Coponius facts for kids
Coponius was the very first Roman governor, also known as a Prefect, of the Roman province called Judaea. He was in charge from the year 6 AD to 9 AD.
Who Was Coponius?
Coponius was a Roman official who belonged to the Equites, which was a special group of people with high social standing, similar to knights. As governor, he had a lot of power, including making important decisions about justice in the province.
During his time as governor, a big event happened: a rebellion led by a man named Judas the Galilean. This uprising wasn't really because people disliked Coponius himself. Instead, it was mainly because Roman soldiers were brought into the area.
Another reason for the unrest was a special count of the population, called a census. This census was being done by Quirinius, who was a Roman leader from Syria. The census was part of how the Romans were reorganizing the province of Judaea, and it made many people upset.
In the year 9 AD, Coponius was called back to Rome. Another governor, Marcus Ambivulus, took his place. It's thought that because of Coponius's time as governor, one of the doors of the famous Temple in Jerusalem was even named the "door of Coponius." We don't know much about how Coponius personally felt about the Jewish people he governed.
