that cause ships to take roundabout routes west, like Paul’s trip in 59 AD. Either way, the Ethnarch knew Caesar expected him in Rome ASAP, and the sailing season would be over by October. No matter what was expecting to face from Caesar, Archelaus must have been gone before August.

*****
[16] Archelaus can’t possibly arrive in Rome before mid-September. And that’s given the already rapid pace of back-and-forth sailing that started in May. This means that if Augustus had actually waited until mid or late September to make a decision, he couldn’t have sent Quirinius to take the census in this year at all! It simply would have been too late to sail so far away, much less to leave time for census taking, which history tells us did happen in this year, in 6 AD.

So the sailing schedule is what proves that Augustus had already decided, in June this year, to depose Archelaus. Because Quirinius had to arrive in Judea just barely a short time after Archelaus himself even left, or else the rest of this year’s events wouldn’t fit where they belong.

*****
[17] Archelaus was sent straight ahead to a town called Vienna and given a place to live there. He had ruled Southern Israel for 9 years and 6 months. This year, before or after his exile, he turned 28 years old.

*****
[18] Not to be too dramatic, but it is just now that Rome, the Fourth Beast of Daniel has finally taken full, direct control over Jerusalem and the Southern Kingdom. This is one of the things Daniel prophesied would happen before the end of the 69 “weeks” and the coming of the Messiah. (For more on this, see the notes to 9 BC. Also see the Prologue, and the Bonus Material in the back.)

*****
[19] An old treaty of Julius Caesar still promised the Jews they would pay no tribute on their Sabbatical Year. So right away, that’s at least fourteen percent better than what Archelaus had been charging them! By the way, the Jews had been paying this tribute since 63 BC, originally. But the main financial change this year was the difference from indirect Tribute to direct taxation.

*****
[20] The High Priest at this exact moment was a man Archelaus deposed years before. Joazar son of Boethus had been replace by his brother Eleazar, and then by Jesus son of See. But apparently Quirinius & Coponius decided Jesus son of See must have been Archelaus’ crony or stooge. Or else, they just wanted to establish right from the start that Rome was in charge of appointing the high priest from now on! Either way, Quirinius & Coponius deposed Jesus son of See and reinstated Joazar, who’d been accused once of not doing enough to discourage the rebellions of 4 BC. And so they told him, naturally, to make sure that he did discourage such things, this time, just as hard as he could!

*****
[21] This is the man known to historians as "Judas the Galilean", even though his hometown was Gamala, which was actually in Gaulonitis, in Philip's tetrarchy. But Gamala was close to the boundary of Galilee, and so many Jerusalemites called him "Judas of Galilee". (See Acts 5:37.)

Now, this Judas is not the same man as the rebel leader from Sepphoris, in 4 BC. That man, Judas, son of Ezekias, was later called Theudas by the Jews from Jerusalem – mainly to tell him apart in their histories, from the Judas of this year. (See Acts 5:36 and also the text and notes of 4 BC.) The Judas of this year affected the Judeans more, because his attempted rebellion actually took place in Judea (even though he, himself, was a Galilean). So this man is the Judas who kept his real name, and the other one (the less important one, from a Judean perspective) became “Theudas”.

Years from now, in 33 AD, the Pharisee Gamaliel is going to make a speech to the Sanhedrin about Jesus’ Disciples and the new church in Jerusalem. In that speech, he’s going to mention this Judas as well as the previous man, by that time being called “Theudas”. In his speech, Gamaliel was trying to show that no uprising from Galilee ever had much effect on Jerusalem. In other words, he was trying to convince the Sanhedrin to ignore Peter, John and their new church, because the Disciples were all Galileans.

So Gamaliel’s speech proves that the Judas of 4 BC was called “Theudas” in Judea, because there was no other rebel named “Theudas” – and no other Galilean rebels – before that time. But the Judas from this year is the one usually called "Judas the Galilean".

*****
[22] Judas was actually from Gamala, in the Golan Heights, in Philip’s Tetrarchy, but lived near the Lake, which made him a “Galilean” as far as Judeans were concerned. (The Apostle Peter, from Bethsaida, is a similar example.)

*****
[23] We don’t know if Judas felt the same way about Archelaus or Herod before him. But then again, nobody ever said righteous indignation always has to be logical!

*****
[24] It’s amazing that Judas is the most famous Judean rebel, as the leader of a rebellion that never actually rebelled! In fact, if we read Josephus carefully, Judas never did anything at all, besides talking and planning, and Josephus didn’t even bother to record his final fate. (That we have to learn from Gamaliel, in Acts.) But all of this just goes to show how serious an event his IDEAS were, all by themselves. Now, his ideas were 40 to 60 years ahead of their time, and no one is going to revive those ideas until 47 AD… but Judas was still the first man to spread the ideas! Josephus actually blamed Judas for planting the seed that caused Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD! That’s why he’s famous – because he said “No Lord but God” was worth dying for.

*****
[25] Judas Maccabeus fought against Syria in the 160’s BC. See the Prologue, “Way Before”.

*****
[26] Naturally, Quirinius & Coponius also dissolved the Hebrew Army of Southern Israel. And so Rome claimed the Fortress Antonia in Jerusalem and stationed a permanent garrison there, as a base for whenever the Roman Officials came to the city. This old fortress of Herod the Great is where Jesus will stand trial before Pilate, in 33 AD.

*****
[27] It had only been 9 years since 50 Jewish Elders from Jerusalem’s Sanhedrin Council had stood before Caesar in Rome. That year they’d begged him to give their whole nation to Syria. This year, he’d done it.

*****
[28] This was unlike the easily forgotten first census (7 BC) which had no direct effect on Israel, at that time. By the way, the Governor of Syria that year, Gaius Sentius Saturninus, was nearly as forgettable to history as Quirinius was memorable! Saturninus gave Herod permission to invade Nabatea (9 BC) and he listened when Herod wanted to kill two of his sons (7 BC). Other than that, all he did was lead Legions into Bohemia (this year) where he had to stand down and make peace, instead of getting to fight. Overall, Saturninus never actually did one single thing that was impressive or praiseworthy in a popular way. His name was nothing special in Rome. But compare that to Quirinius’ resume!

*****
[29] The Gospel writer Luke sat in Caesarea-by-the-Sea from 57 to 59 AD, while Paul was in Prison, and this is when he did all his research on the Lord’s life to begin writing his Gospel and Acts. Now, since Luke was largely writing a defense of Paul, mainly to give at Paul’s trial, we know Luke’s primary audience was Roman. That helps explain why he would refer to Quirinius – because Quirinius and his career were famous in Rome! But Saturninus, who ran the census when Jesus was born, was not. (See notes to 7 BC and Bonus Material in the back.)

Besides, Quirinius was more famous in Palestine, too. When Luke was preparing to write about the census of 7 BC, he couldn’t find anyone who even remembered the name of the Syrian Governor from that first census. But LOTS of people remembered the name “Quirinius”. (The wealthy Jews in Caesarea were nearly as grateful as those in Jerusalem, because many of them had frequent business dealings, getting food and other goods up to Jerusalem, from the Sea.)

So either Luke couldn’t find the name “Saturninus” or else he decided it was still better to reference the far, far more famous name, “Quirinius”. And Luke wrote something that basically said Jesus was born during a census which came before the famous census everyone remembered so well.

Now the only problem was that Luke used a Greek word which is sometimes an adjective and sometimes an adverb. So some translators said “this was the first census” and some said “this census first took place”. But the best translation is to say “before” instead of “first”, giving us “this census took place before”. And the final line should be, “This census took place before Quirinius was Governor of Syria.”

(**Grammar Alert: The actual Greek word order is: “this the registration PROTE took place when was governor of Syria Quirinius”. Once we realize that PROTE can be an adverb here (even though the word ending of PROTE looks like an adjective, such exceptions are common in all languages) the only other question is – do we translate the word PROTE as “first” or as “before” – because “first took place” or “took place before” would have opposite meanings! But judging by the text alone, we absolutely cannot decide which is better! So Grammar alone will not solve this small problem. End Grammar Section! **)

Everyone who studies the Greek grammar closely always admits that it’s a difficult and unclear sentence to work with. Therefore, the only way to figure out what Luke meant is to rely on the actual history. Ironically, the ambiguity of the scripture’s grammar is what actually saves the scripture itself! This situation demands that the best translation be chosen based on context.

Since Luke already told us that Jesus was born before Herod’s death, we cannot reasonably decide that he has meant to write the Census was during Quirinius’ term, and this eliminates the choice of writing “first census” or “first took place”. (Besides, “first census” makes no sense in 6 AD because we have no record of any further censuses after that date, and Tiberius does not seem to have refreshed any censuses outside Italy, as Augustus sometimes did in certain provinces.) That leaves the happy alternative, “took place before” which is equally plausible in Grammar to the other choices, and far superior when placed in historical context.

In short, the odd phrasing of Luke 2:2 does seem tricky. But it’s precisely the oddness of it that should prevent anyone from claiming a contradiction! As long as the translation is in doubt, grammatically, then the context should determine the statement’s true meaning. And based on Luke’s other content, there can be no other possibility except that he meant to say, “This census took place before Quirinius was Governor.”

That takes care of the translating concerns. The rest is simply this: Why would Luke say “before Quirinius was Governor”? Why didn’t he just say “when Saturninus was Governor?”

We just need a plausible explanation, and the best answer is explained in the story, and at the beginning of this footnote. Quirinius was famous, both in Rome and in Palestine, and his census was connected with a major Roman event. But Saturninus was not a memorable figure, and his census was not a factor that influenced other events at all, whatsoever.

Once again, Luke actually wrote: “This was before the census when Quirinius was Governor of Syria.” And the problem is not solving grammar. But the problem is to explain why he named Quirinius. Which we have now done.

(See also notes to the Year Books of 9, 8, & 7 BC, plus the Back Bonus Sections.)

*****
[30] Quirinius & Coponius had already deposed the last high priest of Archelaus and reinstated Eleazar, who supported the census. But now Coponius replaced Eleazar, after a very short term. Maybe Coponius simply found a better man, but it may also be that Coponius blamed Eleazar for failing to influence the common Jews heavily enough, during the stir about Judas from Galilee! If so, then Eleazar got fired again for the same reason as before, in 3 BC!

*****
[31] Josephus spells it “Ananus” but this is the same man whom the Gospels call “Annas” (High Priest from 6 to 15 AD). It is this Annas and his son-in-law Caiaphas (high priest from 18 to 36 AD) who are going to help get Jesus Crucified in 33 AD.

*****
[32] Annas, five sons, a son-in-law, and a grandson are going to hold the High Priesthood itself in every year, virtually uninterrupted, until Herod Agrippa comes to power and reshapes Judean politics in his own image, in 44 AD. Actually, only two Procurators are going to buck Annas on appointees, a total of three times. But each time, Annas is going to persuade them (in less than a year) to put one of his own boys back into the post. Now that means Annas basically ran Jerusalem, either in front of or behind the scenes, for almost 38 years!

*****
[33] Another factor keeping the peace in South Israel for the next few decades was the fact that Augustus & Tiberius sent Italian Procurators. The population of Israel was mixed between Jews, Samaritans & Syrian-Greeks. But Italian Procurators were always seen as impartial judges in disputes.

*****
[34] Seven Legions crossed the Danube in two groups, under Tiberius and Messallinus (Governor of Illyricum), while Five of the Seven German Legions followed Sentius Saturninus (the man whose Census brought Jesus to Bethlehem in 7 BC) over the Rhine. They were five miles from converging on Bohemia when the news reached Tiberius.

*****
[35] Saturninus stayed behind to work out the terms with Marobroduus, leader of the Marcomanni Tribes. Then Saturninus took his Legions back to the Rhine. We will not see Saturninus again.

*****
[36] The Roman Province of Illyricum covered all the land across the Adriatic Sea from Italy; North of Provincial Macedonia; South of the Danube; East of the Alps; and West from the Dreinos River Valley. Roman Illyricum (of 6 AD) would (today) cover the fomer Yugoslav republics along with parts of Austria & Hungary. But Ancient Illyricum was below this, in Maceonia, which is Albania today. (This affects New Testament Geography. Stay tuned for more in a bit.)

*****
[37] The North Region was called Pannonia, and it’s native tribes were all descended from the original Illyrian peoples, who began on the border of Roman Illyricum & Macedonia. By this time, the Northern Tribes were also known as Pannonians.

*****
[38] Southern Illyricum was also called Dalmatia. The many different Dalmatian tribes were also, of course, descended from the original Illyrians.

*****
[39] Bato’s forces could raid Roman settlements anywhere. They went into West Macedonia because it was the ancient Kingdom of Illyricum, which was conquered gradually by Rome, around 200 BC. Bato, the visionary, was trying to unite all the Illyrian Peoples – which is the main reason he went North, and one reason why he stays & puts up with the wilder, unorganized Bato for as long as he does.

*****
[40] He also sent another expedition into Macedonia, after winter came. The Southern Bato had a nationalistic m.o. which included his belief that Western Macedonia was properly a part of Illyricum. And truly, he was correct, according to the old Ethnic boundaries that had never been forgotten.

Technically, Rome’s “Provincia Illyricum” stopped at the Drillon River where Rome’s “Macedonia” began. But the region around Dyrrachium & Apollonia (where Via Egnatia began) was the original land of Illyricum, founded by the first Illyrii Tribe that lived on either side of the Drillon itself.

Now, Rome put the old Illyricum into its new “Macedonia” in 168 BC. But Rome didn’t try to claim or govern Dalmatia & Pannonia until more than a century later, in the days of Julius Caesar. And in Caesar’s days, they named those regions “Illyricum” because all the Tribes there were descended from the original Illyrians. The new Province “Illyricum” was wild and unorganized, while West Macedonia had a road and two major ports! So the old “Illyricum” remained in “Macedonia”.

But many people still remembered the region’s old Ethnic boundaries, and often called it by its ancient name. The most famous example is Paul of Tarsus, who traveled to West Macedonia (in 55 & 56 AD) and then called it Illyricum (in 57 AD). (See Year Books 54 thru 57, and compare Acts 20:1-2 with Romans 15:19.)

By the way, people still do this all the time, everywhere. My loving mother called the corner store by our house the “Pack-a-sack” for many years, long after it was purchased by “Seven-Eleven”. And she never called it 7-11 until the day it became a “Circle K”! J

Now of course, Paul’s future trip is the reason we spent so much time, just now, talking about this! So remember, West Macedonia = Ancient Illyricum. Bato knew it in 6 AD, and Paul did too, in 55!

*****
[41] Tiberius was delayed because he couldn’t take Legions into Illyricum that had been reassigned to his campaign in Germany! (Aside from breaking Roman Law, people could have accused him of trying to start a civil war, and he could even be killed for it.) Messengers had to be sent to Rome and the Senate actually held a debate (!) before Augustus urged them to believe Italy itself was at risk. Finally, Rome gave the War to Tiberius and sent messengers back. But by the time Tiberius got into Pannonia, and met his new assistant commander, Velleius Paterculus (the historian who preserved these events), the two Batos had already joined forces and set the field, so to speak. It was a costly delay.

*****
[42] The Dalmatians engaged half the 20th Legion under Messallinus, early this year, when their Bato was still in the South. (Tiberius sent this detachment from Bohemia as an early scouting expedition.) Messalinus fled, but ambushed and routed the rebels. Then the Roman Governor had to pull back to the Alps again, for defensive concerns. But that was defeat number one. Defeats two & three will be covered momentarily.

*****
[43] Tiberius & Velleius marched to Siscia, where the 9th Legion used to base itself, in the heart of the Breucian territory! But the Breucian men were all east at this time, on Mount Alma, near Sirmium.

*****
[44] This happened east of Sirmium, not far beyond the junction of the Drave & Danube Rivers.

*****
[45] This is the same problem that kept Tiberius in Bohemia for too long. Desperately, Severus enlisted the Thracian King Rhoemetalces and convinced him Rome would both forgive and reward his selfless actions. (There was no room to accuse Thrace of playing politics!) Severus then sent his allies ahead and joined them at Mount Alma after Rome’s messenger came. Ironically, Thrace was doing better against the Rebels before the Legion showed up, than after! But just at that point, Legion IV had to go…

*****
[46] Once again, Severus sent the Thracians over Provincial boundaries to find & face Rebels he couldn’t chase himself. And they found Bato’s forces in the West, on their second drive down that coast. (Dio 55.30.5-6)

*****
[47] In 15 AD, Tiberius is going to put all of Macedonia & Greece under the Governor of Moesia – just in case something like this happened again! But after the Danube situation stabilizes (over three decades!), the old arrangement is going to come back – under Claudius, in 44 AD. Now, this has a small bearing on New Testament events, because it shows historical consistency in Luke’s account to see that Paul does not get into Greece until after that Province was allowed to have its own Governors again. (See 51-53 AD.)

*****
[48] The Isaurians lived on the Lycaonian side of the Taurus Mountains, below Lystra. These are the same lands mentioned in Acts 13-14, which will now be (95%) pacified in time for Paul & Barnabas’ trip!

*****
[49] We’ve had a lot of Galatian background in Volume One. But this is the last major event in Galatian history until the Apostles’ go there; for which story, see Year Books 46 thru 50 AD.

*****
[50] Remember, Augustus gave 170 million sesterces, early in 5 AD. Now, this year, the seizure of Archelaus’ property may account, at least partly, for Dio’s statement about “voluntary contributions from kings and certain communities”. Even Antipas’ purchase money might qualify, here. Whatever Dio meant, it’s practically the same event, however it’s qualified. There is no mere coincidence in the fact that Quirinius liquidated Herod’s wealth just as Rome (and thus Augustus) was facing a financial crisis!

*****
[51] This year (6 AD) the Emperor finally solved the actual funding problem with a 5% inheritance tax. Ironically, the Senators (who didn’t want to solve this problem, back in January) were among those who got hit the hardest. But the big news was this meant the Roman Army could continue to exist without having to constantly go out conquering new lands and stealing their wealth to pay for itself!

This was actually hugely important. The inheritance tax, because it paid for the Legions’ Retirement Fund, is actually a major reason why Rome does NOT wind up conquering Germany! (Aside from the practical reasons, which began to unfold this year, and climax very soon, in 9 AD!) And the freedom of Germany, arguably, has a huge effect on the rest of Western History.

*****
[52] One of these two things is true: If Zechariah & Elizabeth were still alive, then John stayed to care for them until they died. But if his elderly parents were already gone, then John must have been living with relatives until his bar-mitzvah. Either way, John was able to move out onto his own by age 13. And whenever his parents died, at that point John became free to go, as well. This means John could have been both able AND orphaned as early as this November. And since Zechariah & Elizabeth were already “very old” in late 9 BC, there is every chance they did not live another 14 years, to this point. So it’s possible John stayed awhile after this year, but it seems more likely he was free to go this year.

*****
[53] According to Gabriel’s prophecy, John also got to practice being filled with God’s Spirit. In the solitude, in special moments over the next 20 years, God is going to use that ability to give John an awareness of what he will need to do, to announce the coming of Jesus as the Messiah.

*****
[54] This may or may not mean much, but it’s an interesting coincidence. In John’s whole adulthood, the only spots we can place him at are beyond the Jordan and along its valley. Now, the narrow Jordan valley was Antipas’ territory, which the Jews called it “Peraea”. The Jordan valley itself was not part of what the Jews considered “Judea”, and it was not taken over by Rome in 6 AD.

*****
[55] Luke writes that John began baptizing in Tiberius’ 15th year. But other historians would have called it that Emperor’s 14th year. Many have tried to say Luke was therefore wrong, but he wasn’t. Here’s why.

There is more than one way to count an Emperor’s years. Basically, there’s the Roman way, and there’s the Jewish way, and then there’s Luke’s way! But no one can tell, just by guessing, whether Luke would have used the Roman or Jewish method… or even some other method!

The only thing we can do is work backwards from the Lord’s Passion Year. The Passover of Jesus’ Crucifixion was in April of 33 AD. That was the fifth Passover of his ministry (see notes on Cheney’s chronology). So the five Passovers were in 29, 30, 31, 32 & 33. That puts John the Baptist’s ministry in 28 – spring, summer & fall! (See also the bonus material for the upcoming Volume Two.)

Now, in March of 28 AD, Tiberius had been Emperor for thirteen years and about six months, chronologically. So we could say that makes it his fourteenth year of actual rule. But we can also say that 28 AD was the fifteenth calendar year in which he ruled. Altogether, that makes three different ways to count and name the same amount of time! But only one of those methods matches actual events.

We may never know how or why Luke chose that method of counting, but it doesn’t matter. That method is the one he used because it’s the only one that fits with all the facts… and that’s just the best we can do to explain Luke 3:1!



Read more!

5 AD

Caesar warns Archelaus. Tiberius conquers West Germany.
***************

In January, 5 AD, Jesus was 10 years & 7 months old.

In April, Joseph & Mary went up to Jerusalem for Passover. As usual, Jesus stayed in Nazareth.

Plenty of other boys were making the pilgrimage, by his age. At this point, people in Nazareth were starting to wonder why Joseph wouldn’t take him along. But Joseph stuck to his plan – avoiding Archelaus.

Jesus turned eleven on May 27th of 5 AD. He kept getting bigger and more mature. He kept learning how to live as a man.

He kept on getting to know his Father, as a man.

***************

Just before Passover, Archelaus celebrated his 9th year as ruler of Judea, Idumea & Samaria.

Actually, it was only the start of his 9th year, but the Jews in Judea were hoping to make it his last.

Some wealthy Jerusalemites had come up with a plan.

In fact, the Jews were so eager to get rid of Archelaus, they even asked the Samaritans for help.
The plan was simple. The Jews & Samaritans simply made a list. They wrote down everything Archelaus had done, and not done, that was abusive. And when the young Ethnarch refused (or failed) to deal with their complaints, they went to Caesar!

But most of that took place over the winter, since late last year.

This year, as soon as sailing season came, a group of Jews & Samaritans left (together!) for Italy.

***************

Meanwhile, there was a small disaster in Rome.

Earthquakes hit just before the spring thaw. The city’s emergency levies were damaged. And when the River hit flood levels, the whole city was covered in water for seven days.

Part of the city’s extra grain supply was ruined. And that started a food shortage that won’t end this year.

But worse than food, was the money shortage.[1]

This year, Augustus realized he had a major, long-term money problem. Actually, it was an Army problem.

Well, actually, it was a how-to-keep-retired-soldiers-happy problem.[2]

This year, Caesar decided to pay every retiring soldier a large retirement bonus.[3] The Emperor announced this in Rome, and sent the news to all the Legions.

Then Augustus went into the Senate and said they had to come up with a way to fill the retirement fund, from now on! But the Senate went the rest of the year with no solution to the problem. So, naturally, the Emperor had to fix this problem too, by himself.
Caesar began a serious hunt for extra revenue.

***************

Soon after that, the Jews & Samaritans came to Rome to complain about Archelaus.

Around early summer, Caesar saw the Jewish & Samaritan leaders. The Emperor heard their complaints, and their evidence. And he promised to deal with it.

The Jews left, thinking about justice.

But Augustus – at least partly – was thinking about money! Still, Caesar had to be fair to a son of his old friend, King Herod.

After some days, Augustus wrote Archelaus a letter. The letter warned the Jewish leader to be more moderate in dealing with his people.[4]

Six weeks later, back in Israel, Archelaus got the letter. But he didn’t exactly do what it said.

Now, when the Jewish & Samaritan leaders came home, they tried to see Archelaus. They also tried to find out whether Caesar had sent any letters.

But Archelaus just kept feasting with his friends.

The selfish young Ethnarch was trying to ignore the whole thing. And it worked for a while, since the Jews didn’t know for sure whether Caesar had sent any orders or not. But the secret is going to get out…

Oh, but not till next year… of course.

***************

For now, let’s back up to early spring again.

Some time before Rome flooded, Tiberius left to go back to Germany. The General rode thru partly thawed Alpine passes to reach his troops in Northern Europe.

Last year, Rome conquered several tribes in short order. So this year, other tribes were lining up to surrender.[5] By mid-summer, Rome’s new border – for the first time in history – was the Elbe River in Central Germany.

By then, the Roman Fleet had sailed around Europe to the North Sea, and met Tiberius on the Elbe.[6] So now the Fleet and the Legions moved south together, up the River. Northwest Germany was falling quickly into line, and Tiberius’ forces took whatever they needed from the countryside. But the farther Tiberius’ Legions marched up river, the closer they came to the fierce barbarian tribes of Bohemia, known as “the Marcomanni”![7]

Tiberius had no doubt this was going to be a challenge. The General knew the Marcomanni (and their leader Maroboduus) were going to be the toughest barbarians he’d ever fought in Germany. And the mission was critical.[8]

So – like a good Roman General – Tiberius quit early, before winter… to spend time making a plan!

Once a dozen Legions had camped on three sides of Bohemia[9], Tiberius rode back to Rome for the winter. Caesar’s new heir still (desperately) needed political face-time, in the city.

Again, the General had to play the part of Emperor-to-be.

***************

Tiberius’ plan was brilliant, but too much overkill.

Twelve Legions were surely enough to conquer Bohemia. But it left Illyricum vacant.

Suddenly, barbarian tribes in Pannonia and Dalmatia looked around and noticed Rome’s army was gone!

By next Spring, revolt breaks out all over the Balkans!

***************

One last piece of news, for 5 AD.

In July, a Proconsul named M. Plautius Silvanus stepped down as Governor of Asia and went East to Govern Galatia. And by Autumn, Plautius and his two Legions (VII & ___) start planning for war against the Isaurian Tribes, east of Pisidia.[10]

***************

So much war, in this so called “Peace of Rome”.[11]

Ongoing war in Germany, the brink of war in Illyricum, new plans for war in Galatia…

And soon, a new revolt in Israel.



Next Year Book: 6 AD!



------------------------
Begin Footnotes:

[1] Yes, it’s worse – if you’re the Emperor! Think about it. Run short on food, and some poor people starve, leave, or get run out of the city. But run short on money, and your unpaid Legions might get mean ideas!

[2] Well, actually-actually, it was a too-many-years-of-peace problem! See, in times of war, an Army lives off the conquered land and newly claimed plunder. Then the Army (generally) gets disbanded, or paid with land in the newly conquered area. But in times of peace, the Army wants cash payments! So by this time, in 5 AD, Rome was running out of new lands to conquer. The last decade of conflicts hadn’t resulted in any new conquests, and that was before Germany revolted! So Augustus had finally come to the point where a retirement fund was the only viable permanent option.

[3] The bonus actually equaled more than 20 years worth of regular pay!

[4] The letter must have been specific on certain points, but we have no idea what they were, precisely.

[5] This year, Rome “conquered” the tribes of the Cauchi, the Langobardi, the Semnones and the Hermunduri. Most of the encounters were surrenders or pre-emptive peace entreaties.

[6] Julius Caesar had visited England, but no Roman ships had sailed as far as Denmark, until now.

[7] Bohemia is a wide stretch of land between the upper Elbe and the Danube – basically everything between modern Prague & Vienna. The Romans originally named it after the Boii tribe, who had long since moved on.

[8] The Romans needed Bohemia badly. It was the middle ground between their territories in Northern and Eastern Europe, and the first easily passable land route beyond the Alps. The conquest of Bohemia would streamline Roman communications and military transportation across Central Europe. Essentially, it was the last piece of territory on Augustus’ personal “need-it” list!

[9] Tiberius camped his German Legions north of Bohemia, and left them under the command of Saturninus (G.S. not L.V.) with instructions to march on Bohemia at a certain time, come Spring. Saturninus had cooperation from the Hermunduri tribes to march into Bohemia from the West. As for the South, Tiberius called on the Legions in Raetia (below Bohemia, across the Danube) and organized them with similar instructions. Finally, Tiberius sent word for the Illyrican Legions to move from their normal posts (? – where - ?) to Carnuntum, on the Danube (just east of modern Vienna). Come spring, the General was planning to lead the Illyrican Legions into Bohemia himself, from the Southeast.

[10] The Isaurians were mentioned in the 3 BC Year Book. Their territory was close to the Homanadensian region Quirinius conquered that year. But since then, evidently, they proved they needed defeating, as well.

[11] To be fair, the “peace” was mainly felt around the Mediterranean, far from the frontier. Still, it’s fair to note that, since 9 BC, we haven’t seen a year without a war. The “Pax Romana” was far from universal!


Read more!

4 AD

Gaius finally dies, and Augustus adopts Tiberius as his heir.
***************

In January, 4 AD, Jesus was 9 years and 7 months old.

In mid-March, Joseph & Mary went up to Jerusalem for Passover. And yes, once again, they left Jesus behind! This is the seventh year in a row that Joseph kept the boy as far away as possible from Archelaus.[1]

***************

At some point this year, Archelaus divorced his wife Marriamme and married his former sister-in-law, Glaphyra![2]

Of course, the Jews were outraged[3], but they couldn’t do anything about it. Archelaus had only broken the laws of Moses – not Caesar. And Augustus was the only one who could punish Judea’s young ruler.

Still, the Jews were determined to get rid of their selfish young Ethnarch[4].

And by next year, they’re going to come up with a plan.

***************

That’s all the news from Israel, for 4 AD.

Now, as for the rest of the Empire...

***************

On February 21st, Gaius Caesar died in Limyra, on the southern coast of Asia Minor. The Emperor’s chosen Heir up till now, Gaius was 22 years old.

Augustus got the news about a month later. The Emperor arranged his grandson’s funeral, but he didn’t have much time to mourn.

Early that spring, Germany rebelled.[5]

Needless to say, this was a stressful year for the 65 year old Emperor. With a war in Europe, and without an Heir, Caesar still had people in the city begging him to bring his daughter back from exile! Augustus dealt with the Julia issue quickly.[6] But the rest took some time.
It took three months, from the news about Gaius, for Caesar to pick a new Heir. And finally, on June 27th, he made his decision official.

Augustus legally adopted his step-son Tiberius – mainly because he had no choice.[7] With Parthia & Armenia a virtual loss, since last year, the Emperor needed his second-best General of all-time to step up in a major way.[8]

But the Emperor required Tiberius to adopt the son of his absolute best General of all-time, Drusus! So Tiberius’ nephew, Germanicus, became his legal son, and the next in line for Caesar’s throne. Germanicus had just turned 19, and all of Rome knew the young man was destined to be a great General and leader.[9]

Finally, as a fallback, Caesar adopted Julia’s last son, Posthumous.[10] But Posthumous was just turning 15 this year. And besides his age, he was a little “off”.

The adoption of Posthumous didn’t mean much, but Germanicus was a clear message from Augustus to Tiberius. And a humbling one.[11]

Tiberius knew Caesar didn’t want him, but had to take him. And Tiberius knew the Emperor wanted his brother’s kid to take over as soon as possible.

Once again, Augustus gave Tiberius a rival less than half his age!

But at least Tiberius had the upper hand, for now…

***************

As soon as everything was legal, Augustus sent Tiberius straight into Germany.

For the rest of the year, the General (now Emperor-to-be) led ___ Legions (…numbers…) into Northwest Germany.[12] Crossing the Rhine River, Tiberius’ forces almost reached the Elbe before winter.[13]

The old General was re-conquering the lands his brother, Drusus, claimed. But Tiberius had not been here before, except the day he watched his brother die. (See 9 BC.)

When the Legions set up their winter-quarters, their General rode back to Italy. Roads thru the Alps were nearly blocked with snow, but Tiberius had nothing left to do in Germany, until Spring.

On the other hand, he felt the urgent need to be near his new father, Augustus. Not to mention, he needed to be seen around the city, in his new status & position.

So, wisely, Tiberius spent the winter in Rome.

***************

By the way, we can’t forget Quirinius!

The Proconsul was the one who brought Gaius’ body back from the East – early this year, as soon as sailing was possible. And then, Quirinius took himself a young bride at a spring wedding!

It had been arranged last year (partly by Livia) and now Quirinius married the young woman, Amelia Lepida.

Lepida had been engaged to Caesar’s ‘son’, Lucius. But those days were over.
Livia’s son was in line for the Empire, now.


Next Year Book: 5 AD


Footnotes to 4 AD:
------------------------
[1] This was Archelaus’ 8th Passover as ruler of Judea, so we call 4 AD his 8th year of rule.

[2] This is the only time Marriamme’s name appears, in history. We don’t know when he met or married her, or why she just happens to have the same name as two of Archelaus’ step-mothers! Glaphyra, on the other hand, was mentioned in the Year Book to 7 BC. Her father was the ‘other’ Archelaus – the King of Cappadoica – and her husband was the ‘real’ Alexander, the son of Herod killed on false charges of treason. Since his death, Glaphyra married a North African King (Juba II, of Mauritania) who either divorced or widowed her. She went back to Cappadoica, but must have visited Judea, because Josephus tells us the Herodian Ethnarch had great affection for her.

[3] Mosaic Law says a single man must marry his brother’s widow if she is childless, but must not marry her if she is already a mother. The Jews were outraged because Glaphyra had children by Alexander – at least one that we know of. At this point, the boy is living in Cappadoica. And in 60 AD, Glaphyra’s grandson, due to his Cappadoican blood, is going to be one of the Emperor Nero’s candidates for the throne of Armenia!

[4] This is as good a time as any to review Archelaus’ accomplishments, as Ethnarch. (We don’t know what year they go in.) He rebuilt his father’s Army, several Palaces, and the city of Jericho. He diverted a stream to make a new city, named Archelais, after himself. He appointed a 2nd high priest, Jesus son of See, to replace Eleazar son of Boethus. He swelled the royal treasuries (that had been nearly empty after 4 BC), partly by ignoring the Year of Rest (twice; Simon the Essene pointed out he took a harvest every single year.) But his biggest sin was probably that of omission – of not helping the Jews rebuild the Temple, while he was spending so much on himself. In short, Archelaus’ selfishness is probably the main reason he’s about to get deposed (see 5 and 6 AD).

[5] Actually, there had been a series of incidents in Germany since 1 AD, but the details are complicated. At any rate, events picked this year to break out into a full-scale war, and it was a major reason why Augustus “yielded” to the choice of Tiberius as heir. (Dio 55.13.1a)
[6] As a compromise, Augustus let Julia move from her small island to Rhegium, on the toe of Italy. This spring, Julia also sent her father her opinion on who he should pick as his next heir.

[7] The new uprising in Germany was a major factor. So were the constant persuasive efforts of Livia. But Caesar expressed his reluctance when he added to the adoption papers, “This I do for reasons of state.”

[8] In a cut-your-losses kind of a year, Augustus had to figure the East was the East, and would probably keep to itself, at least beyond the Euphrates. But Caesar knew the Empire could not afford to neglect (and thus to encourage) the aggressive activities of barbarians so close to the Alps. Security in Europe was paramount.

[9] Germanicus was the son of Drusus and Antonia (See 9 BC). His father was a great General, beloved by the people of Rome, and his mother was the daughter of Augustus’ own sister (Octavia) and Mark Antony! So to put that in common terms… Germanicus was Antony’s Grandson, Augustus’ Grand-nephew, and Julius Caesar’s Great-Grand-nephew! The young man was a true Caesar by blood, and now also in name. (After the adoptions, the 19 year old “Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus” was renamed Germanicus Julius Caesar.)

[10] Younger brother of Gaius & Lucius, Posthumous was born to Julia in 12 BC, right after his father Agrippa died (see background in the Year Book to 7 BC). At this time, he was Caesar’s only living male descendant.

[11] On top of everything just mentioned, Tiberius had to disinherit his own natural son, Drusus (named, of course, after the brother Tiberius loved), in order to legally make Germanicus his sole heir.

But not long after this offense, the young Drusus was appeased by a betrothal with Livilla, who was Germanicus’ sister (thus, also Caesar’s grand-neice, etc). Of course, that’s the same Livilla who was just widowed from Gaius, this February! (So, in a sense, Livia took a bride away from Augustus’ grandson, to give to her own grandson! But the Empress couldn’t do anything about Germanicus… yet!)
[12] One of Tiberius’ lower Generals, for this entire campaign, is the Proconsul Gaius Sentius Saturninus – the same man who conducted Israel’s census from 8 to 7 BC! Saturninus fights with Tiberius next year..

By the way, we should mention at this point, there was another Saturninus (of no known relation) who went to Syria this year, as Governor. The Proconsul L.Volusius Saturninus was appointed by Caesar, some time after Gaius resigned (last autumn) and got there this summer. He does nothing noteworthy, except we’ll mention his name again when he gets replaced by Quirinius in 6 AD.

The only reason to mention this is because we’re keeping a list of the Governors in Syria. But don’t get confused – the Saturninus we care about is Gaius Sentius – the one who’s now in Germany!

[13] Rome’s Legions defeated several tribes in just a few months of fighting: the Canninefates, the Attuarii, the Bructeri and the Cherusci. But that last tribe – the Cherusci – will come back to fight again, before long..


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3 AD

Gaius clings to life in the East while Tiberius bides his time in Rome.
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In January, 3 AD, Jesus was 8 years and 7 months old.

In the last days of March, Joseph & Mary went up to Jerusalem for Passover. But, for the sixth year in a row, Joseph is simply not taking any chances! He made a plan, in 4 BC, to keep Jesus away from Archelaus in Jerusalem. And he means to stick with it.

By the way, this April, Archelaus celebrates his 7th Passover in charge of Judea, marking his 7th year as ruler.

His time wasn’t going to be long.

***************

Not much happened this year, except a stubborn wound refused to heal completely.

Somewhere in Armenia, the Emperor’s Heir was having trouble keeping up his strength. All winter long, he’d stayed near the Legions at the siege of Artagira. And then finally, around spring, the city gave in.

The Romans captured Addon, the Armenian rebel leader. They proclaimed Ariobarzanes the rightful King of Armenia . And the three Syrian Legions marched back to Syria, proclaiming Gaius “Imperator” along with Augustus.

But Gaius’ wound from last Autumn had gotten infected, over the winter. So now he was wounded and seriously ill. Some days, the pain even made it hard to think straight.

And it was in that state, some time after the siege, that Gaius made a huge decision.

He said he didn’t want to go back to Rome.

Gaius was getting some strange advice from certain advisors. Now, we don’t know which ones for sure. We don’t know if Quirinius agreed with their advice. But the end result was this odd decision.

Gaius wrote to Augustus and asked permission to retire in Syria, as a private citizen.

***************

In Rome, the letter made Caesar grieve all over again, less than a year after Lucius’ death. The Emperor took Gaius’ request to the Senate and thought about it for a long time.

After a while, the Emperor wrote back. Augustus begged Gaius to come back to Italy before deciding what he wanted to do for sure.

***************

Caesar’s letter reached his grandson by Autumn. And right away, Gaius dropped all his duties as Governor and left Antioch.

Of course, being so ill, he couldn’t travel very far, very quickly. Before sailing season ended this year, Gaius only managed to make it as far as Limyra, in Lycia.
The ship had to winter there , and the plan was to reach Italy as soon as possible, the next Spring.

But Gaius isn’t going to stay alive until spring.

***************

We already mentioned that Amelia Lepida got engaged (long-distance) sometime this year, to Quirinius. The former bride-to-be of Lucius Caesar is now set to marry the advisor who oversaw the downfall of Gaius.

Livia did her wifely duties to comfort Augustus. The Emperess also tried to keep Tiberius’ name in play as much as possible. Not just around Rome, but especially the Palace!

But the 44 year old Tiberius didn’t do a single thing this year worth mentioning. Partly, he’d gotten used to doing nothing. But mainly, he just wasn’t stupid!
Right now, there was nothing he needed to do…

Late in 3 AD, Tiberius is only months away from being next-in-line for the Imperial Throne!




Next Year Book: 4 AD!


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2 AD

Quirinius advises Gaius. Tiberius gets back to Rome. And Caesar’s grandsons each face a fatal disaster.
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In January, 2 AD, Jesus was 7 years and 7 months old.

In mid-April, Joseph & Mary went up to Jerusalem for Passover. This is the fifth year Jesus stays in Galilee by himself, because of Joseph’s feelings about Judea.

Archelaus was even calling himself “Herod” now. So Joseph made absolutely sure he couldn’t finish what his daddy tried to do – by killing Jesus!

By the way, this is Archelaus’ sixth Passover over Judea. So 2 AD is the 6th year of his rule.

***************

The big events this year are all about Tiberius and his two step-sons, the Emperor’s heirs.

So let’s jump right into the action!

**************

Gaius wintered in Antioch without a chief advisor for some time.

He’d made peace with Tigranes in Syria, and with Phrataces at the Euphrates, last year. So neither Armenia or Parthia was a threat, anymore. Since there wasn’t a war going on, Augustus let Gaius go awhile on his own.

And then war broke out, all over again!

By late winter, Tigranes died, fighting barbarians on his far-eastern border. Gaius sent the news to Augustus, and waited for instructions.

In Rome, Caesar got the news at the onset of Spring. Quickly, the Emperor picked a replacement King for Armenia, and a new advisor for Gaius. The new King was a Mede named Ariobarzanes. And the new advisor was a Proconsul who’d recently won a difficult war in the East, in Galatia!

Publius Sulpicius Quirinius sailed from Italy as soon as the weather was safe enough. He made it to Antioch, Syria by the end of May.

And so Quirinius introduced himself to Gaius Caesar.

By that time there was a new rebellion going on in Armenia. The Emperor’s instructions were for Gaius & Quirinius to march into Media and get Ariobarzanes (who’d spent time in Rome, with Augustus, at one time). Then, they had to march the Mede into Armenia and stay long enough to make sure the Armenians were going to support their new King.

Simple as mud, it was sure to fail.

What Augustus didn’t realize is that the Armenians would rebel as soon as they heard the new King was a Mede.

And Gaius was bound for disaster.

But before all that happened – before Gaius & Quirinius left Syria – the new chief advisor had news for his commander, young Caesar.

***************

Quirinius had stopped on Rhoads, before he made it to Syria. And he’d seen Tiberius, there.

Somehow, Quirinius convinced Gaius that his stepfather was willing to live quietly in Rome. He told Gaius the things Tiberius admitted to Augustus (last year). And he advised the young Caesar that Lollius had probably made up the worst rumors, about the Exile.

Whatever finally did it, Gaius said okay.

The Emperor’s condition had been met. Tiberius could go home. And Quirinius suggested the young man should put it in writing to Augustus, before they marched East, into war.

This is NOT a small thing. And it’s thanks to Quirinius.

But exactly what happened next… is still a mystery!

***************

Gaius & Quirinius marched into Media. They found Ariobarzanes and brought him along. They got to Armenia and announced he was King.

Then everything went crazy!

The Armenians revolted. A man named Addon became their leader, and wound up inside a city named Artagira. Then Gaius’ Legions besieged Artagira, with Addon inside it.
And here is the hard-to-believe part.

During the siege, Addon invited Gaius to come close to the wall and talk.
Gaius must not have known what an awful idea that was. Or else, maybe, he got some bad advice…

The Emperor-in-training went up to see Addon. The rebel king took out a hidden sword. And Gaius barely escaped, with a major wound.

The wound was large, bad, and nearly fatal. It was the kind of wound that takes a long time to heal, and threatens your life the whole time, until it heals.

Clearly, Gaius made a very bad decision.

It’s a real mystery how Quirinius ever let Gaius go up to that wall…

***************

Meanwhile, at about the same time as Gaius got wounded, Livia was welcoming Tiberius back into Rome.

The Emperor’s step-son promised to stay out of public life. He moved to a smaller home, kept mostly to himself, and spent time with his natural son, Drusus, and his personal astrologer, Thrasyllus.

Shortly after Tiberius’ return, sad news came to Rome... but not about Gaius!

Augustus had sent his other grandson, Lucius, on a mission to Spain. The ship had stopped at Massilia, on the way. At that port, Lucius came down with a sudden, mysterious illness. And then he died.

It was shortly after this shocking news that Rome found out about Gaius, too. And since it all happened so close to Tiberius’ homecoming, people just naturally began to talk.

There were lots of rumors that Livia had something to do with it. But no one was ever quite able to prove it.

We only know one thing for sure, that Livia did this year.

***************

Before winter, the Emperess of Rome paid a visit to the family of a poor, sad teenage girl.

The girl’s name was Amelia Lepida. She was sad because her husband-to-be had just died in Massilia, on his way to Spain! And since Livia had helped Augustus arrange the betrothal between Amelia & Lucius, it was Livia who felt bound to go offer comfort to the family, when Lucius died that Autumn.

By the way, Livia did encourage the family to find a new husband for young Amelia. And early next year, they’ll settle on someone. Actually, with Livia’s help, they’re going to pick a man who wasn’t even in Rome to meet the girl, when he agreed.

By early next year, Amelia Lepida is going to become engaged… to the Proconsul Quirinius!



Next Year Book: 3 AD!


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1 AD

Gaius restores Nabatea and marches to Parthia.
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First things first. No, Jesus wasn’t born in 1 BC, but people used to think he was. The man who created our BC/AD calendar system was a bit off. He thought the Lord was born on December 25 of a certain year, so he called it 1 BC and made the next month 1 AD. (There is no “Year Zero”.) For the record, the man’s name was Dionysius Exiguus and he did his work in the year we now call “525 AD”.

Jesus was actually born in 7 BC.

(Click on that link, or stay here to see what happened in 1 AD.)

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In January, 1 AD, Jesus was 6 years and 7 months old.

In late March, Joseph & Mary went up to Jerusalem for Passover. For the fourth straight year, Joseph left Jesus in Galilee, because he feared Archelaus.

This was the fifth Passover Archelaus ruled over Judea. His rule was about the same this year, as before. The Ethnarch kept on filling his treasuries, and paid no respects to his people.

The Jews were getting more and more irritated with their rich young Herodian. Archelaus didn’t know it yet, but his days in power were just about half-over!

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Archelaus’ brother, Herod-Antipas, was doing well in Galilee. At the start of 1 AD, Antipas was waiting to hear from Rome about his treaty with Aretas.

In Arabia, the former King Aretas was waiting to see if he would get his crown and Kingdom back.

And hundreds of miles north of those two, in Antioch, Syria, young Gaius Caesar was just getting ready to deliver that news.

Here’s how it happened…

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After Augustus told Gaius to wait in Syria, the Emperor’s prediction came true. (See 1 BC.)
Very early this year, Parthian Messengers came to Rome with a letter from King Phrataces. The letter basically told Caesar to leave them alone and let them control Armenia.[1]

Naturally, Augustus didn’t back down. The Emperor wrote back and told Phrataces to give up his crown and get out of Armenia!

Then Augustus sent a new letter to Gaius in Syria.

Caesar knew Phrataces was afraid of their Legions.[2] And the Emperor was pretty sure he could win this war with letters... but it was going to take a while.[3] So Augustus told Gaius to go on down to Arabia.

Then, six weeks later, Gaius got that letter.

***************

By March 1st, the Emperor’s Grandson was riding south towards Northern Arabia.

Gaius met with Aretas in Petra and gave the good news.[4] The nineteen year old Emperor-in-training stayed just long enough to make a good, firm impression. Then Gaius took the Legion Varus had placed there (in 3 BC) and marched it away from Nabatea.

Along the way, Gaius let the Legion keep marching north while he took a side trip thru Israel.
Gaius saw Herod-Archelaus in Jerusalem and Herod-Antipas in Galilee.[5] The heir of Augustus was still on his coming out tour.[6] Plus, Gaius gave Antipas the same news Aretas got, about their treaty.

Now Antipas knew he was really engaged.[7]

And Archelaus knew his brother had passed him, in Caesar’s eyes. But this year, Archelaus also learned that the Emperor could be forgiving to a bad client king!

It wasn’t really the kind of lesson Archelaus needed.[8]

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Please note: Archelaus is a few years from getting himself into major trouble. So we’ll have lots more to say about him, before long.

But Aretas & Antipas are now ruling wisely and peacefully. And naturally, that means they don’t show up much in the history, for a while.[9]

The alliance between Nabatea and Galilee is going to last right up until the days of John the Baptist.

We’ll hear a bit more about Antipas, before then.

But nothing else about Aretas, until 28 AD.

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While Gaius was busy in Nabatea and Israel, the Roman and Parthian Messengers were still carrying letters!

Before spring, King Phrataces had gotten Caesar’s letter. He sent a proud, defiant reply. But a part of him was starting to worry…

Phrataces began to realize the Nobles in his country didn’t want a war with Rome. And his ally in Armenia, King Tigranes, actually sent a letter to Caesar asking for peace![10]

Caesar wrote back and told Tigranes to visit Gaius in Syria. But Caesar didn’t write back to Phrataces… and that silence turned out to be louder than war drums!

By mid-summer, Phrataces sent new Messengers, to ask for peace.[11]

And by autumn, Gaius marched all three Syrian Legions to their border with Parthia. They were going to have a peace ceremony there, on the Euphrates River.

But the young Caesar got a big surprise, during the event.

Gaius & Phrataces had a gourmet luncheon on the Euphrates.[12] At some point, the young Parthian shocked his new ally with evidence of a Roman traitor! The King accused Gaius’ chief advisor, Marcus Lollius, of taking bribes to turn against his fellow Romans.

So on the way back to Antioch, Gaius put Lollius out of his inner circle. And a few days later, Lollius killed himself.[13]

Which does two important things to our story…

First, the young Caesar needs a new chief advisor, while he winters in Antioch. And second, Lollius couldn’t lie to Gaius about Tiberius, anymore! (More on that, soon.)

Just remember – the fate of an Empire can turn on one death. Or two, in this case.

But we won’t see that second death until next year…

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Before we leave 1 AD[14], let’s check on Tiberius.

The Exile kept writing letters to Augustus, begging the Emperor to let him come back to Rome. Tiberius was so desperate, he even confessed the true reason he’d left in 6 BC. He told Caesar it was only to get out of Gaius & Lucius’ way, so no one would think he resented them.

Augustus never backed down. But after a while, Caesar finally told Tiberius he could come home if and only if Gaius personally said it was okay.

Now, at this time, Augustus and Tiberius both knew Gaius didn’t want his step-father around.

But they didn’t know how much Lollius had been a factor, in Gaius’ feelings. And they didn’t yet imagine just how quickly the young Emperor-in-training might be able to change his mind!

***************

One major player has yet to be mentioned, this year.

Livia!

As Augustus’ wife and Tiberius’ mother, the Emperess kept herself well informed of everything. With pillow-talk from the Emperor and letters from the Exile, Livia knew just what those two were saying to each other.[15]

So this year, she finally heard what would save her son.

Before the end of 1 AD, the Emperess Julia-Livia found out there was only one thing keeping Tiberius from coming back to Rome. And Gaius was that thing!

But that’s not to say Livia could do anything about it…

Or could she?



Next Year Book: 2 AD!
---------------
Footnotes to 1 AD:

[1] Phrataces offensively addressed the Emperor only as “Caesar”. He defended Parthian actions in Armenia and demanded Augustus send his four half-brothers back home. (He saw them as threats - see 1 BC notes.)

[2] Clearly! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered sending messengers and trying to act tough!

[3] Parthia was a 7-8 week trip, for a Roman messenger. And the Parthians probably went even slower (not being able to trade horses thru Roman territory, like Augustus’ men could do). So when Augustus sends this letter, he knows it’s going to be nearly four months, at least, before he gets Phrataces’ official response. Add to that another six weeks to notify Gaius of the results, and the Emperor had only two options – either keep his young heir sitting idle in Antioch for five or six months – or he could tell Gaius to get the southern mission out of the way as quickly as possible. Since we know Gaius winds up having a busy Autumn, these letter-sending months must have run something like January to June, or possibly March to August at the latest.

[4] Thanks to Aretas’ new peace treaty with Herod-Antipas, Nabatea was reinstated as an independent “Client-Kingdom”. Aretas was allowed to reclaim the title of King and to resume minting coins with his picture on them. Gaius also must have stressed Rome’s expectation of peaceful interaction with their Jewish neighbors. And with that, it is at this point that the Nabateans cease to be “subjects” of the Roman Empire. (See Strabo 16.4.21 and Bowersock’s Roman Arabia, Chapter Four.

[5] By about this time, both men were using Herod’s name on their coins as a title of respect.

[6] Gaius may have fancied himself as following the footsteps of Alexander the Great (touring the whole East in a couple of years). Augustus later (in a letter) specifically complimented Gaius for refraining from offering sacrifices at Jerusalem – a task no Roman commander would stoop to, but which Alexander had done, famously, on his first and only visit to the Jews’ Holy City.

[7] Betrothed, that is, to Aretas’ pre-pubescent daughter. (See 1 BC.)

[8] Archelaus should have noticed that the Emperor might have enough space now, in Syria, to annex a new kingdom – now that he’d un-annexed Nabatea!

[9] The wedding between Antipas and the Nabatean Princess happens some time in the next several years. We don’t know just when, and it doesn’t really matter. He’s going to take a new wife in 27 AD, and she’ll run out on him in 28 AD. Meanwhile, Aretas the King goes on, after 1 AD, to lead his people into their own very prosperous Golden Age for several years, that last even after the divorce. (See Bowersock’s Roman Arabia.)

[10] Tigranes didn’t write to Rome at all until he saw that Caesar wasn’t backing down. And about that time, he suddenly decided to switch back to his old alliance!

[11] The Parthian King backed off the tough-talk, dropped his demands, and promised to stay out of Armenia!

[12] They dined in three courses, in three locations: an island in the river, then once again on each riverbank. One of the Roman officers present at this event was the ancient author Vellius Paterculus. By the way, Phrataces and Gaius were very close in age.
[13] We don’t know whether Lollius killed himself, or it was reported that way, or it was made to look that way.

[14] Let’s also mention, briefly, there was a small outbreak in Germany this year, and the Danube Legions dealt with it, to some extent. But Caesar couldn’t commit much effort to it, because of Parthia & Armenia.

[15] Livia also learned this year, after Tiberius did, of the threat that was made somewhere in Asia, by Gaius’ dinner guest. The threat was made nearly a year before they heard about it, but it sounded recent. For this and other reasons (Suet.2.13), this was the year Tiberius & Livia both became desperately concerned about his safety.



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Note: the AD-BC Calendar has no "Year Zero". That means basic math is "off by one" when calculating the age of something, from BC to AD. So, if you're counting... just count carefully!


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1 BC

Aretas plots with Antipas in Galilee. Parthia stirs Armenia to revolt. And Caesar sends young Gaius to settle it all!
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In January, 1 BC, Jesus was 5 years and 7 months old.

In early April, Joseph & Mary went up to Jerusalem for Passover. For the third time, Joseph left Jesus behind in Nazareth, to keep him away from Archelaus.

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That month, Archelaus marked his 4th Passover as ruler of Southern Israel.

This year, the 21 year old Ethnarch kept his Army busy, rebuilding Jericho and creating a new village named after himself. He also grew the size of his treasuries, and kept on feasting with his friends.

But still, Archelaus refused to give the Jews two shekels for the Temple rebuilding project.

Eventually, that stingy nature is going to catch up with the young Prince... but not just yet.

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Archelaus’ brother, Antipas, was starting his 4th year as Tetrarch of Galilee . His rebuilding project was still going slowly, at Sepphoris. But at least his own Palace was completely rebuilt, which was handy!

Late last year, Antipas hosted Aretas the Nabatean, for a peace summit. The former king was still trying to get his crown back, by making peace with Israel. And sometime over the winter, Aretas struck a major deal with Antipas!

Now, at this time Aretas was about 28 years old and Antipas was just 19. But Antipas wasn’t married yet, while Aretas had a daughter who was almost 10. Of course, the timing wasn’t perfect, but the benefits were clear.

Both Aretas & Antipas knew that Augustus loved weddings! In fact, Caesar really liked setting up marriages between the Royal Families around the Empire.

So they made it official. Antipas signed a treaty with Aretas, setting a certain number of years for the engagement period. And Aretas gave Antipas costly gifts, as an early wedding present. But even then, the treaty wasn’t official until Augustus approved it.

Now, all that happened over the Winter. So it was still early in 1 BC when Nabatean & Galilean messengers left for Rome, going overland to get there before Spring.

In Rome, Caesar saw the ambassadors right away. But he wasn’t sure Aretas’ punishment had lasted long enough.

The Emperor told the ambassadors he’d have to think about it for a while, and also wait to see if Aretas could behave for just a while longer. Then Augustus told the messengers to sail home, and promised to send word by next year.

Meanwhile, the Tetrarch and his future father-in-law waited to get Caesar’s decision.

Suddenly, Caesar had much bigger problems…

****************

By early Spring, Augustus heard about a revolt in Armenia. The Armenian King, Tigranes III, had joined sides with King Prataces (& his mother, Queen Musa) in the nearby Kingdom of Parthia.

All details aside, Caesar took it as a threat to Roman Authority, and he had to do something about it! But Augustus felt like his options were slim…

First of all, the Emperor himself was too old to go (now age 63). And Tiberius, of course, had refused to go in 6 BC. Augustus couldn’t put himself in a begging position, to ask Tiberius to come back.

The only person Caesar felt like he could send was his 18 year old grandson, Gaius. So the Emperor called his heir back from Europe.

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Once in Rome, Gaius married his 13 year old cousin, Livilla, to gain the status of a married man. Then Augustus was legally able to give Gaius the special powers he needed, for his mission.

Actually, Gaius had two missions. Caesar was now sending Gaius to North Arabia, to restore the Kingdom of Nabatea. But Augustus told his son the Arabian Mission was less important, and could wait awhile.

The Emperor also chose advisors for Gaius, the main one being Marcus Lollius. Finally, Caesar told his son to visit important cities in Greece and Asia, along the way. (Augustus figured a future Emperor needs to see the lands he’s going to rule, at least once!)

It was already summer when Gaius & Lollius finally sailed away from Italy, with their team. They stopped at Athens and sailed around the Agean Sea.

By July, they were touring the Islands of Chios & Samos… which was just a quick sail up from Rhoads.

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Of course, Gaius’ step-dad was still living on Rhoads. But this summer, Tiberius was facing a personal crisis!

When the Emperor banished Julia, last year, Tiberius figured it was time to worry about his own neck. Now the man who had exiled himself wanted to go home. So this spring, as soon as boats could sail, Tiberius started writing letters to Caesar asking for permission to sail back to Rome.

The real crisis was that his Tribunican Power was set to expire on July 1st. Even though Tiberius lived quietly in exile, his personal staff, soldiers and bodyguards kept him secure. But all that was about to expire! So Tiberius was worried he might not be safe anymore.

Back in Rome, the Emperor got Tiberius’ letters. But Augustus was still furious at his step-son for Rhoads and the Armenians! Augustus sent back that since Tiberius had abandoned his family once, he should give up trying to see them again!

Tiberius was no longer self-exiled. He was now officially stranded!

And then, right after his powers had fully expired, Tiberius heard that Gaius was nearby.

The Exile’s only hope was to win over his son. So Tiberius sailed up to Samos, to pay his respects.

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On Samos, Young Caesar was cold to his step-father.

Tiberius didn’t know that Lollius, Gaius’ advisor, was telling lies about him. Lollius even spread a rumor that Tiberius was plotting to start a revolt with his former Legions.

Tiberius bowed at his step-son’s feet, begging him to believe in his good-will. But Gaius stayed distant, at best.

The Exile sailed back to Rhoads totally humiliated, and much worse off than before.
Gaius’ team traveled onward. And one night, at dinner, one of his men stood up and told Gaius, “Just say the word, and I’ll sail to Rhoads, and bring back the head of the Exile!”

Gaius passed on the offer. But next year this story is going to get back to Tiberius!

Actually, the only thing that saved Tiberius’ neck, this year, was his Mom! Caesar’s wife, Livia, begged her husband to give her son some kind of help. And finally, Augustus agreed to make Tiberius the official ambassador to Rhoads.

It was nonsense, of course. But it gave Tiberius a small staff and a few bodyguards. And it gave his mother a story she could tell around Rome, to save face.

Livia was still trying to maintain what was left of Tiberius’ reputation, in Rome.

***************

Meanwhile, Gaius kept moving East, and made it to Antioch, Syria, before Winter.
When he got there, a letter was waiting from Caesar.

Augustus was secretly worried about Gaius’ safety, and hoped the Parthians might back down without a fight.

As it happened, Phrataces sent messengers to Rome the moment he heard that Gaius was on his way. And then Augustus wrote and told his grandson to wait.

The Emperor was going to try and force a surrender… by mail!

So Gaius settled into Antioch and waited there... until the year 1 AD.




Next Year Book: 1 AD!


Read more!

2 BC

Caesar kicks his daughter Julia out of Rome. Quirinius meets with Tiberius on Rhoads. And Aretas the Nabatean offers peace to Israel's new rulers.
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In January, 2 BC, the Lord Jesus was 4 years & 7 months old. He was growing up in Nazareth because his parents were worried about Herod’s son, Archelaus.

In mid-March, Joseph & Mary went down to Judea for Passover. Like last year, they left Jesus behind, to stay with family.

This was Archelaus’ third year as ruler of Judea.

***************

Archelaus wanted to restore everything he’d lost in the war after Herod died. He needed to rebuild Jericho and a few palaces, plus re-fill the royal treasuries while he kept paying his new Army.

The Jerusalem Council kept hoping he’d spend a little on the Temple, but it never happened. Their new Ethnarch was a 21 year old who liked throwing parties and planned to stay wealthy. Basically, Archelaus hoarded every drachma and denarius he ever got. And money was extra tight this year, since the Resting Year was still going on.

The Sanhedrin had no extra money to rebuild the Temple Walls. In fact, the priests were still clearing rubble by themselves, for free.

But the priests weren’t the only ones making repairs…

***************

In Galilee, Antipas was rebuilding the Palace of Sepphoris. Antipas’ money was tight, too. His project was also scheduled to take several years.

In the Golan, Philip was still saving money for his future building projects. Worse yet, he had to undo the new name he’d put on Bethsaida, last year.

Late this year, the Tetrarch told the Elders of that city they were not to call themselves “Julias” anymore.

This year, the Emperor exiled his daughter, Julia.

***************

Augustus Caesar stayed very busy this year, in Rome.

In Spring, the Emperor dedicated his new Forum Augustum & Temple of Mars.

Caesar also introduced his second son, Lucius Caesar, into public life. The young man put on his Toga of Manhood just three years after his big brother, Gaius Caesar. Of course, the Senate voted all the same honors to Lucius as they voted to Gaius in 5 BC.

Gaius himself was heading for Europe, later this year. Augustus wanted him to practice being in command of the Danube Legions during a peaceful year.

Young Gaius & Lucius were the pride of all Rome. Then their mother Julia finally got caught in adultery.

Before Summer, Augustus found out about Julia’s wild parties and the Senators she’d been with. Augustus banished or killed all the Romans who’d slept with his daughter. He even thought about killing her, too.

Augustus himself was a seasoned adulterer. But he refused to forgive Julia, publicly condemned her and openly wished she would kill herself.

The Emperor couldn’t decide what to do, so he locked her up in the Palace for a long time.

Meanwhile, he wrote up divorce papers in Tiberius’ name and sent copies to his step-son, on Rhoads.

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Tiberius started his fifth year on the Island living quietly, like before. By mid-summer, he’d heard about Julia. Then he got the papers from Augustus.

Secretly, Tiberius was thrilled to be divorced from Julia. But he knew it was his duty to try and help his wife. So, partly from duty and partly just for show, Tiberius began writing letters to the Emperor, asking him to forgive Julia.

Of course, Tiberius had to find people heading to Rome, to carry his letters. But that was no problem, because Tiberius usually had lots of visitors.

In those years, whenever powerful Romans were sailing to the East, most would stop at Rhoads to pay their respects to Tiberius.

One such visitor this year, around August, was the Proconsul P. Sulpicius Quirinius.

Now, this is really important! Whatever Tiberius & Quirinius talked about on Rhoads, this summer, it must have gone really well.

From this point forward, Tiberius begins to develop a lifelong respect and gratitude towards Quirinius.

Pay close attention to Quirinius, the next couple of years.

***************

Now, when Quirinius left Rhoads, he took one of Tiberius’ letters with him. The Emperor’s step-son told his new friend he might have to deliver the letter to his mother, Livia.

Back in Rome, Augustus was so angry and ashamed of Julia that he spent a long time alone. The Emperor stayed in the Palace for months and refused to meet with anyone at all. Naturally, this was still going on when Quirinius arrived.

The Proconsul took Tiberius’ letter to Augustus’ wife, as suggested. And Livia herself was happy to make her own connection with Quirinius.

Livia gave Tiberius’ latest letter to her husband, but the Emperor refused to forgive Julia. Augustus did cheer up a bit, however, when Livia told him Quirinius was back.

Augustus was excited about the Homanadensian War. He’d been planning it for 23 years, and now it was won. The Emperor not only needed some good news, he’d been hoping for a chance to throw a victory parade in the new Forum.

So Augustus came out of seclusion to celebrate Quirinius’ hard-fought victory. This was Caesar’s first chance to celebrate a War Victory in his new Martian Temple.

A modest parade wound thru the city, ending up at the Temple of Mars in the new Forum. Quirinius gave his scepter and crown to the idol, and Augustus promised to put up a bronze statue of the Proconsul.

With such honors, plus newfound favor from the whole Imperial family, Quirinius was on the rise.

We really ought to follow the rest of his career with great interest.

***************

Before October, Augustus finally decided what to do with Julia. The Emperor sent her to live under guard on the small island of Pandataria.

Augustus’ first wife, Scribonia, chose to share her daughter Julia’s exile. The guards did not allow either woman to drink wine or have male visitors.

Caesar never uttered Julia’s name again. To the end of his life, he only called her a boil and an ulcer.

***************

One last thing, before we move past 2 BC. Aretas the Nabatean was no longer King. But he wanted to get his crown back!

Aretas had decided to take Varus’ advice. This Arab Ruler was going to show Augustus he could make peace with his Jewish neighbors.

All year long, Aretas made efforts to please the Three Rulers of Israel. Nabatean messengers brought letters and expensive gifts to Archelaus, Anipas and Philip.

Now, Aretas didn’t get very far with Archelaus. The Ethnarch of the Jews had the most to forgive, since the Arabs had burned down two cities in his territory. Still, several valuable presents really helped the young Ethnarch with his money problems. Soon, Archelaus agreed to make a new, peaceful start between South Israel and Nabatea.

In the North, Aretas’ messengers paid only modest attention to Philip. The truth is, all Nabateans were still bitter about 20 BC, and secretly disputed over half of Philip’s whole territory.

But Philip was no fool. He knew more than half the people in his Eastern regions were Nabatean Arabs. Plus, he knew the history! The youngest Tetrarch figured he was lucky to have Aretas even asking for peace at all. So Philip quickly agreed.
This just left Antipas, in Galilee.

As it happened, the Nabatean messengers did much better in Galilee, than they did in Judea or the Golan.

In fact, their dealings with Antipas were going so well, there was talk of a possible marriage alliance!

Soon enough, Antipas was inviting Aretas himself to come up for a visit.

And the rest of that story is best told next year, in 1 BC…

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Next Chapter: 1 BC


Read more!

3 BC

Herod’s three sons begin ruling Israel. Joseph continues keeping Jesus out of Judea. Varus punishes Aretas. And Quirinius ends his war in Galatia.
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On January 1st of 3 BC, the Lord Jesus was 3 years old. For much of the year, Jesus spent his time doing what other 3 year olds did in the ancient world. He played in the dirt!

Now, at some later age, Jesus is going to remember when he made that dirt. But first, he needs time to grow into that awareness.

The Father sent Jesus to grow up and live as a human being. So he played in the dirt. And he lived with his parents in Mary’s father’s house, in Nazareth.

Joseph & Mary have been back in Galilee for eight months, now, plus this year. Joseph is finding enough work to help out, while slowly building up his business.

But you know, that’s life!

Things just take time.

***************

And speaking of time… It took most of last year to get Israel settled down, after King Herod died. And now Herod’s son Archelaus was coming back to rule his people, the Jews.

Archelaus & his advisor Ptolemy have been riding back from Rome, since November. A small Roman escort and some of the young Ruler’s friends rode with them.
They had reasons to be in a hurry.

First of all, Archelaus wanted to make sure he saw Passover at Jerusalem. After the troubles last year, the ex-Prince wanted all of Israel to see that Augustus Caesar had made him their “Ethnarch”.

Next, Archelaus knew that Judea had seen most of the fighting in 4 BC. In Rome, he’d heard that his treasury might have been raided. Also, letters claimed the Jerusalem Palace had been threatened at one point. The new Ruler had to find out how much he had left to rule with!

Archelaus’ team reached Jerusalem before February. They had 2 months until Passover, but plenty to do…

Archelaus & Ptolemy had to meet with the Elders of Jerusalem. They met with Gratus, who told them there were still a few rebels at large.

Athronges “the Shepherd-King” was still at large, and his Four Brothers were still running their Bands of Robbers all over South Judea & Idumea. Their Archers would shoot & ride off so fast, the Roman Patrols had nothing but trouble all winter long, trying to find them.

Of course, it was humbling for Archelaus to even think about the Roman Fort sitting outside Jerusalem. No matter what title the Ruler held, the Jews all knew who was really in charge – it was Rome!

Finally, inside the Holy City itself, the Ethnarch found his Royal Palace still standing, but robbed bare! Then he found out the Towers and the Temple Treasury had been cleaned out, too. Plus, the Temple Walls were still in rubble.

What a lousy homecoming!

Basically, Archelaus found out he was still at war… but he couldn’t raise an Army… because he was broke, too!

The only good news was that Spring was coming soon. Springtime was money season for the ruler of Israel. So Archelaus waited for the money to come in.

The only thing the new Jewish Ethnarch actually did, before summer, was a religious duty! To make the people happy, Archelaus deposed the High Priest Joazar, son of Boethus. Then he chose Eleazar, son of Boethus (Joazar’s brother) to be the new High Priest.

Archelaus enjoyed putting in a new High Priest.

He got to prove he was the only one who could!

***************

Now let’s get back to Nazareth.

By late February, everyone had heard that Herod’s son Archelaus was back in Judea. But the rumor was also going around that Galilee had been given to Antipas.

Joseph was thrilled for Nazareth & Galilee to be under Antipas – as long as it kept Archelaus away from Jesus.

The carpenter never forgot the way he’d felt running out of Bethlehem, to save Mary’s child, in 7 BC. That same fear was what came back to him when he heard about Archelaus after last year’s Passover riot.

Of course, it made no sense to imagine that Herod’s son would also try to kill Jesus. (Or that only the worst son was a threat, and not the other two.) But that’s what fear is. Fear doesn’t have to make sense.

Joseph was afraid that Archelaus would hurt Jesus. So he refused to ever bring the child into Judea.

Sure enough, in early April, Joseph & Mary left Jesus with family, during Passover. Like most other Jews in Israel, they went up to the Festival, stayed about a week, and came home. Two months later, Jesus celebrated his 4th birthday.

Joseph simply made it his mission to keep the child safe.

***************

Israel’s Passover came and went peacefully, in 3 BC.

The “Money Season” began to kick in for Archelaus, and for the City Council of Jerusalem, too.

The Sanhedrin was still running the city without Fifty of their Eldest council members. And now they had Archelaus to deal with.

Late last year, the Sanhedrin had hoped they might get some financial help from Archelaus to rebuild the Temple. But now things were going the other way around. The Ethnarch expected a higher percent of the Sanhedrin’s income… he said it was to pay for the war.

The Jerusalem Council realized their new Ruler was going to keep most of Judea poor, so he could get rich again.

Just like his father, Herod, had done.

***************

Meanwhile, Herod’s other children were still in Rome.

Last year, Antipas & Philip didn’t have to hurry back like Archelaus did. So they waited until Passover ended, which was right around the start of sailing season.
Sailing East in the Great Sea is always faster than sailing West. With the right ship, it only takes about a month to reach Palestine.

Antipas & Philip took the Royal Ship down to Egypt, and up to Caesarea. They were home before Pentecost.

The Fifty Elders had been waiting all winter, too. Without their own ship, it took them longer to find space on different boats. They took whatever route was available, and got back within two months. Some made it back for the Pentecost, and some didn’t. But the Sanhedrin was all together again, before July.

Everyone who’d made a power grab, last year, was finally done. (Except the Southern Robbers, still!)

This year – 3 BC – set the new Status Quo.

***************

Soon after Pentecost, Archelaus finally had enough money to raise an Army with. Now he could truly control his people, by fear, like his dad did!

Now he could also (finally) end last year’s war.

When Archelaus started hiring local mercenaries, it wasn’t long before they beat all the Robbers. The Commander Gratus defeated one of the Brothers. Ptolemy defeated another. Even Archelaus himself actually led a group of soldiers to capture the third Brother.

Before winter, the fourth Brother of Athronges found himself all alone, with no one left to help him. Athronges and the others were all dead or captured. So finally, after a year of fighting, the last Jewish “rebel” gave up.

The war was finally over. Southern Israel was secure.

***************

Legion Twelve “Thunder-Arms” stayed in Judea just long enough to make sure they were no longer needed.

The Governor of Syria found out Archelaus’ new Army was doing just fine. So, before the end of 3 BC, he sent the word for Legion XII to withdraw.

But everyone in Israel knew how quickly more Legions could return.

Rome had even more power in Israel, than before.

***************

Up in North Israel, Antipas & Philip had work to do too.

Antipas came back to Galilee to find Sepphoris burned down and his first project was to rebuild it. As the new Tetrarch of Galilee, Antipas needed a Capital City, not to mention a Palace. But with a limited budget, the project was going to take years – maybe even a decade.

By mid-summer, Antipas’ messengers were recruiting carpenters, masons and craftsmen from all nearby towns, including Nazareth!

This meant Joseph suddenly found more work! But the struggling carpenter didn’t have to walk seven miles to and from Sepphoris. So many Nazarene carpenters went, there was plenty of work for the ones who stayed.

Thanks to Antipas, Joseph’s business grew a bit more, this year. They kept living with Mary’s family, grateful again to be part of Antipas’ Tetrarchy.

***************

Across the River and Lake from Galilee, Philip settled into his territory. But the youngest Herodian Tetrarch had a very small budget and nothing to fix!

Philip made plans to build up the city of Panias for his capital, and to rename it “Caesarea Philippi”. But Philip didn’t have the money to start building anything this year. So, to make his mark and to honor Augustus, he renamed a small town after the Emperor’s daughter, Julia.

This year, the Elders of Bethsaida, by the Lake, found out they now lived in ”Julias”. But they didn’t have to like it…

Philip would be changing it back very soon.

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Just about that time, in Rome, Julia was on the verge of getting herself into major trouble!

Remember, Augustus’ first born, Julia, was married to his step-son, Tiberius. The couple couldn’t stand each other, and then Tiberius moved to the island of Rhoads. (See 6 BC.) Since then, Julia had decided to live like she was single!

Actually, the Emperor’s daughter was throwing some pretty wild parties. She was doing lots of things with lots of men that aren’t polite to print. A few Senators, even, were getting very friendly with Caesar’s daughter.

Julia carried on like this all year long. But Augustus isn’t going to find out until next year…

***************

Meanwhile, this year brought major news from Parthia. Far east of Israel, the Queen and Prince of Parthia – Musa and Phrataces – murdered the King of Parthia, Phraates IV.

This was very bad news. Phraates IV had been an ally of Caesar, but Phrataces was unstable. In fact, Musa & Phrataces are going to start a war (next year) that will change the future course of the whole Empire!

***************

What else was going on in Rome, this year?

Caesar spent most of this year building his new Forum and Temple to Mars. But he got interrupted around mid-summer, when a strange visitor came into Italy.

A Jewish man walked into Rome who claimed to be (and looked exactly like) Herod the Great’s dead son, Alexander! Oddly enough, this “Fake Alexander” had spent the winter and spring touring Synagogues in the Greek world. He acted like royalty, made up a story to explain why he was “still alive”, and conned lots of people into paying for his trip to Rome.

When he got there, Fake-Alex tried to claim the throne of Israel! But Caesar wasn’t fooled. The Emperor found a man named Celadus, who knew the real Alexander from his time in Rome. Celadus saw a difference in the man’s face, and callouses on his hands which no royal Prince would ever have.

Augustus threatened the Faker and got the real story. Then Caesar killed the Mastermind who’d been coaching the imposter. But Fake Alex was sent to row ships in the Emperor’s fleet. And that was that.

But long before that strange business, Augustus made one decision this year that was truly important…

***************

Augustus had to punish Aretas, King of Nabatea.

Late last year, the Emperor learned how the Nabatean Army had looted & burned down two Jewish cities, during the war in Israel. It wasn’t clear whether Aretas had ordered or just overlooked the war crimes, but Augustus was outraged, anyway.

Since then, the Emperor had been thinking over his options. And early this year, he made up his mind.

Augustus sent a messenger to Varus in Syria, who arrived before Spring. And by early Summer, Varus was on the march, down to Northern Arabia, to meet with the King.

In Petra, the Nabatean capital, Varus told Aretas how unhappy the Emperor was, and what he’d decided.

Nabatea was no longer a “client-Kingdom”. It was now part of Syria. Aretas could act as a regional manager, under the Governor, but Aretas was no longer a “king”. Also, one Legion would stay at Petra, to make sure the Nabateans stayed obedient to Rome.

Aretas’ army was disbanded, and he lost the right to mint coins with his face on them. The Nabatean got to keep his Palace, but none of his power. If Aretas refused, he knew Varus could be back in less than a month with two more of Rome’s Legions.

But Varus gave the former-King a bit of hope with some personal advice. The Governor told Aretas he guessed the punishment might not be forever.

Varus said the Emperor was only interested in peace, and that no Governor of Syria wanted these extra duties so far south of Antioch. Varus suggested that if Aretas could make peace with Israel, then he might get his crown back.

Aretas thought it all over as Varus rode out. He hated Herod the Great, and was being asked to make peace with Herod’s sons.

That plus the punishments was an awful lot to swallow, and the former king needed time to process everything. But before 3 BC was over, he knew what he had to do.

And we’ll hear more about what Aretas actually did, in the next couple of years!

***************

By the way, Publius Quinctillius Varus is now done in the East. The Nabatean mission was his last major task from the 48 months he Governed Syria.

Around July 1st, a new Governor sailed into Selucia, Syria, and made his way up to Antioch. Varus spent a month or so turning over control, and sailed for Rome by about August.

The new Governor of Syria was a famous, well respected Proconsul of Rome, named Lucius Calpurnius Piso.

***************

Meanwhile, P. Sulpicius Quirinius, another well respected Proconsul, was busy fighting a War as the Governor of Galatia. Actually, the War was almost over.

Quirinius had been in Galatia since 5 BC. He started this war last year, when we barely had time to mention it. It’s actually kind of important.

So here is the story of the Homanadensian War.

Quirinius took two Legions and used two cities as their points of attack. Legions ___ & ___ built forts at Antioch-near-Pisidia and Lystra (in Lycaonia). Those two towns were the perfect locations for crushing the Homanadensian tribes, who moved around the Pisidian Mountains near the bottom of Lake Trogidis.

For two summers, Quirinius moved through the Taurus Mountains, destroying villages and moving bands of Homanadensians. Even thru winter, the Governor besieged the Homanadensians in towns and on hilltops. With two Legions, the General had almost 11,000 troops, so the other Tribes were too afraid (and unorganized) to come help any one group or village.

Slowly, group by group, Quirinius captured or killed all the Homanadensian men. After two summers, the Romans had captured and sold 4,000 hostile tribesmen as slaves.

By the end of 3 BC, the War was finally over. There were other small tribes in the Mountains of Southern Galatia, but for now, Galatia was on its way to becoming a peaceful province.

And Quirinius was on his way to going home.

***************

Next year, the Proconsul P. Sulpicius Quirinius will be honored in Rome. But first he’s going to make a quick stop at a certain Island, along the way. In fact, Quirinius is going to visit with someone who can make his career!

But we’ll have to find out more about that… in 2 BC!

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Next Chapter: 2 BC


Read more!

4 BC

WARNING: THIS IS A VERY LONG YEARBOOK!

Herod the Great changes his will & dies. His son, Archelaus, causes a riot at Passover. Joseph, Mary & Jesus move to Galilee to avoid Archelaus. Rebellion lasts all summer in Judea & Galilee. But Governor Varus finally restores the peace. Meanwhile, Caesar settles Herod's will in Rome by dividing Israel into three parts! Now, Archelaus rules Judea, his brother Antipas gets Galilee, and the youngest prince, Philip, gets Trachonitis.

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Now, here is the Story of Four BC...

Month-by-Month!

Jan-Feb, 4 BC
March, 4 BC
April, 4 BC
May, 4 BC
June, 4 BC
July, 4 BC
August, 4 BC
September, 4 BC
October, 4 BC
Nov-Dec, 4 BC

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And just in case you want it all on one page (on this page)...

Here is the whole text of the 4 BC site:

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Jan-Feb, 4 BC
At the end of last year, King Herod the Great locked up his oldest son and changed his will. It took him all year long, but the King finally caught his only heir, Antipater, plotting to kill him and take over the Kingdom!

Now, as the new Roman year begins, Herod is still waiting to hear from Augustus Caesar. (Herod needs Caesar's okay to execute an heir to the throne, and the King wants the Emperor's approval about the new will too, just to be safe.)

So Antipater rots in a cell in Herod's winter palace at Jericho. The younger son, Antipas, is the only legal heir (for now). And Herod's messengers wait in Rome while Caesar is thinking things over.

Before February, Augustus calls Herod's messengers and gives them a letter for Herod. The letter simply says that Herod can do whatever he thinks is right with Antipater, and the new will is fine, too.

Herod's messengers leave Rome, traveling overland, in late winter.

***************

Meanwhile, at his palace in Jericho, Herod himself is deathly ill and getting worse!

For 33 years as King, Herod had enjoyed every pleasure he could afford. He took nine wives, and pretty much anything else he wanted to. But by now he was almost 70 years old, and the lifestyle had caught up with him. So had the final stages of Syphilis.

It's important to know just how sick Herod was. Aside from old age, he had severe, ongoing pain from fever, cramping, hunger and the shakes. There were ulcers in his gut, seeping blisters on his swollen feet and belly, and worms in the rotting flesh of his private area. On top of that, his eyesight was fading, his lungs were weak, and his breathing stank like death.

Clearly, Herod was suffering a lot. Most of the time, he couldn't even sit up. The king even did everything his doctors were telling him to, but nothing was making him better.

Still, at this point, Herod refused to give up hope of finding a cure.

The old king thought he might have one last chance to get well if he visited some warm springs nearby. (People said they had healing powers.) So his servants carried him across the Jordan River about 20 miles down the Dead Sea shoreline, to visit these special baths near a town called Kalliroe.

Herod spent a few days in the warm baths. But he didn’t get any better.

And at that point, Herod truly lost hope. ((See footnote.))

***************

by now, it was the first week of February.

From Kalliroe, Herod's team loaded him into the royal wagon and took him back to Jericho. For the first time, the king truly believed he was going to die.

On the way back, Herod started giving away money! He promised fifty silver coins to each soldier and more for their commanders. The next morning, back in Jericho, he started giving away even more money to his friends.

Herod was trying to buy a little extra good will from his soldiers and friends. (He was hoping they would stay loyal to his son Antipas, after he was gone.)

Happy with his gifts to his friends, Herod began to think about his enemies! (He was worried that powerful men might turn against Antipas when he was gone.)

Herod was now so depressed about his illness that he imagined everyone in Israel hated him and was glad he was almost dead. He got really paranoid about it, and really angry.

And then he came up with a plan! (Herod wasn't the kind of man to mope around when he could just unleash a little blind rage instead!)

A couple of days after his return, Herod sent out messengers with letters to all the chief men of every city in Israel. The letters told the chief men to come to a special meeting in Jericho on a certain time and date.

Now, Herod knew these busy men were scattered all over his kingdom. He knew it would take many days for the messengers to reach everyone, and many more days for chief men from the farthest cities to reach Jericho. (Even though others were only a half day's trip away!)

There was only one way to get them all together at once.

Sick and dying though he was, the king had to schedule the meeting a few weeks ahead of time. (Advance notice has always been the ONLY way to succeed at large event planning!)

Fortunately, the Jewish festival of Purim was about a month away! (It fell a month later than normal, that year, because of the Jewish Leap Year.)

Herod's messengers left in early February for all parts of Israel. Soon after, the chief men of every city received letters telling them to come to Jericho for a meeting on the first day of Purim - March 12th. (The "first day" means the day leading up to the sunset when the feast actually started.)

Since Herod also knew the chief men of Jerusalem could make the trip in one morning, he scheduled the meeting for high noon.

All over Israel, each city's chief men made their plans to arrive in Jericho by noon on March 12th.

Herod was smart to choose Purim for the meeting. It was a two day festival - a day of fasting, followed by a day of feasting. The chief men couldn't forget the date. And they couldn't say they were busy! (No one was allowed to do any work on the day of the fast.)

The king was now sure he would get ALL of them there at ONE time, AND he now had a month to decide what to do with them. (Mainly, he wanted to test their loyalty, but a part of him was just thinking - "kill 'em all!")

First, though, Herod had to find a way to kill a month. While suffering. A lot.

He could hardly do anything at all, but lie on his back.

And wait...





March, 4 BC
As Herod's days of waiting dragged on, something happened in Jerusalem!

The trouble was caused by two teachers (rabbis) named Judas, son of Saripheus, and Matthias, son of Margalothus. These teachers had become very popular in Jerusalem in recent years, because they taught the upper-class youth.

About once every day - in those years - a group of studious young men would come and hear Judas & Matthias lecture to them about Jewish virtue and the law. The young men looked up to their teachers, and the whole city was proud of them all.

Now, these two rabbis were zealous for the law, and very well thought of, in the city. But as God-fearing men, Judas & Matthias were not big fans of Herod. They were certainly not impressed with his virtue, and they were also upset about a lot of things he’d done in his 33 years as their ruler.

Normally, they kept it to themselves, because they wanted to stay alive! But there was something new in Jerusalem that was really hard to deal with.

There was a new decoration near the top of the Temple.

Now, it needs to be said that the Jews were very fond of their Temple. Herod had pledged it to them sixteen years before, and work had been ongoing for at least the past fourteen. (See 27-10 BC.) Anyway, as of February in 4 BC, it so happened that the whole project was just about finished! ((At least, for the moment! See footnote.))

The whole project - the sanctuary, the courts, the chambers, the walls, towers and covered walkways - was very nearly done. Of course, the courts and floors were still dirt, but this was normal. In fact, since the difficult part of the work was all finished, Herod had just recently ordered the workmen to trim the whole thing with expensive decorations.

And that was where it went wrong.

One of the last decorations that got put up was a large golden eagle! Even worse, Herod's workers put it above the Great Gate! The door to the Temple sanctuary itself had a graven image above it!

Oh, some Jews didn't have a problem with it. But Judas & Matthias sure did.

These two Rabbi's felt very strongly that the laws of Moses were against the making of images, even statues of animals. And they were beyond being extremely upset about where it was placed!

Judas & Matthias were burning mad, and they'd been telling their students about it. They were even talking about finding some way to take the eagle down. Purim was less than two weeks away, and they had been talking about this for several days. But - of course - they were afraid of Herod's men.

Then, Herod himself came to town.

By now, it was the first week of March, 4 BC. Herod had gotten tired of waiting in Jericho and decided to make a trip into Jerusalem to check on his things there.

Since he could barely sit up, he had to be carried into the Jerusalem palace on a bed. Someone saw this, and the rumor got around town that the king was about to die any minute!

Of course, the rumor grew (as most do).

After Herod wasn't seen for a couple of days, the story went around that he must've died, and his family was hiding it so they could keep the peace for a few more days. On that day, the whole town began to believe Herod was dead.

Judas & Matthias and their students believed it too.

Suddenly, they found the courage they'd been wanting. The two youth leaders made a stirring speech and talked their young men into pulling down that golden eagle! Feeling new zeal, and extra bravery because of the rumor, the students went wild!

In the middle of that day, Judas & Matthias took their class into the Temple courts. Somehow, a few of them managed to climb up the door posts before the guards could stop them - and the pulled the eagle down!

Many of the boys had hidden axes in their clothes, and they started smashing the big statue into tiny pieces.

Of course, the people in the temple noticed, and a big crowd gathered around. The guards had already called for help, and it wasn't long before the King's Captain came with a large group of Herod's soldiers to stop the celebration.

Some of the students got away, but about 40 of them were proud enough to stand up bravely as the troops came up. (They still thought Herod was dead!)

So the soldiers took Judas & Matthias and more than 40 young men all to prison.

Across town, in his palace, Herod heard about the arrests. He was furious about what happened, but he also knew the young men all had wealthy parents who were well connected in Jerusalem! (Some of those parents were also some of the "chief men" Herod had called together, who were planning to see him at Purim.)

Herod called his men to bring the prisoners to him. And they all came in, surrounded by guards.

Raging, Herod asked them, "Are you the ones who pulled down what I gave to God?"

Judas & Matthias spoke first. The two Rabbis were brave enough to admit what they'd done. They told Herod they cared about the laws God gave Moses so much that they were willing to be punished and killed for their actions. Then all the students agreed.

So Herod had them bound and sent to Jericho. He was ready to have the whole group killed right then, but he couldn't do it in Jerusalem. Besides, there was less than a week left until Purim, and he had to get back to Jericho and prepare for the big meeting with the chief men.

So Herod went back to Jericho, and so did his prisoners. But Herod decided to keep them alive until Purim.

He wanted to make an example out of them, in front of the chief men.

***************

The Fast of Esther began at sunset on March 12. So the chief men were due in Jericho that day at noon. But something very odd happened early that morning in Jerusalem, around dawn.

In fact, it was so odd that the chief men of Jerusalem heard about it in the early morning, as they were getting together to leave for Jericho.

(The sun rose that day between 5:30 and 6:00 am. They had six hours until the meeting, and the road to Jericho was about 16 miles long. On horeseback, they could make it in 4 to 5 hours, without hurrying. But they needed to leave right away, to get there early.)

That morning in Jerusalem, right around dawn, Matthias the high priest woke up with a problem. (Obviously, this was a different man from Matthias the imprisoned Rabbi.)

It seems he'd been having a dream about his wife, and had woken up unclean. This made Matthias unfit to act as high priest on that day... but actually, that wasn't the problem!

The real problem was that Matthias had panicked. In those early hours, he'd already called for his own cousin to take his place - to be high priest for the rest of the day, and for the festival services that evening.

But Matthias the high priest didn't have the power to appoint his own substitute.

Only the king could appoint a high priest.

So this was the big news the chief men of Jerusalem heard just before they left the city, and it was an outrage. But since Herod was expecting them at noon, they didn't have time to do anything about it. And yet, since it was Herod they were going to see, they figured they could tell him what happened, and that would be the next best thing to dealing with it.

The chief men went ahead and left town early in the morning, on schedule. And nobody else in town had the authority to stop the cousin from acting as high priest... so he got away with it!

And that is how a man named Joseph, son of Ellemus, got to act as the high priest for a single day.

***************

By noon that day, on March 12, all the chief men had arrived in (or woken up in) Jericho, and they gathered in the theater to wait for the king.

Walking into the amphitheater, the chief men saw that Judas & Matthias and their students were there too, tied up, surrounded by the king’s guards. (But Jerusalem’s chief men were the only ones that knew who the prisoners were, or why they were there.)

When everybody was there, Herod’s men carried him into the arena on a couch.

Lying there, Herod made a long, angry speech about how much he had done for Israel – but mainly about the Temple. He told them it was a great honor to God, and how the Hasmoneans had never done anything so great in the 125 years before he was king. Herod bragged about the expensive decorations being put on the temple, and how much money he himself had given to put them up. Finally, the king told them all they should be proud of him for doing it all.

(The King was so proud of his finished Temple. He couldn't have guessed that most of it was going to burn down, later this year!)

Suddenly, during this speech, Herod’s anger blew up into a wild rage!

He yelled at them that he couldn’t believe they would abuse him by attacking his temple! (Herod was yelling at all the men who were there, even though it was only the tied-up prisoners who were guilty of the attack.)

Finally, King Herod told them all that the ones who pulled down his dedication had not only insulted their king – they had insulted God by defiling his Temple!

By the end of Herod’s speech, lots of the chief men were still trying to figure out exactly what was going on! But at least they could tell this: Herod was really mad, and they didn’t want to get in trouble for it!

So some of them spoke up and agreed with Herod. They said the prisoners had no reason to do what they did, and should be punished.

Then Herod said the prisoners would be executed. So the guards took the young students away with Judas & Matthias, to be killed.

At this point, the king was already exhausted! He wasn’t sure what else to do with the chief men. So he sat quietly for several minutes, staring into space.

But the men had come together expecting to discuss business.

If Herod had nothing left to say, they figured it was their turn.

One of the men from Jerusalem asked permission to speak, and told Herod all about Matthias the high priest, and what happened the day before.

Herod had just enough anger left to respond. He quickly declared that Matthias the high priest was done! Then he appointed a man named Joazar (who happened to be the guilty high-priest’s brother-in-law) as the new high priest.

With that item of business was done, the men waited. But Herod was too tired to go on. (And he didn't have anything else to say, anyway.)

So the king ordered them to wait there. Then he left.

The chief men just sat there... surrounded by guards, of course!

Quickly, the captain of the guards followed Herod out of the arena. The captain could tell Herod wasn't planning to come back right away, and he guard wanted orders about practical things. (The men had no place to relieve themselves, in the Amphitheater.)

When the captain mentioned this to Herod, the king told him, "Fine. Move them all to the Horse Track and let them use the stables." So they did.

And it was a good thing, too. Because the chief men were going to stay locked in that Hippodrome for another eight days!

***************

As soon as Herod left the arena, he sent for his sister, Salome (and her husband Alexas).

(Note: "Salome" was a family name. The famous one, who dances for Herod Antipas over 30 years from "now", isn't born yet. But that one is going to be the grand-neice of this one!)

Herod told his sister Salome & her husband Alexas that he was going to die very soon, and he was afraid there would not be enough sadness in the country, when he was gone. (Herod knew people were eager to see him die.)

Then the king made Salome & Alexas promise to do something that was truly horrible.

Herod told them to kill every chief man in the hippodrome right after the moment their king died! That way – Herod figured – his death would cause the greatest single day of mourning that Israel would ever see. (Herod thought this would be a great honor!)

In one very strange moment, Salome & Alexas both promised to do it. (It's key to remember that Herod’s disease was extremely painful. He was talking crazy. And they were humoring him.)

The king had only days to live.

***************

The evening of March 12 was the beginning of the Jewish date "the 13th of Adar-Two".

So what does that mean?

The sunset after the big meeting was the official beginning of the first day of Purim, called "the Fast of Esther". (By the way, sunset at that time of year is about 6 pm.)

On that night, in every Jewish city, people gathered at the Synagogue to hear the scripture, to pray, and to mark the beginning of their 24-hours of fasting.

Since the next day was a fast, nobody had to go to work. So it was the regular custom to sit out with family and friends late into the night. (The later you could stay up, the later you might sleep, and the less time you'd have to go until sunset of the next day, when you could eat again!)

So... wait for it... there's a point here.

People all over Israel were up very late, that night.

AND... like all major festival nights, there was a full moon.

AND... a couple of hours past midnight, there was a partial eclipse.

Please take note. This is a very famous eclipse.

Now, not everyone was still awake or outdoors, but plenty of people were. And those who saw the eclipse told everyone else on the following night. (The second night of Purim was the Feast!) So everyone who didn't see the eclipse (which came about 1 or 2 AM on March 13) got to hear about it at the Feast the next evening.

The next day, all the Jews who saw or heard about this eclipse were wondering if it was a sign. And if so, they asked each other, what could it mean?

As it happened, the old king was dying. And a new King was coming.

Herod the Great had a week left to live. And the tiny Lord Jesus would soon return from Egypt.

***************

One more big event happened the night of March 12.

That night in Jericho, Herod's guards took Judas & Matthias the Rabbis and around 40 of their students... and burned them all alive.

The partial eclipse came that same night, after midnight.

And that's why it's a famous eclipse.

***************

The morning after the eclipse was March 13, 4 BC. Passover was 29 days away.

Three days later, on the 16th, Herod’s messengers finally got back from their trip to Rome. (See footnote, on the date.)

(Remember, he sent them late last year to ask Caesar’s will about the traitor, Herod’s son, Antipater. Since it was still winter, they had walked all the way, there & back!)

The messengers had brought back two letters written by Augustus Caesar, for Herod.

One letter was about a traitorous slave named Acme who’d helped Antipater. She was a Jew, but served Caesar’s wife, Julia-Livia, in Rome, where Antipater had recruited her. Caesar wanted Herod to know she had been executed for treason.

The other letter was about Antipater himself. Caesar simply told Herod to kill him or exile him – whichever seemed best.

The second letter also told Herod that his new will was fine. (The one that made Antipas, not Antipater, his only heir.)

So the king was pleased! As he put down the letters, Herod felt hungry. He called for an apple, and a knife to eat it with.

When the knife came, Herod was alone for a moment. He was in so much pain he had a sudden desire to kill himself with the knife!

Herod was about to stab himself when someone walked in and stopped him! (It was the king’s cousin, named Achiabus.)

But at the first moment when Herod's cousin saw him with the knife – and just before stopping him – Achiabus let out a desperate yell that could only mean one thing!

Everyone in the palace heard that yell.

The whole palace was filled with yelling and crying. Almost everyone thought that Herod must have just died.

Way down in the palace dungeon, even Antipater heard the noises, and thought his father was dead. At that very moment, he got excited and tried to bribe the guard. Antipater bragged to the guard that he would soon be set free and become king! (He didn't know the new will had just become official.)

The guard did not accept the bribe, but he did go right away to tell Herod!

Fresh from his failed suicide, Herod heard what Antipater had said. So now the old king started yelling and beating himself in the head.

After a few minutes of this, Herod pulled himself up on one elbow and called for more guards. He told the guards to go kill Antipater right away, and to bury him some place without any honor.

And they did.

Herod himself was four days from death.

***************

All week long, before Herod died, his soldiers kept guard over several hundred of Israel’s chief men in the Jericho Hippodrome.

There was no other place to keep so many temporary prisoners. They used the stables for a bathroom, the stands for sleeping, and the horse track itself for daily exercise. Every day for eight days, the guards moved their prisoners through this simple routine. But there was no way to keep them all separated, and no way to keep them all silent.

The guards kept them from organizing anything, but they let them talk in little groups. Then some of the chief men figured out how to move around from group to group without looking suspicious.

Herod had given his enemies a chance to plot against him!

Now, a few dozen of the chief men there were from Jerusalem. Actually, there were about fifty of them, all very old.

Anyway, some of these Fifty Elders came up with a plan, and talked it up with the others. The plan was very simple, and this week, everyone who heard it was in a mood to agree.

Of course, this plan was based on the hope that they wouldn’t be killed. But the plan was this:

Israel should ask Caesar to get rid of Herod.

The chief men agreed to this part very quickly. But the real question was, “what next?” So Jerusalem’s Jews then suggested the only plan they thought Caesar would go along with. They would ask Augustus to make Israel part of the Province of Syria.

These Jews actually wanted to become part of Syria!

Now this was an amazing development. Here was the entire nation of Jewish leaders. These were old men! For centuries, their fathers’ fathers’ fathers’ had all taught their children to hate the Syrians (and the Assyrians, before them!).

But now – trapped like animals, waiting to die, knowing their death would cripple Israel, and all for the vanity of an evil king – being added to Syria didn’t seem like the worst thing that could happen.

Day after day, the Fifty Elders from Jerusalem worked their way around the Hippodrome. Slowly, as the week went on, they were able to talk everyone else into agreement with them.

Now, these were the leaders of every Jewish city in Israel. So the entire Jewish Nation now had one opinion, to ask for this, from Caesar.

Even Syria would have to be better than Herod.

And better than whichever teenage son he picked to rule them next!

***************

Now, back to the middle of that week.

At the point when Herod still had four days left to live, his official will said he wanted his young son, Antipas to become king next.

But Herod kept thinking about Antipater, the son he'd just executed.

He thought about Livia’s slave, Acme, and how Antipater had so many friends in Rome. Herod knew Acme had written fake letters for his son, and he figured she wasn’t the only one.

Then Herod remembered the letters from a year before (5 BC); the ones that made him distrust his sons Archelaus and Philip.

Those letters were written by people in Rome, who happened to be friends of Antipater’s, but Herod had never guessed it was a setup until now.

Finally, Herod remembered how his other sons, Alexander & Aristobulus were executed (in 7 BC) because of evidence found in letters. And he believed more strongly than ever that Antipater had framed them with fake letters. (Which, remember, was true.)

So, with all these memories of letters on his mind, Herod made a decision.

He decided to trust his sons, Archelaus & Philip.

And he changed his will… again!

Herod simply wrote notes, altering his old will. And he didn’t have time to get Caesar’s approval. But here’s what he wrote:

Herod now willed that Archelaus (the oldest) should be “King of the Jews”, ruling Judea, Samaria & Idumea.

He demoted Antipas (the 2nd oldest) to be “Tetrarch” over Galilee and Peraea.

Finally, he willed his youngest son, Philip, to be “Tetrarch” over the old kingdom of Zenodorus (see 27-10 BC) which was mainly Trachonitis, Gaulonitis & Ituraea.

He also willed money and ongoing-income to his sister Salome. And Herod even willed millions of silver coins to Augustus Caesar and his wife Livia.

The king began working on these notes to his will the same day he executed Antipater.

He worked on the notes for four days. And on the fifth day, he died.

The date was March 20, 4 BC. (See footnote.)

Passover was twenty-two days away.

***************

The first ones to know Herod died were his sister, Salome & her husband Alexas.

The first thing they did was to keep it a secret!

By now, the chief men of Israel had been locked up and living in the hippodrome for a whole week! Lucky for them, Salome & Alexas had no plans to kill them all, like they'd promised to do.

So Salome & Alexs unlocked the arena gates, went in, and told the chief men they were all free to go.

They lied to the men and told them Herod was alive! They said Herod knew that Israel needed them to go take care of business in their own cities. They said Herod thanked them for waiting, but now they could go.

So the chief men all left, very put out, but still believing that Herod was alive. And as soon as all the chief men were away from Jericho, Salome & Alexas made their next move.

A large part of Herod's army was at Jericho in those days, and the royal couple called all few hundred of those soldiers into the Amphitheater.

Salome & Alexas read a letter to the soldiers, that Herod had written to them. It thanked them for their loyalty and asked them to stay loyal to his son Archelaus.

Then the king’s advisor, Ptolemy (who had the use of Herod’s seal) read the will. Ptolemy said it was valid even though Caesar hadn’t yet seen the changes. He instructed the soldiers and their commanders to obey it.

Soon, Archelaus came into the arena.

The army swore an oath to serve Archelaus. Then they all marched past him, as each unit and commander stopped to promise their loyalty.

Of course, Salome & Alexas put this whole event together to keep the country under control, and to win positions as Archelaus' advisers.

And that was how they put out the word that Herod was dead.

***************

Now, at long last, we get to hear about Jesus again!

The little Lord Jesus (now almost 3 years old) has been in Alexandria, Egypt for over two years, with Joseph & Mary.

In the evening of the day Herod died (March 20th - see footnote), Joseph had a dream. In it, he saw an angel telling him to get up and go back to Israel, because those who were wanting to hurt the baby were dead.

So right then, in the middle of the night, Joseph took Jesus & Mary and left town. They told no one that Herod was dead. Alexandria was going to have to wait for that news to travel 370 miles south, from Jericho.

But little Jesus, Joseph & Mary only had to travel about 314 miles north, to reach the city of Gaza, at the limits of Judea.

A day or two into their journey, Joseph finds a town and trades the last of the magi's gold to buy a donkey for Mary & Jesus to ride on.

They make between 15 and 20 miles a day, depending where they stopped along the way, and resting on every Sabbath.

It's going to take them just about three weeks to get to Israel.

By the way, they leave Alexandria, Egypt in March. Now, Alexandria sits on the west side of the Nile River Delta, on the coast. They had to hire ferry-men to get them across the river's forks, but it was easier because the river was low - Egypt was still three months away from the start of it's annual flood season.

Anyway, Joseph, Mary & Jesus are going to reach southern Judea right around the start of Passover... which is when the next batch of trouble starts.

But before we get to that...

Let’s see what Archelaus did in those three weeks, during the time Joseph was bringing Mary & Jesus home to Israel.

***************

Let's go back to the day Herod died.

Archelaus’ first duty, after the troops swore to be loyal, was to send his advisor, Ptolemy, up to Antioch, Syria. (The same Ptolemy who read the will to the soldiers.) There was no question about it. Caesar’s Governor – Publius Quinctillus Varus – would have to be notified right away.

(We'll cover Ptolemy's trip after he gets back.)

As Ptolemy left, Archelaus’ second task was to put together his father’s funeral. It didn’t take long. (Salome & Alexas had servants working on the body from the moment of death.)

Early on the 21st, everything was ready for transport. So were all the soldiers and family members who were going to the funeral. Then they marched 24 miles south of Jericho, until they were a mile outside a place called Herodium.

(Years before, king Herod had built himself a tomb, surrounded it with a small city, and named it after himself!)

Herodium was 25 miles away from Jericho, and the military had marched a long day to pitch camp outside the town. The plan was to break camp the next day, prepare for the funeral, have the funeral, and make camp again at the end of the day.

So on the morning of the 22nd, the soldiers broke camp as planned, and after much preparation, the grand procession was ready.

Everything around the king’s body was gold and jewels, including the scepter, the crown, and even the stand his coffin rode on!

Herod’s troops marched slowly behind the coffin in full armor. His personal guard went first; then came Herod’s foreign troops – Thracians, Germans and Galatians. Behind these special teams followed the whole army (a few thousand) and five hundred servants, carrying spices to lay with the body.

The whole train marched slowly for one mile – starting from a mile outside Herodium. And there, Archelaus buried his father.

The new ruler of Israel stayed in mourning for four more days (seven total), to honor his father and for show, since the Jewish law required it.

On the eighth day, March 27th, Archelaus thought he was ready to begin running the kingdom.

***************

Archelaus came to Jerusalem just two weeks before Passover.

He went straight to the Temple’s outer courts and set up a high throne (made of gold) so he could talk to the people.

As the crowds gathered, the eighteen year old Archelaus started making promises! He told them he’d treat them better than his dad, and he wouldn’t even call himself their “King” until Caesar confirmed the will. But he made it clear that he was still the “ruler”. And he won them over by promising to reward their loyalty. Everyone in the crowds spoke well of Archelaus.

Then they started asking for stuff!

Some asked for lower yearly taxes. (The Jews still paid taxes to Herod – the census of 7 BC was just for accounting purposes!) And some wanted lower trading (marketplace) taxes. Archelaus listened to them all, and he promised to meet these requests.

Then others started asking Archelaus to release people that Herod had put into prison.

The new “ruler” agreed to everything. At least, he pretended to agree. Really, he was just promising things to earn their good will in the beginning. But the crowd of people in Jerusalem believed him.

Archelaus excused himself to offer a sacrifice in the Temple. Then he went away and had a party with his friends!

But the people went home, expecting to get what they’d asked for.

Which, of course, is going to cause a problem... because they didn't!





April, 4 BC
In the early days of April, crowds of people started meeting outside Herod’s Jerusalem Palace. Every day, they tried to call Archelaus out, to ask him about keeping his promises. The crowds kept shouting, but Archelaus never came out to see them.

One day, the crowd started complaining about the rabbis Judas & Matthias and their young students, who had all been burnt to death. Then they started insulting Herod. And these shouts became a regular part of the daily protest.

Finally after a long time, Archelaus actually came out on his balcony and spoke to the crowd. He ignored the dead rabbis, but agreed to another request – the people wanted him to get rid of the High Priest, Joazar, son of Boethus (the one Herod had just appointed during Purim).

The people were glad when Archelaus promised to depose Joazar. (Though he isn't going to actually do it until next year!)

But this was the first thing Archelaus promised that he honestly knew he was really GOING to actually DO, for the people. The young king could see that it wasn’t enough to shut them up... and somehow, that made him get really upset!

Standing on his balcony, he shouted angrily that the people should go away because he needed to prepare for his trip to go visit Caesar in Rome. (He thought this would convince them he was important, and shut them up.)

But the next day, the crowds were still down there yelling! So Archelaus sent a top army general to deal with them. The general was supposed to talk the people into calming down, defend the executions of the rabbis, and remind the crowd about Archelaus' trip. He was also supposed to threaten them with treason, if they didn't shut up!

The general went down into the crowd to speak, but couldn't! The crowds just got louder and more active, until the general’s own life was in danger! The general had to leave, and the crowd got even louder, for the rest of that day.

On the morning after that, Archelaus put armed soldiers in front of the palace. So the crowds moved their demonstrations to the Temple grounds. And they kept shouting their protests, day after day.

By now, it was the final few days before Passover, when people were coming into the city early, to find a place to eat the feast.

As the Passover crowds filled up the city, the yelling in the temple got larger, too. (Many visitors were joining in.)

Day after day, Archelaus sent important men to try to speak to them. But the crowd refused to treat them well at all. Each messenger who tried to speak got shouted down, until they ran him off.

The crowd kept crying out about prisoners, and taxes, and the executed rabbis. And Archelaus kept ignoring them and doing nothing about his promises. The whole situation was getting worse by the day.

And it was almost the day before Passover.

***************

On April 10th, the day before Passover, the king’s advisor Ptolemy got back from Antioch!

Remember, Ptolemy had left Jericho on March 21st, the morning after Herod died – because the Governor simply had to be told. Ptolemy went 363 miles in 12 days on horseback. That’s about 30 miles/day, which was average, but not super – after all, there was no reason to hurry to tell the Governor!

Anyway, Ptolemy got to Antioch late in the evening on April 1st.

The next morning, on April 2nd, Ptolemy had gotten right in to see the Roman Governor Varus. Ptolemy told Varus about the new will and tried to make it sound like a smooth transition was underway.

But Varus didn’t buy it! The Governor knew there was likely to be trouble after the death of a king who’d held his country with an iron fist for 34 years! He was also a little worried that the last minute changes to Herod’s will might cause the young princes to start fighting each other.

So Varus told Ptolemy he was going to come down right away to help keep order during the changeover.

Varus also told Ptolemy he was bringing one of Syria’s three Roman Legions down with him.

Ptolemy asked that he not come to Jerusalem, because of the religious attitude towards Romans, and the holy festival season. And Varus said that was fine, they would go to Caesarea.

Varus thanked Ptolemy for coming and ordered his legion to prepare for marching at dawn.

Ptolemy was a little surprised, and not thrilled about the Governor and his Legion. But the king’s advisor left calmly, saddled his horse, and then rode out of town like a lightning bolt!

Ptolemy knew that Salome, Nicolas and Archelaus needed to know right away, so this time he rode as fast as humanly possible. Since he had the use of Herod’s seal, he could demand a fresh horse at every town south of Berytus. (At least from the synagogues; but those were hard to find in Western Syria.)

With fresh horses, Ptolemy could make 50 miles a day, but with a tired horse, he was doing well to get 40. So Ptolemy made Sidon in 6 days, and then Jerusalem in 3 more.

So Ptolemy got back to Jerusalem on April 10th, as mentioned. Just in time for Passover!

Ptolemy learned about the protests in Jerusalem, and told the Royal Family about Varus.

But Ptolemy did NOT tell them who ELSE was coming down from Syria.

Because Ptolemy himself didn’t know!

***************

Who was this surprise visitor? Caesar’s personal Procurator over Syria, a Roman soldier named Sabinus.

It helps to understand what a “Procurator” is.

First of all, the Governor was a “Proconsul”. And that means… Varus was a Senator and former Co-President of the City of Rome, and Varus was hand-picked by Caesar to manage a Province where Legions were stationed.

(Got all that?)

Now then, Sabinus the “Procurator” was a personal agent of the Emperor himself, a military man who rose through the ranks to command cohorts, at least. And Sabinus was hand-picked by Caesar to supervise his taxes in the Province, and to take charge of any other revenues the Emperor had direct claims to.

That last point is the key point here.

Basically, it was Sabinus’ job to claim money and property that Caesar had a claim to.

Sabinus also commanded a detachment of troops and he could draw on the Governor’s resources for whatever he needed, in service to the Emperor. And finally, Sabinus made it his business to know everything Varus was up to – just in case.

So that’s who Sabinus was.

Now, what happened is this:

When Ptolemy told Varus about Herod’s death and the altered will, Sabinus had a man in the room, taking notes (as he always did). So that evening, Sabinus’ man gave the Procurator the scoop: Varus was leaving at dawn, and Herod’s will might be in dispute.

Sabinus decided he needed to “secure” Herod’s possessions, until Caesar could make a final ruling on the will.

With a few dozen troops, Sabinus slipped out of Antioch before dawn, and ahead of Varus. Since he wanted to beat Varus down there, they hurried.

Sabinus and his troops move at a forced march, about 30 miles a day. Varus and his 5,500 troops moved at a normal military pace of 20 miles a day.

Sabinus is going to beat Varus to Caesarea by almost a week.

At any rate, lots of Romans are heading for Judea!

***************

Now, let’s get back to Jerusalem for the first day of Passover.

On the morning of the feast, April 11th, Archelaus decided he needed to put a stop to the protesters in the Temple grounds and their dangerous ranting.

Meanwhile, in the inner court, the priests were slaughtering hundreds of lambs brought in by families, for the feast later that night. (As they usually did, all day long, on this “Preparation Day”.)

During the preparations, Archelaus sent a regiment of troops to clear the temple of protesters. But when the troops came into the courtyard armed for battle, the crowd of protesters screamed so loud they stirred up the pilgrims, too.

Most of Herod’s army was foreign mercenaries.

But every Jew in that courtyard knew they were desecrating a holy place. On a holy day. Disturbing their special sacrifices.

Instantly the crowds started stoning the soldiers. (The courtyard wouldn’t be paved for another 60 years. See footnote. )

The crowd started throwing stones with so much energy the soldiers actually fell back! Some were wounded. And finally, the whole regiment retreated.

Then the people went right back to their sacrifices. (They’d stoned a regiment one-handed and without losing grip on their live, bound, spotless, unblemished lambs!)

So now Archelaus was in real trouble!

The young king was desperately afraid not to show weakness so soon – and he was afraid that he’d lose the whole country if he just let this go.

So very soon after the stoning – just as long as it took him to gather the whole army from the Fortress Antonia – Archelaus sent his whole army back to the temple!

The foot soldiers marched into the courtyard prepared for anything, and this time, the crowds of pilgrims, priests and protesters all scattered!

The people were trying to get away from the soldiers, but the troops were coming in every exit. So after pushing the people back, the foot soldiers worked around the walls and pushed the people across the middle, back to the exits.

Now everyone in the temple was rushing to get out through a small number of doorways and stairways. People began to get trampled.

When they got outside, the army’s cavalry was waiting to funnel them down hill and out through the southeast gate.

People kept running out, trying to get past the cavalry to the upper city, but the horse soldiers were not giving ground or letting people through. And many people got trampled by the horses.

Then the foot soldiers came down the stairs, still trying to push the crowds out of the city.

Hundreds and hundreds of people in the crowd just panicked. They couldn’t tell which way the soldiers were trying to force them to go. Everyone who tried to go around, past or through the army got killed or beaten and stomped on.

Archelaus had told them to clear the whole area, and to kill anyone who tried to go back to their places. Travelers living in lean-tos and tents by the temple walls were thrown out and watched their dwellings get crushed. If they tried to go back for things, they were cut down.

This horrible scene went on for some time.

When everything finally calmed down, three-thousand people had been murdered or trampled to death, by the army.

Then Archelaus put out the word that everyone not from Jerusalem should go home.

Archelaus’ troops went through the streets making sure everyone in the city was staying in their houses. Arechelaus put out the message that anyone not from Jerusalem should leave the city and go home.

It was still daylight. The festival evening had not even been allowed to begin!

Later, at sunset, the thousands of Jews who had traveled in for the feast were camping out in little groups, as far away from the city as they’d each managed to get, before dark. Many people who’d gotten separated didn’t know if their loved ones were dead or alive.

There were so many bodies at the Temple steps and in the streets of the lower city, the army had to start stacking them in the nearby hippodrome, until they could be claimed or burned. (Most non-local corpses would never be claimed.)

Truly, this was horrible beyond all imagining.

Essentially, Passover had been cancelled.

The date was April 11th, 4 BC – the very first Passover Night after King Herod died. And young Archelaus had just become like his father in at least one new way.

Now, people feared him.

***************

On the day Archelaus became fearsome, Joseph, Mary & Jesus had not quite reached Judea.

Actually, they were in Gaza, on the edges of the kingdom – having just reached the town and rented a room on the 10th – the day before. Joseph & Mary had stopped in Gaza because they needed a place to observe the Passover.

Of course, they had no idea what was going on just 40 miles away, in Jerusalem.

Since most of the Jews in Gaza had gone up to Jerusalem for the feast, Joseph bought supplies in the market and Mary made a small dinner for three in their rented room.

To them, it was a peaceful night. Joseph recited the Passover story to Mary & the toddling Jesus. They ate the flat bread with the bitter herbs, and thought about how the ancient Hebrews had escaped death and finally gotten out of Egypt.

Just. Like. They. Just. Did.

***************

The next day, April 12th, was supposed to be a special Day of Rest (because it was still the Hebrew day of Passover until sunset).

Everyone in Jerusalem was observing the day of rest also – hiding in their homes out of fear, as much as anything. But Archelaus snuck his bad self out of town! (More on that in a little bit.)

The pilgrims who’d been forced to leave Jerusalem didn’t have the option to observe the Sabbath. They woke up early and started walking, hoping to get as far away from yesterday’s danger as possible.

The pilgrims from Gaza woke up that morning for a two-day walk home.

Meanwhile, back in Gaza, Joseph & Mary stayed put to observe the Sabbath. At sundown, they knew it was only 24 hours until Friday night when the regular Sabbath began.

Joseph & Mary had been walking from Egypt for almost four weeks. They already had a decent place to rest there in Gaza, and they didn’t know if they could get such a nice place at the next town up the road AND be settled for the night, in time for the Sabbath. (Remember, Joseph and Mary had become very devout about practicing their faith, in the past three to four years – especially Joseph!)

They knew they were two days from Bethlehem.

(At this point, Joseph's plan was to go back to Bethlehem, where they'd been before they ran away, two and a half years ago! Mary liked the idea because Joseph still had kinfolk in Bethlehem they could turn to for help, and their still-young marriage was about to make it's third brand-new start in four years!)

With Herod dead, Bethlehem seemed like a good idea. So they only had two days of travel left.

But they decided to stay put an extra day, because of the Sabbaths, and just wait to leave on Sunday morning.

It was a good thing they did!

On Friday evening, Joseph and Mary decided to see if there was an evening service at the Synagogue in Gaza. They got there shortly after the Gaza Pilgrims had begun to reach town, fresh from the end of their two-day walks home.

That night, they heard all about what had happened in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Joseph heard that Archelaus was ruling in Judea. he also heard about the 3,000 people who got trampled by Archelaus' order, and how he'd basically shut down the whole festival!

Joseph sat and listened to the men, while Mary tried to help comfort the women who’d been traveling.

On each side of the room, in their own ways, the women and the men kept telling Mary and Joseph one horrible detail after another. (The children were all playing on the floor in an adjoining room.)

It was starting to sound like Archelaus could be worse than his father Herod!

Both Mary and Joseph kept feeling more and more afraid.

They went to bed that night absolutely terrified!

And then, God spoke to Joseph in another dream.

(Joseph never knew for sure, but this would be the last time God ever spoke to him, like that.)

God the Father, in Joseph’s dream, instructed Joseph about the situation. We don’t know exactly what God said to Joseph, but he talked to him about things. And that was enough.

When Joseph woke up on Saturday, he felt better, and he told his wife about the dream.

Then Joseph told Mary that they were going back to live in her family’s town of Nazareth, in Galilee.

They had the whole day to rest.

Then, on Sunday morning, Joseph, Mary & little Jesus – who was now in his 4th year, but a month from his third birthday, so he was really only “two” in the way some people count – started walking again.

They headed straight up the Sea Road towards Caesarea, and to Galilee beyond there.

***************

Let’s get back to that special Sabbath on the 12th, when Archelaus snuck out of Jerusalem.

The king’s entire entourage broke the Passover Sabbath and left town together. All of them – his Aunt Salome (& Alexas), his mother, Malthrace, his father’s chief advisers, Nicolas of Damascus and Ptolemy (just back from Antioch), and of course, a troop of his soldiers for protection – all of them left town on the 12th. Archelaus even brought along all his party-loving friends.

Some of Salome’s cousins (from her side of the family) had been staying with her, and they came along too. These cousins pretended to support Archelaus, but they hated everything about what he’d just done.

The more Salome listened to her cousins, the more trouble she had defending Archelaus. But the country was in a crisis! She had a lot of thinking to do.

So she began to consider Antipas.

Up until now, both Antipas & Philp have been going along with Aunt Salome and supporting their older brother Archelaus.

Now, Philip had a different mother than the other two. And Philip had an easy-going disposition. So when Archelaus decided to leave Jerusalem, he asked Philip to stay behind with the army to keep the city calm. And Philip – never one to cause trouble – easily agreed.

But Antipas concealed his anger and jealousy (at being demoted from king to tetrarch, in the new will). He wisely decided to stay close to his Aunt Salome and his mother Malthrace, and to stay quiet… for now. With that strategy, Antipas also went with his family to Caesarea.

The entire group left together in several chariots, heading to Herod’s palace at Israel’s “second capital”, Caesarea by the Sea. (The city was safe for the Herodians, because it was only half-Jewish, and the other half of the population was Greek-Syrians.

As we said, the Herodian Family left Jerusalem on April 12. To avoid trouble, they took off right around dawn.

The Family didn’t know it, but they were just starting what was going to be a very long trip together.

***************

The Herodians changed horses at Lydda and Joppa, and made it to Caesarea after two long days of chariot-driving. So it was late Friday night on April 13th that Herod’s Family moved into the large palace Herod had built there.

They all went straight to bed, exhausted from travel, and the palace servants (who lived there year round) began taking care of them.

In the morning, on April 14th, the entire Royal Family woke up in Herod’s Caesarea Palace on the Sabbath day. Right away, their servants told them the news that was going around the city that morning.

(There was not going to be any rest for the weary, or the wicked!)

The Romans were in town!

***************

Somehow, Sabinus and Archelaus arrived on the same night, but just missed each other!

Sabinus and his cohort had just marched 304 miles in ten days! They’d also arrived in Caesarea after sunset on Friday the 13th, where they solicited free lodging “at Caesar’s request” and found a local guide to give them a run-down on the city… including all the details about Herod’s extravagant palace!

By the time they woke up to start the day Saturday, Sabinus was heading straight to the Palace.

On the way, he learned the Herodians were there too!

The Palace servants answered the door, and Sabinus’ troops made their way through the entrance. Fortunately for Archelaus, he’d brought just enough troops from Jerusalem to present a show of force himself.

No fighting broke out. Sabinus asked to meet with the new king. And Archelaus refused to come out. (The young king’s advisors told him what the Procurator’s job was, so he knew why Sabinus was there.)

Archelaus kept sending others to deal with the problem for him - just like he did in Jerusalem. And Sabinus was asked to come back the next day.

Ptolemy assured Archelaus that Varus himself was on the way down with over 5,000 soldiers.

All they had to do – Archelaus figured – was stall Sabinus for a few more days.

In the meantime, Nicolas, Ptolemy & Salome all reminded Archelaus that their next move, still, was to sail for Rome as soon as possible.

The problem was that it was only April 14th, when even professional sailors only sailed if they really had to. But the wealthy people – the ones who could afford the time it always takes to be careful about things – wealthy people like the royal family knew it was wise not to sail until May.

Even if May was still two weeks away.

***************

Archelaus only had to stall Sabinus for four days.

Varus arrived in the evening on the 17th.

His Legion (12 Fulminata, the Lightning Carriers) made camp on the north side of Caesarea, near the beach.

That night, Varus found Sabinus and set him straight. (Without any real claims to property for Caesar, Sabinus was below Varus in every area.)

The Governor made Sabinus promise not to take anything until Caesar had ruled on the will, in Rome. Sabinus agreed. But secretly, he was still looking for a chance to go against his promise and seize Herod’s property.

The next morning, Varus went to the palace and met with Archelaus and his advisers. All of them agreed the young king needed to be in Rome as soon as possible, but Varus understood about the weather.

Varus and his staff met with the Herodians all day long, while the palace servants brought food and refreshments. The Governor interviewed them all about recent events, and the state of the kingdom.

At some point during the meetings, Varus announced that he would be taking his Legion to Jerusalem, and keeping it there for a while. Even Archelaus had to agree this was a good idea.

The meetings kept on all day. Since this was the first official meeting between Rome and the new administration of it's "client kingdom" Israel... Varus had a LOT of things to ask and go over!

Even Sabinus was allowed to sit in on these meetings, as Caesar's personal Agent. So the greedy Procurator and his note takers came out of there with a full and detailed accounting of all Herod's properties at the time.

Sabinus seemed especially interested to make a list of all the Palaces and Fortresses, and Varus noticed. Later, when the Governor asked him privately not to seize any of those places, Sabinus lied, and said he would leave them alone.

The Romans and Herodians kept meeting all day and into the night, until the Governor felt his staff had shared enough information from both sides to be prepared for everything that might lie ahead.

Meanwhile, the Lightning Carriers had been given a whole day of rest from marching.

In the evening, as the meetings began to wind down, Varus sent word to the Legion that they should expect to strike camp and march out after dawn.

Varus' order happened to set up an incredible coincidence. An amazing, dramatic event that happened very quietly...

On that next morning.

***************

Remember where we last saw Jesus & his parents?

Joseph, Mary & Jesus left Gaza on Sunday, April 15th, and Caesarea was 83 miles away – a four day walk.

Around mid-day Wednesday, as they were getting closer to Caesarea, they’d seen some travelers on the road who were telling everyone about the Royal Family and the Romans (in case people wanted to avoid the authorities.)

Joseph & Mary weren’t worried, but they both agreed it would feel safer not to sleep in the same city with Archelaus. Just in case.

So they stopped early that day at the last small town outside Caesarea. They spent the night there, just a few miles away from the city, and started walking again in the morning.

That next day was Thursday, April 19th, when the Legion was striking camp. (At that time of year, sunrise was a bit before 6 AM.)

The Romans broke camp in about an hour and started marching down the road into Samaria. On a road like that, the Legion could only march four abreast.

With the baggage train and rear guard, the entire column was almost two miles long. That means it took about 40 minutes for the entire column to cross a given point.

Now, Joseph & Mary woke at sunup, like everyone did in the ancient world every day. Mary fed Jesus while Joseph packed the mule, and they were off.

They were walking 3 to 4 miles an hour, starting from four miles away from Caesarea, they were there a bit after 7 AM.

The timing was remarkable.

As Joseph & Mary circled around the outer wall of Caesarea and came towards the eastern cross-roads junction… they saw the Legion!

Actually - to try and be precise – they saw the Legion crossing their path very near to the beginning of its column. In fact, Varus himself was somewhere near the front of the column.

Joseph, Mary and Jesus literally crossed the path of a Roman Legion on the march!

They were awed, but not afraid, because God had told Joseph that Galilee would be safe. (The road from Caesarea was the beginning of Galilee.)

Somehow, the same crimson and gold colors that ordered them to Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth now seemed to be welcoming him to safety in Galilee.

After a few minutes, they heard soldiers barking orders, and horns sounding briefly. Then the column to the left of them halted. (The column to the right of them kept on going.)

An officer shouted, “Pass through now!” (Other travelers had stopped on both sides of the junction.)

Humbled and relieved, Joseph & Mary crossed in front of the soldiers and kept on going.

They spent one more night at another small town on the way, and finally brought Jesus up to their old home, late Friday afternoon.

After everything, they had made it back to Nazareth.

When Joseph & Mary got to Nazareth and showed up at Mary’s father’s home, everyone was shocked and thrilled to see them. It had been over two years since they’d heard about the Bethlehem Massacre, and they never knew what had happened to the young couple, or the baby.

And so it was that on Friday evening, April 20th, 4 BC, Mary introduced Jesus to his maternal grandparents for the very first time.

The infant Messiah had finally found a home to grow up in.

As the sun began to set, they all walked to the Synagogue together, to show all of Nazareth who’d come home.

***************

This will be our last good look at Nazareth, for a while. So let’s take a quick peek forward.

Joseph and Mary got to settle back into their old town’s life again. They lived in her father’s house, until Joseph got his business going enough to support them on his own.

Most importantly, God’s advice to Joseph in his dream was proven to be true. Nazareth was indeed a safe place to raise Jesus – even in this crazy, awful, war torn year!

Safe is good, but it doesn’t make history! So this is the last time Jesus himself will be involved in actual events... for a few more “years”.

At this moment, the Lord's third birthday was a month away.

The next big events in Jesus' life will be just before his thirteenth birthday - which is ten years away!

We’ve got a lot of history to cover, before that happens.

***************

We left Archelaus and the Herodians at Casarea, by the Sea.

Varus had just urged them to get to Rome as quickly as possible.

Now the King’s small navy was always moored in Caesarea. They hired a captain who’d sailed Herod’s flagship before, and began preparing to get underway. And by the last week of April, they were ready to set sail.

They left in the early season, despite the slight risk, because Varus had urged it.

The voyage west to Rome was a long one, always partly against the winds. So, as the Herodian Royals left port, they settled in for at least 6 to 8 weeks at sea together.

They didn’t know they had spies watching them leave!

Caesar’s procurator, Sabinus was still in Caesarea. He’d been laying low since Varus left, just waiting for Archelaus to leave the country.

Sabinus had figured out the largest part of Herod’s treasure was at Jerusalem. So now Sabinus only had to wait until Varus left, too.

***************

Governor Varus and the Lightning Legionnaires made it to Jerusalem on Sunday, April 22nd.

As always, the Legion built their camp outside the city. And, as always, they gave it a wall, with a dry moat.

But Varus himself went into the city.

Right away, the Governor met with their council – the Sanhedrin. (FN: The High Priest Joazar, son of Boethus, whom Herod appointed on March 12th, was their official leader.) Varus promised them he was only there to keep the peace, and he asked if they had any questions.

They had one.

The old men on the Sanhedrin were among the chief men held over at Jericho, after Purim. (See March, 4 BC.) They told Varus about their week in the Hippodrome, and about how they’d talked with the chief men of the entire nation about giving Israel to Syria.

They told all that to Varus. Then their question was, “We can sail to Rome right now, but how do we get into Caesar’s presence, to ask him?”

Now, first of all, Varus liked this idea.

In fact, Varus liked it so much that he offered to write a letter to Caesar, for them. The Governor offered his personal support, for the proposal. (He said they could use his name, to say so.) And he advised them in how to speak and behave, when they met the Emperor.

They asked, “how will the Emperor know for sure that we speak on behalf of the whole nation?” And Varus answered, “You should all go.” He said Caesar would be impressed by so many witnesses.

So that day, the Governor sent a letter, by special dispatch. And the Sanhedrin began planning to take their delegation to Rome.

A week later, they were ready to go. They left Jerusalem near the very end of April, made stops in Joppa and Caesarea, to build up support, and sailed out of Caesarea while it was still the first week of May.

They didn’t know they were leaving their country on the verge of a revolt.

But we’ll get to that soon.

Right “now”, there’s still more left for Varus to do, on the day he arrived.

***************

The Sanhedrin briefed Varus about the city he’d be guarding.

They also introduced him to Herod’s son, Philip. (FN: Remember, Archelaus had asked Philip to stay and be in charge of the Army, the Palace and their other holdings, in Jerusalem.)

Philip invited Varus to dinner that night at the Palace. And the next night. And so on. And the two hit it off.

The young man’s royal staff spared no expense in taking care of Varus’ needs. And the Governor realized he was a father figure to Philip. So Varus and Philip spent hours talking, each night, at the Palace.

That is how the two men became great friends.

Among other things, Philip shared his views on the Jewish leaders, with Varus. The prince told the General all about his father’s dealings with them. Philip tried to explain why Herod was as harsh as he needed to be, when dealing with Israel.

So Varus started second guessing his decision to support the Fifty Elders. But by the time the Governor’s feelings on that became certain, the elders were gone!

But the friendship of Varus and Philip was only beginning.

***************

There is only one other thing to mention, about this last week of April.

Jews all over Judea had heard about, or noticed, the Roman Legion that was camped outside the holy city. They also heard that Archelaus had left the country with most of his family.

The presence of foreign invaders made most common Jews furious. And the absence of their new king made them reckless enough to start trouble over it!

Nobody knew it yet, but Judea was about to erupt.





May, 4 BC
Some time in the very first days of May, a mass revolt broke out in central Judea. (FN: This was just after the Fifty Elders left Judea and went to the Sea.)

So, in various towns all around Jerusalem, Varus and the 12th Legion jumped into action.

Now, this might be called “the first rebellion” of the year. But all the details about what happened are completely unknown!

All we know is that the rebellion was really big, and really bad, and it was over really quickly. Varus and his Legion stopped the uprising without too much fighting. (FN: Josephus says they “suppressed” it.) The Governor punished those who’d stirred it up. And that was that. It seemed the Lightning Legion was as quick as their name.

The Judean rebels settled down, like they were supposed to. But things were still very tense, all over Judea.

The Governor was pretty sure another revolt would erupt, any time.

So he wrote a report about it, to Caesar, and he said so. (More on this later…)

At that point, Varus made three decisions. First, he left Legion XII in its camp outside Jerusalem to keep the peace, as planned. Next, Varus got Philip to hand over control of the Herodian Army. (The Legion’s top General was now in command over the Army’s top general.) And Thirdly, Varus took Philip and a few soldiers, and they rode quickly back to Antioch. (FN: 363 miles, or 7/8 days, switching horses

The Governor didn’t want Philp, or himself for that matter, to be around when the next trouble started. Besides, Varus had some other affairs to check on, up in Syria - like making sure his other two Legions were put on alert!

So – some time into the second week of May – the Governor left Judea.

But mostly, he expected to return.

***************

By the way, about that report Varus just sent to Caesar…

It needs 48 days to get to Rome, by personal carrier.

As it happens, the Herodians needed between 40 and 60 days to sail there. But they had a two or three week head start on Varus’ letter.

Remember this, when we get to June. The Herodians are going to meet with Caesar just before Varus’ report gets there, too. (FN: Lastly, the Fifty Elders get there 2-4 weeks after the report.)

And that is not going to be helpful, to Archelaus.

***************

Back to “now”…

We just saw Varus leave Judea. But more importantly, so did the spies of Sabinus!

The Procurator’s spies rode for two days back to Caesarea, to tell him. And Sabinus hurried to Jerusalem in the two days after that. So by mid-May, on the fourth day after Varus left the Holy City, his rival Sabinus was in town.

And that’s when things began to get crazy again.

Sabinus took Herod’s Palace (“for Caesar”) and stationed his cohort there (because it was built like a fortress). Then he called all Herod’s personal staff (that was in the city) to the Palace, and told them each to write up a list of what Royal property they controlled, and where it was kept.

But when Sabinus started to go clean out the first set of strongholds, the men guarding those citadels refused to let him in. When Sabinus said he was there to protect the treasure for Caesar, the Hebrew Soldiers just said, “By Archelaus’ orders, that’s just what we’re doing.”

Sabinus was stuck. The places he wanted the most were the three strong Towers next to the palace. The Procurator was sure there was treasure hiding in the towers, if he could get into them. (The towers had names – Phasael, Mariame and Hippicus.)

Of course, Herod’s personal officials and property were all over the city, and Sabinus kept trying to find ways to get anything he could.

The Jews in Jerusalem were upset about Sabinus and they complained to Varus’ Generals. But the Generals couldn’t help, because the Procurator only answered directly to Caesar.

It was the middle of May.

One day, a small group of rebels started attacking Sabinus’ men. Little attacks – like throwing things over the palace walls, or hitting the soldiers rocks in the street. These rebels always ran away quickly and they hid well in crowds, because the Romans thought all Jews looked just alike! Also, no one in the crowds would point out the rebels.

Day after day, the rebels kept up these little raids and ambushes. Their small-size tactics were difficult for the Roman Soldiers to fight against. Privately, these secret rebels were gaining sympathy and support from more and more of the common folks in Jerusalem.

But then, after several of these small attacks, Sabinus decided to fight fire with fire!

The Procurator sent out a group of his personal slaves, dressed like the Jews, to find the trouble makers. It didn’t work very well, but these ‘bodyguards’ bothered so many innocent people, that the whole city was starting to sympathize with the rebels.

Sabinus didn’t really care. He was still trying to figure out a way into the towers.

Meanwhile, the big Festival, Pentecost was about a week away.

Thousands of Jews from all over Israel were coming into the city, ahead of the Feast.

***************

Thousands and thousands of Jews were heading to Jerusalem.

…which means thousands of new problems were heading Sabinus’ way!

As it turned out, many other rebellions had been popping up all over Israel, ever since Varus left. There was major chaos affecting several cities, and some rebels were organizing into larger, armed groups.

Rebels from Jerusalem had gone out looking for more troublemakers, hoping to spread the news and fan the fires of revolt even higher. The best story these Jerusalem rebels had to share with their kinsmen was Sabinus – about his attempted thefts and his harassment of the people.

So the rebellious Jews in Galilee, Idumea, Transjordan, and Judea heard about what Sabinus was doing. And all of them – especially those from Judea – were hoping to take their rage out on Sabinus during the Festival.

Tens of thousands of Jews were heading to Jerusalem – and thousands of them were itching for a fight!

***************

Here’s a quick listing of the four biggest rebellions that began this month:

One: In Jericho, a strong, handsome Jew named Simon – a leading slave at the Jericho Palace – put on one of Herod’s crowns and got together a group of men who declared him the new King of Israel! Right then and there, the group burned down the Palace. After the fire, they looted the treasures that were left and moved around Transjordan, recruiting and growing larger.

The entire company of Simon the Slave is now heading to Pentecost.

Two: In Galilee, at a town named Sepphoris, a man named Theudas (often called “Judas”) raised another small army. Years before, Theudas’ father, Ezekias, had been the powerful chief of some Jewish Raiders. Back in those years, Herod captured and killed Ezekias. And now, the men who’d been waiting for Ezekias’ son to fill his father’s sandals were eager for a fight.

So this Theudas led some Galilean tough guys in a surprise attack on the Royal Palace at Sepphoris. Quickly, they looted the palace and seized all the weapons from it’s armory. Then, Theudas and his men rode around Sepphoris and other nearby towns, stealing and threatening anyone they came across. Theudas began acting like the new King of Galilee.

Theudas also sent a group of his men down to the Festival in Galilee, to see what they could steal, in case there was another riot.

By the way, in Samaria, there were no rebellions. And of course, the Samaritans did not attend the Jerusalem Festivals. As they watched hundreds of Galileans move thru Samaria on their way down, the Samaritans made it clear they were not interested in joining. (Not that the Galileans would have had them!)

Three:In the Judean countryside, a group of 2,000 Veterans (retired Herodian soldiers) got together somewhere in the flats to form an army. These Veterans wanted to make a show of force, but didn’t seem to have much of a plan!

Actually, they just wanted money! They were already discharged when Herod started giving away money to soldiers, after his hot-baths trip. But they were so recently discharged, that these Veterans figured they deserved the same reward! So their only plan was they hoped to somehow seize or demand some part of Herod’s vast wealth.

Anyway, these 2,000 Veterans were just assembled in the countryside, doing nothing. But the Army heard about their getting together.

So, just before Pentecost, Herod’s cousin Achiabus (the one who saved him from suicide this year) took a couple of thousand active Herodian Soldiers into the plains. Once there, Achiabus ordered the Veteran army to disband (he figured they had to be old & soft, and easy to disperse.)

But the old Veterans proved how valuable their experience was against the younger troops. The Veterans attacked and forced Achiabus’ units to retreat until he found higher ground. Actually, the 2,000 Veterans kept chasing the others until Achiabus’ soldiers reached a high enough position that the old guys couldn’t climb up to.

After that, the Veteran army moved closer to Jerusalem, to see what they might be able to accomplish, or ask for. And of course – like all Jews – they felt a natural burden to observe the festival, like they were supposed to!

Fourth:Somewhere in southern Judea or Idumea, there was a simple Sheep Herder named Athronges, who was known in his parts only because of his amazing size and the ways he sometimes showed off his great strength. This man, Athronges, figured he was strong enough to make himself King of Israel, and he figured he’d enjoy being King more than being a shepherd. (He also figured he didn’t have much to lose, if he died!)

Athronges had four brothers, who were also very tall and strong, like Athronges, and his brothers all joined together to help him become king. So these Five Strong Men started flexing and boasti