The Second Temple Characters
Bible 101 (First Draft)
1. Romans
The Roman province of Judea was established in 63
B.C. by general Pompey the Great, in response to a
power struggle by two warring parties in the
Hasmonian Kingdom. In its place, Rome established
Herod the Great as a client king, a new High Priest to
govern the temple and local disputes, and a Roman
Governor to keep the peace.
1.1 Caesars
The Caesars ruled the Roman Empire, and at times
considered themselves to be gods. (Luke 2:1)
Augustus (63 BC–14 AD) (aka Octavius) Adopted
nephew of Julius Caesar, established the Roman
Empire and united the Roman, Greek and Jewish world
in an attempt to bring universal peace. This “Pax
Romana” paved the way for a gospel to all nations. He
was the ruler when Jesus was born. (Luke 2:1)
Tiberius (14–37 AD) Stepson of Augustus, he was not
collecting tribute taxes to send to Rome. If problems
arose, they would be held accountable.
Quirinius (6-9 AD) The Roman Governor of Syria
appointed by Augustus, which at that time included all
of Palestine. He was commissioned to take a census of
the territory which prompted Joseph to return to
Bethlehem, and a deadly revolt to break out in Galilee.
(Luke 2:1-3)
Pontius Pilate (26-36 AD) The Roman Governor of
Judea appointed by Tiberius, he presided over the trial
of Jesus. He attempted to hand him over to either
Herod Antipas or the Sanhedrin, but eventually ordered
his crucifixion to quell the angry mob. After violently
putting down an uprising in Samaria, he was banished
to Gaul and committed suicide during the first year of
Caligula’s reign. (Matt 27; Luke 3:1)
Felix Antonius (52-58 AD) The Roman Governor of
particularly fond of religion and his strict enforcement
of taxes increased the revenue for the Empire. His
portrait and inscription were on the local coinage (Matt
22:17-21) and he was the ruler throughout Jesus’
public ministry and death. (Luke 3:1) He appointed
Pontius Pilate and later removed him.
Judea appointed by Claudius. He married Drusilla,
daughter of Herod Agrippa I and sister of Agrippa II
and Bernice. He secretly used the Sicarii to murder
Jonathan the High Priest, and left Judea in turmoil.
Paul was brought to him at Caesarea by Lysius. He
kept Paul under house arrest for two years, and left
him there for lack of a bribe. (Acts 23-24)
Caligula (37–41 AD) Adopted nephew of Tiberius, he is
Festus Porcius (58-62 AD) The Roman Governor of
not mentioned in scripture but was close friend of
Herod Agrippa I. (Acts 12)
Claudius (41-54 AD) The only male family member to
survive the reigns of Tiberius and Caligula, he was a
skilled administrator and constructed many new roads
throughout the Empire, making the spread of the
gospel possible. He made many concessions to the
Jews because of his friendship with Agrippa I, but did
preside over a severe famine in the land (Acts 12:28)
and in 50 AD expelled the Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2).
Nero (54-68 AD) Adopted son of Claudius, Nero came
to power by his mother Agrippina murdering Claudius.
After the great fire in Rome in 64 AD, Nero blamed the
Christians and murdered them by the thousands. He is
not mentioned by name in scripture, but he is the
Caesar to whom Paul appealed (Acts 25:11;26:32) and
by whom he was probably martyred (2 Tim 4:6-7).
1.2 Governors
(aka Prefects or Procurators) Rome posted Governors
over their provinces to keep peace and protect the
interests of the Empire. They were also responsible for
Judea appointed by Nero to replace Felix. He
attempted to settle Paul’s case with the help of Agrippa
II and Bernice, but when he tried to send Paul back to
the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, Paul appealed to Caesar,
and Festus sent him to Nero in Rome. (Acts 25-26)
1.3 Commanders
A Senior Centurion in command of a cohort of six
centuries. They reported directly to the Governor.
Claudius Lysius was the Commander in Jerusalem
under Felix. He saved Paul from a Jewish mob, heard
Paul’s case before the Sanhedrin, and brought him
safely to Felix in Caesarea when he realized he was a
Roman citizen. (Acts 21-24)
1.4 Centurions
Roman commanders of 60-100 men, they were men
who rose up from the ranks due to their distinct
leadership and valor. Since they commonly dealt with
the local people, several are mentioned in the Bible as
being men of character who eventually put their faith in
Jesus.
The Centurion at Capernaum had the faith to ask Jesus
to heal his servant. (Matt 8:5-13)
The Centurion Guarding the Cross proclaimed that
Jesus was, “The Son of God.” (Matt 27:54)
Cornelius was the first Gentile to receive the Holy Spirit
in his home in Caesarea. (Acts 10)
Julius escorted Paul to Rome and showed kindness to
him along the way. (Acts 27:1-3)
2. Hasmonians
The Hasmonian Dynasty came to power in the wake of
the Maccabean Wars against the Selucid Greeks and
the invasion of Antiochus Epiphanes IV. The Kingdom
of Israel was ruled by three main factions, the
Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes. They
enjoyed self rule for a hundred years until their own
civil war invited Roman intervention. The dynasty
ended after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
(Matt 16:1)
2.1 Herods
When the Romans took over Judea, Augustus
appointed a client King named Herod the Great to rule
as the “King of the Jews” on Rome’s behalf. After his
death, Augustus did not give his heirs the title of King,
but rather “Ethnarch” (Ruler of People) or “Tetrarch”
(Ruler of Fourths). Not until Agrippa came to power
was the title of King used again.
Herod the Great (37—4 BC) Was an Idumean who took
advantage of the Hasmonian power struggle by going
to Rome and convincing Augustus to appoint him King
of Israel as a client state of Rome. He took a
Hasmonian wife, Miramne I, to legitimize his claim to
the throne, and subsequently killed her, her mother,
and his sons by her, to wipe out the Hasmonian
bloodline. He remodeled the Second Temple, built
palaces in Jerusalem and Masada, and the port city of
Caesarea Maritima, which was used as the Roman
Capital in Palestine. It was he whom the Magi visited in
search of the “King of the Jews,” for which he ordered
the murder of all the male children in Judea to protect
his throne. (Matt 2; Luke 1:5)
Herod Archelaus (4 BC—6 AD) Son of Herod the Great
and Malthrace, he was made Ethnarch of Judea and
Samaria. He began his reign by murdering 3,000 Jews
during Passover. When the Judeans and Samaritans
complained to Augustus, he was declared incompetent
and banished to Gaul. After which, his territory was
ruled by a Roman Governor. It was for fear of him that
Joseph settled in Nazareth in Galilee instead of
Bethlehem in Judea when they returned from Egypt.
(Matt 2:22)
Herod Antipas (4 BC—39 AD) Son of Herod the Great
and Malthrace, he was made Tetrarch of Galilee and
Perea. He named Tiberias as the capital of Galilee
(John 6:23). He divorced his first wife Phasaelis, the
daughter of King Aretas of the neighboring Nabateans,
to marry his brother’s wife, Herodias. When John the
Baptist condemned him publicly for it, he had John
beheaded at Herodias’ request. (Matt 14:1-11). His
action also led to a war with the Nabateans. Jesus
called him a “fox” when He learned Herod wanted to
kill Him too (Luke 13:31-32). Pontius Pilate sent Jesus
to him during his trial, as they were both in Jerusalem
for the Passover, and the two became friends over it
(Luke 23:6-12). When Caligula came to power, he
banished him to Gaul for conspiracy.
Philip the Tetrarch (aka Herod Philip II, 4 BC—34 AD)
Son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra of Jerusalem, he
was made Tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitus in the
northeast part of the kingdom. He rebuilt Caesarea
Philippi, named for himself to avoid confusion with the
other Caesarea, where Peter made his confession of
Jesus as the Christ. (Luke 3:1; Matt 16:13-16)
Herod II (aka Herod Philip I) Son of Herod the Great
and Miramne II, daughter of the High Priest Simon
Boethus. He was left out of Herod’s will due to an
assassination plot. He was the first husband of
Herodias, who divorced him for Antipas while visiting
Rome. It was for condemning this action that John the
Baptist was beheaded. Mark simply calls him Philip.
(Mark 6:17-18)
Herod Agrippa I (37—44 AD) Grandson of Herod the
Great, he was friends with Caligula who gave him the
territories of Philip and Antipas after Tiberius’ death.
After Caligula’s assassination in 41 AD, he helped
Claudius become emperor and was given Samaria and
Judea as well, giving him more territory than Herod the
Great. Simply called “King Herod” in Acts, he
persecuted the early church, put Peter in prison, and
died publically at Caesarea (Acts 12).
Herod Agrippa II (48—92 AD) Son of Agrippa I, he was
the last of the family of Herod the Great. He was 17
when Agrippa died, so Claudius kept him in Rome until
he was ready to rule. He was given the Tetrarchy of
Calchis, and later Galilee and Perea, and shared power
and an incestuous relationship with his sister Bernice.
Called “King Agrippa” in Acts, Paul had an audience
before him and Bernice at Caesarea, along with new
Roman Governor Festus, and tried to persuade them to
become Christians (Acts 25-26). They sided with the
Romans in the war that ended with 1,000,000 Jews
dead and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, during
which Bernice had an affair with future Emperor Titus.
They ended their life as royalty in Rome.
2.2 Herodians
This party favored a peaceful submission to Roman rule
and a return of the Herodian Dynasty in place of the
current Roman Governorship. They opposed Jesus
because he threatened their plans for power by
preaching a different kingdom, and plotted with the
Pharisees to find a way to kill Him. (Matt 22:16; Mark
3:6)
2.3 Tax Collectors
(aka Publicans) were regional Jewish officials in charge
of collecting taxes on goods sold to finance the Herods,
who in turn gave tribute to Caesar. They were hated
for betraying their national cause and often guilty of
overcharging their own countrymen for personal gain.
Jesus often refers to them as the worst of sinners (Matt
5:46; 21:31; Luke 18:9-14).
Zacchaeus was one from Jericho who put his faith in
Jesus and invited him to dinner. (Luke 19:2-10)
Matthew Levi continues to call himself one even after
he has become a disciple. (Matt 10:3)
3. Hellenists
Hellenism was the name given the Greek culture as it
influenced the world in the wake of the conquest of
Alexander the Great. Hellenists were in favor of the
Roman occupation, and favored Greek dress, language,
culture and philosophy. (John 12:20-21)
3.1 High Priests
During the Hasmonian Dynasty, the High Priest was the
leader in Israel, and was sometimes called the King of
Israel. When the Romans took over, he was appointed
by either the Herod or the Roman Governor from
among the Sadducees. The High Priest served as the
President of the Sanhedrin and Jewish representative
to the Roman Governor (Heb 5:1). In Jesus’ time, they
were notoriously wealthy, arrogant, unscrupulous,
political, and aligned more with Hellenism than
Judaism.
Annas (7—15 AD) Was appointed by Quirinius and
continued to exert influence through his family long
after his official office was over. In the Bible, he is even
called High Priest alongside his son-in-law Ciaphas,
who was acting High Priest (Luke 3:1). He questioned
Jesus before sending him to Ciaphas (John 18:19-24),
and also sat at the trial of Peter and John as the head
of the High Priest’s family (Acts 4:6).
Caiaphas (18-36 AD) Son-in-law of Annas, he was the
official High Priest to whose palace Jesus was brought
for trial (Matt 26:3). He feared that Jesus’ ministry
would bring Roman retaliation and threaten his place of
power (John 11:48). Caiaphas reasoned that it would
be better for one man to die than the nation to perish
(John 11:49).
Ananias (47-59 AD) Appointed by Herod of Chalcis, he
ordered Paul to be struck in the mouth at his trial in
Jerusalem (Acts 23:1-5) and came to Caesarea to press
the case against Paul before Felix (Acts 24:1). He was
assassinated by the Sicarii at the beginning of the
Jewish war.
3.2 Sanhedrin
The Roman Governor appointed 70 men to serve as a
governing council in each city in his region. The Great
Sanhedrin in Jerusalem became a final arbiter in
domestic affairs, and was made up of both Pharisees
and Sadducees.
3.3 Temple Guard
Under the authority of the High Priest, the temple
guard kept the peace in the temple area and served as
the strong arm of the Sanhedrin. They were at first
impressed with Jesus and had a hard time arresting
Him (John 7:45-47) but eventually carried out the
arrest of Jesus (Luke 22:52).
3.4 Sadducees
(aka Chief Priests) The more political wing of the
Sanhedrin, the Sadducees claimed lineage from the
Levitical priesthood, governed the worship on the
temple mount and usually provided the High Priest.
They did not believe in the spirit-world, the afterlife, or
in the oral tradition of the Pharisees. They opposed
Jesus for political reasons.
3.5 Money Changers
In order to present offerings or sacrifices at the temple,
the currency from other provinces would have to be
changed to temple currency at a cost. Along with the
sale of supplies for sacrifice such as sheep, doves, wine
and oil, this business was run by the High Priests
family, who used the money to buy influence with the
Herods. The “booths of the sons of Annas” were on the
Mt. of Olives, and there was a branch on the temple
courtyard itself. When Jesus drove them out for making
the house of prayer a “den of robbers,” he was
confronting the whole corrupt power structure. (Matt
21:12-13)
4. Jews
Their remained a remnant of faithful Jews waiting for
their Messiah to come and reestablish the Kingdom of
Israel as was promised in prophecy. (Luke 2:25;36-37;
John 1:47)
4.1 Pharisees
(aka Elders) The more religious wing of the Sanhedrin,
most Pharisees came from wealthy families, and had
less political pull than the Sadducees. They considered
themselves true keepers of the Law of Moses as well as
their oral traditions, which they considered of equal
importance. They believed in the spirit-world and the
afterlife. Although they opposed Jesus for religious
reasons, some came to believe he was the Messiah.
brought a full scale war with Rome. When Jerusalem
was destroyed in 70 AD, they held out three more
years at Masada before committing mass suicide rather
than surrender.
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to learned what it
was from their ranks (Luke 6:15).
means to be “born again” (John 3:1-21), defended
Jesus before the Sanhedrin (John 7:50-52), and
assisted in his burial (John 19:39-42).
Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy member of the
Sanhedrin and a secret disciple of Jesus who went to
Pilate personally to ask for Jesus’ body, and along with
Nicodemus buried him in his own tomb (Mark 15:43).
Gamaliel the Elder was the grandson of Hillel, founder
of one school of Phariseeism. He was a master teacher
(Rabban), an avid student of Greek philosophy,
emphasized the spirit of the law, and was one of the
most esteemed Rabbis in the history of Judaism. He
was Paul’s teacher in his early years (Acts 22:3) and
successfully defended the Apostles in the Sanhedrin
(Acts 5:34-40).
Apostle Paul (aka Saul of Tarsus) was a Roman citizen
from Tarsus in the Roman province of Cilicia, the son of
a Pharisee, and trained by Gamaliel himself before his
conversion. (Acts 22:5; 23:6; 26:5; Phil 3:5)
4.2 Scribes
(aka Teachers of the Law) Were Pharisees particularly
dedicated to the proper teaching of the Law of Moses
and its practical application. Jesus condemned many of
their interpretations and oral laws because they
hindered people from coming to God rather than
helping them (Matt 23:13-33).
4.3 Essenes
Along with the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Essenes
were the third important sect left over from from the
Hasmonian period. They lived in remote communes,
were celibate, practiced ritual bathing, and were
pacifists. When the Romans passed by their commune
at Qumran on their way to seize the Zealots at Masada,
the Essenes hid copies of scriptures in clay pots, not to
be discovered until 1947. These are the Dead Sea
Scrolls. Because of their belief in ritual baptism and
personal righteousness, some associate them with John
the Baptist, although his teachings were not quite the
same. (Mark 1:4)
4.4 Zealots
As their name implies, this was the fourth and most
radical (zealous) political party and fought against the
Roman occupation. They began under Judas of Galilee
in 6 AD in protest to the taxation of Quirinius (Acts
5:37). They took over Jerusalem in 66 AD which
Simon the Zealot (or Cananaean) one of the disciples,
4.5 Sicarii
The most extreme groups of Zealots who use stealth
and violence against the Romans. At public assemblies,
they would conceal small daggers (sicae—sickle) under
their cloaks to kill prominent Romans, Herodians, and
Jews who sympathized with Rome, and then slip out
through the crowd. Roman Commander Lysius initially
mistook Paul for a Sicarii leader from Egypt (Acts
21:38).
Judas Iscariot (of the Sicarii) is believed by some to
derive the Greek form of his name from them. It may
also pertain to the town he came from.
5. Samaritans
When the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom
of Israel in 722 B.C., they intermarried and resettled
the region called Samaria. They were consequently
rejected from assisting the returning Babylonian exiles
in the rebuilding of the temple, and instead built their
own temple on Mt. Gerazim. They opposed Nehemiah’s
rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, and remained in
conflict with the Jews throughout the New Testament,
even though they shared common religious roots.
(John 4:4-26; Luke 9:52-56; 10:30-37)
6. Disciples
The followers of Jesus Christ included faithful Jews who
were followers of John the Baptist (John 1:35-37), a
Tax Collector (Mark 2:14), a Zealot (Matt 10:4), three
Pharisees, a Centurion, and possibly a Sicarii.