Meaning of PROCURATOR

Position of the Roman administration. In the imperial provinces, that is, those administered directly by the emperor, there was a procurator, who was both civil and military governor.

In Judea they were, among others, Pontius Pilate (Mt. 28:14), Felix (Acts 23:24), Festus (Acts 24:27; 26:30). It was after the deposition of Archelaus, in the year 6 AD, that Rome decreed the fusion of Judea, Samaria and Idumea, under the name of "province of Judea", as a division of Syria, and to be administered by procurators (Ant. 17 :11, 4; 13:5; Tacitus, Annals 12:23; History 5:9).

The procurators of Judea were, successively: Coponius (Ant. 18:1, 1; 2:2; Wars 2:8, 1); Marco Ambivio; Annio Rufus, at the time of the death of Caesar Augustus; Valerius Gratus, who held office for eleven years (Ant. 18:2, 2); Pontius Pilate, appointed by Tiberius, and by whom he was deposed ten years later.

Pilate arrived in Rome just after the death of Tiberius, in March of the year 37 (Ant. 18:2, 2; 4, 2; 6, 5; Wars 2:9, 2; Tacitus, Annals 15:44; Luke. 3:1); Marcellus (Ant. 18:6, 10-11), appointed by Caligula.

Upon the accession of the emperor Claudius, in the year 41, Herod Agrippa I received the crown of Judea from him, reigning for three years, until his death (Acts 12: 123). Cuspius Fado was appointed procurator of Judea by Claudius in the year 44. Tiberius Alexander was immediately appointed (Ant. 19:9, 2; 20:1, 2; 5, 2; Wars 2:11, 6).

After the death of Herod king of Chalcis, Claudius appointed Cumanus procurator of Judea; Later, the emperor recalled him (Ant. 20:5, 2; 6, 2, and 3; Wars 2:12, 1, 6), putting Felix in his place (Ant. 20:7, 1; Wars 2:12, 8; Tacitus, History 5:9; Annals 12); Nero appointed Porcius Festus procurator (Ant. 20:8, 9; Wars 2:14, 1; Acts 24:27); Albinus succeeded him (Ant 20:9, 1); the last of them was Gesius Florus, appointed by Nero in the year 64 (Ant. 20:11, 1; Wars 2:14, 2; Tacitus, History 5:10).

The procurators of Judea were, to a certain extent, subject to the legacy of Syria, but in practice their authority over Judea was sovereign.

They had supreme command of the Roman garrison, they judged all important cases, they had the power to apply the death penalty (Wars 2:8, 1), which was carried out by their soldiers.

They generally resided in Caesarea, a city on the Mediterranean coast, but they went up to Jerusalem for important festivals, and sometimes spent the winter there (Ant. 18:3, 1). They visited the cities under their jurisdiction. When they resided in Jerusalem, they settled in the old palace of Herod the Great.