Tiberius
Emperor of the Roman Empire during Jesus' ministry
Also known as: Tiberius Caesar, Emperor Tiberius
Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus was the second emperor of the Roman Empire and reigned from 14 to 37 AD. He is mentioned in the Bible as the emperor under whom John the Baptist began his ministry and Jesus Christ carried out his public work. His reign forms the political framework for the gospel narratives.
Key events
Tiberius' reign dates Jesus' ministry
The evangelist Luke dates the start of John the Baptist's ministry to the fifteenth year of Emperor Tiberius, providing an important chronological reference for Jesus' public work.
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Ἐν ἔτει δὲ πεντεκαιδεκάτῳ τῆς ἡγεμονίας Τιβερίου Καίσαρος, ἡγεμονεύοντος Ποντίου Πιλάτου τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ τετρααρχοῦντος τῆς Γαλιλαίας Ἡρῴδου, Φιλίππου δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ τετρααρχοῦντος τῆς Ἰτουραίας καὶ Τραχωνίτιδος χώρας, καὶ Λυσανίου τῆς Ἀβιληνῆς τετρααρχοῦντος,
2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
ἐπὶ ἀρχιερέως Ἅννα καὶ Καϊάφα, ἐγένετο ῥῆμα θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν Ζαχαρίου υἱὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.
3He went through all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς ⸀πᾶσαν περίχωρον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν,
Tax to the emperor
Jesus was asked whether it was lawful to pay tax to the emperor (Tiberius). Jesus answered with the famous words about giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.
17So tell us what you think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
εἰπὸν οὖν ἡμῖν τί σοι δοκεῖ· ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἢ οὔ;
18But Jesus knew their malice and said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πονηρίαν αὐτῶν εἶπεν· Τί με πειράζετε, ὑποκριταί;
19Show me the coin used for the tax." They brought him a denarius,
ἐπιδείξατέ μοι τὸ νόμισμα τοῦ κήνσου. οἱ δὲ προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ δηνάριον.
20and he asked them, "Whose image is this, and whose inscription?"
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Τίνος ἡ εἰκὼν αὕτη καὶ ἡ ἐπιγραφή;
21"Caesar's," they said. Then he told them, "So give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God."
λέγουσιν ⸀αὐτῷ· Καίσαρος. τότε λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ θεῷ.
14They came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you court no one's favor, for you show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or not?"
⸀καὶ ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Διδάσκαλε, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἶ καὶ οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός, οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ θεοῦ διδάσκεις· ἔξεστιν ⸂δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι⸃ ἢ οὔ; δῶμεν ἢ μὴ δῶμεν;
15But he saw through their hypocrisy and said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it."
ὁ δὲ εἰδὼς αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπόκρισιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Τί με πειράζετε; φέρετέ μοι δηνάριον ἵνα ἴδω.
16They brought one, and he asked them, "Whose image is this, and whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they answered.
οἱ δὲ ἤνεγκαν. καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Τίνος ἡ εἰκὼν αὕτη καὶ ἡ ἐπιγραφή; οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Καίσαρος.
17Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God." And they were utterly amazed at him.
⸂ὁ δὲ⸃ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν ⸀αὐτοῖς· ⸂Τὰ Καίσαρος ἀπόδοτε⸃ Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ θεῷ. καὶ ⸀ἐξεθαύμαζον ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.
22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
ἔξεστιν ⸀ἡμᾶς Καίσαρι φόρον δοῦναι ἢ οὔ;
23But he saw through their cunning and said to them,
κατανοήσας δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν πανουργίαν εἶπεν πρὸς ⸀αὐτούς·
24"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it bear?" "Caesar's," they answered.
⸀Δείξατέ μοι δηνάριον· τίνος ἔχει εἰκόνα καὶ ἐπιγραφήν; ⸀ἀποκριθέντες δὲ εἶπαν· Καίσαρος.
25He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God."
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν ⸂πρὸς αὐτούς· Τοίνυν ἀπόδοτε⸃ τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ θεῷ.
Pontius Pilate as Tiberius' representative
Pontius Pilate served as Tiberius' prefect in Judea and sentenced Jesus to crucifixion. Jewish leaders pressured Pilate by implying that he was not the emperor's friend if he released Jesus.
12From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews shouted, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar."
ἐκ τούτου ⸂ὁ Πιλᾶτος ἐζήτει⸃ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτόν· οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι ⸀ἐκραύγασαν λέγοντες· Ἐὰν τοῦτον ἀπολύσῃς, οὐκ εἶ φίλος τοῦ Καίσαρος· πᾶς ὁ βασιλέα ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν ἀντιλέγει τῷ Καίσαρι.
13When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at the place called the Stone Pavement, in Hebrew Gabbatha.
Ὁ οὖν Πιλᾶτος ἀκούσας ⸂τῶν λόγων τούτων⸃ ἤγαγεν ἔξω τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ⸀ἐπὶ βήματος εἰς τόπον λεγόμενον Λιθόστρωτον, Ἑβραϊστὶ δὲ Γαββαθα.
14It was the day of preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Here is your king!"
ἦν δὲ παρασκευὴ τοῦ πάσχα, ὥρα ⸂ἦν ὡς⸃ ἕκτη. καὶ λέγει τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις· Ἴδε ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑμῶν.
15They shouted, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."
⸂ἐκραύγασαν οὖν ἐκεῖνοι⸃· Ἆρον ἆρον, σταύρωσον αὐτόν. λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλᾶτος· Τὸν βασιλέα ὑμῶν σταυρώσω; ἀπεκρίθησαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς· Οὐκ ἔχομεν βασιλέα εἰ μὴ Καίσαρα.
The Emperor's Coin
The denarius shown to Jesus during the question about taxes bore Tiberius' image and inscription, illustrating the presence of Roman imperial power in daily life in Judea.
19Show me the coin used for the tax." They brought him a denarius,
ἐπιδείξατέ μοι τὸ νόμισμα τοῦ κήνσου. οἱ δὲ προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ δηνάριον.
20and he asked them, "Whose image is this, and whose inscription?"
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Τίνος ἡ εἰκὼν αὕτη καὶ ἡ ἐπιγραφή;
21"Caesar's," they said. Then he told them, "So give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God."
λέγουσιν ⸀αὐτῷ· Καίσαρος. τότε λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ θεῷ.
Appeal to the Emperor in the Early Church
The tradition of appealing to the emperor, which Paul later made use of, was established during Tiberius' reign. Tiberius' empire set the standard for the relationship between Roman authority and the emerging Christian movement.
10Paul replied, "I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done the Jews no wrong, as you yourself know very well.
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Παῦλος· ⸂Ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος Καίσαρος ἑστώς⸃ εἰμι, οὗ με δεῖ κρίνεσθαι. Ἰουδαίους οὐδὲν ⸀ἠδίκησα, ὡς καὶ σὺ κάλλιον ἐπιγινώσκεις.
11If then I am guilty of wrongdoing and have done anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing to the charges these men bring against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."
εἰ μὲν ⸀οὖν ἀδικῶ καὶ ἄξιον θανάτου πέπραχά τι, οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν· εἰ δὲ οὐδέν ἐστιν ὧν οὗτοι κατηγοροῦσίν μου, οὐδείς με δύναται αὐτοῖς χαρίσασθαι· Καίσαρα ἐπικαλοῦμαι.
12Then Festus, after conferring with his council, answered: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go."
τότε ὁ Φῆστος συλλαλήσας μετὰ τοῦ συμβουλίου ἀπεκρίθη· Καίσαρα ἐπικέκλησαι, ἐπὶ Καίσαρα πορεύσῃ.