GOVERNOR OF SYRIA · BETWEEN THE TESTAMENTS

Quirinius. Named once, to date the enrolment at Jesus' birth.

RULEDi

Not given c. 7–5 BC (dates vary)

SEAT

Syria

HOUSE

Not stated 3rd of 17 in Rome

SCRIPTURE SAYS

“(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)”

PROPHETS

None named

ROME: 17 RULERS HEROD THE GREAT → PORCIUS FESTUS

AUTHORITY

Under whose authority

SUCCESSION

Before and after

WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS

What Scripture says of him

  • "(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)" Luke 2:2
  • Luke ties this to "a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed", which took Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. Luke 2:1–5
  • In Acts, Gamaliel recalls "Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing"; he names no governor. Acts 5:37

THE SEAT

Syria, where he sat

The province Luke names; Scripture does not name its seat

TRIALS AND HEARINGS

The hearings held

UNDATED IN SCRIPTURE

THE NATION

What the nation did

  • Acts: Judas of Galilee "drew away much people after him" in the days of the taxing; "he also perished". Acts 5:37

ON THE WORLD STAGE

The powers of the day

ROME

Augustus

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · AD 21

Tacitus on his career

OUTSIDE THE BIBLE · ABOUT AD 155

Justin Martyr's appeal to the registers

DATES DIFFER

When was it?

SCRIPTURE'S NUMBERS

No years given

None. Luke ties his governorship to the enrolment of Luke 2:1-2.

AN EARLIER COMMAND IN SYRIA (RAMSAY 1898)

c. 7–5 BC[20]

Ramsay's view: Quirinius led the war against the Homonadenses 'pretty certainly in B.C. 6' and the enrolment of Palestine fell in autumn 6 BC. A view, not a record.

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 2

Luke 2 Acts 5

PASSAGES · 2

Luke 2:1–5 Acts 5:37

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Luke names Quirinius once and says nothing else about him.
  • Scripture does not say whether Quirinius came to Judaea in person.
  • Acts 5:37 does not say which governor's taxing it means.

IDENTIFICATIONS THIS PAGE RELIES ON

  • Scholars' view"Cyrenius" is the Greek form of the Roman name Quirinius: Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, whom Tacitus calls Sulpicius Quirinus. Luke 2:2 [4][20][30]

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • A. Deissmann, tr. L. R. M. Strachan, St. Paul: A Study in Social and Religious History (1912), Appendix I, The Proconsulate of L. Junius Gallio, pp. 235-260 (Orosius on p. 257).
  • Cassius Dio, tr. E. Cary, Roman History, book 60 (Loeb Classical Library, vol. 7) (1924), 60.6.6.
  • E. H. Plumptre, in C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A New Testament Commentary for English Readers, Notes on Acts 18:2 and 27:1 (about 1880), read on Bible Hub.
  • E. H. Plumptre, in C. J. Ellicott (ed.), A New Testament Commentary for English Readers, Notes on Luke 2:2 and 3:1 (about 1880), read on Bible Hub.
  • Eusebius, tr. A. C. McGiffert, Church History, book 2 (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1) (1890), 2.2.1-2; 2.6.3-7; 2.7; 2.8.1; 2.25.5.
  • Eusebius, tr. A. C. McGiffert, Church History, book 9 (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1) (1890), 9.5.1.
  • John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament, note on Acts 25:21 (1746-48), read on Bible Hub.
  • Seneca, tr. R. M. Gummere, Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 104 (Loeb Classical Library, vol. 3) (1925), 104.1 and Gummere's note 2.
  • The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Latin dedicatory inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate (IAA 1961-529), collection catalogue entry (facts only) (online catalogue, read 2026), findspot, date range, material, number, catalogue heading and the museum's English reconstruction of the text (checked by web search 2026-10-07; the Latin letters were not checked).
  • Justin Martyr, tr. M. Dods and G. Reith, The First Apology (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1) (1885), chs. 34, 35, 48.
  • R. J. Knowling, The Acts of the Apostles (Expositor's Greek Testament, vol. 2), on Acts 18:2 (1900), read on Bible Hub.
  • J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, 4th ed. (1878), p. 30 note 1; detached essay 'Caesar's Household', pp. 171 ff..
  • J. B. Lightfoot, Essays on the Work Entitled Supernatural Religion (1889), Appendix, pp. 292-296 (the proconsul of Cyprus).
  • J. R. Lumby, The Acts of the Apostles (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges), on Acts 18:2 (1885), read on Bible Hub.
  • H. A. W. Meyer (English translation), Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles, on Acts 18:2 (1877-80), note on Acts 18:2 with notes 73 and 75; read on Bible Hub.
  • Philo, tr. C. D. Yonge, On the Virtues and Office of Ambassadors (the Embassy to Gaius), The Works of Philo Judaeus vol. 4 (1855), chapters 37-38 (Yonge's numbering), pp. 164-166.
  • A. Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to S. Luke (International Critical Commentary) (1896), on Luke 3:1, pp. 81-84.
  • A. C. Hervey, Acts (Pulpit Commentary), on Acts 18:2 (1884), read on Bible Hub.
  • W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen (1895), Chronological Index (as tabulated in the Letters research, pauls-letters-part1.md section 1.2).
  • W. M. Ramsay, Was Christ Born at Bethlehem? A Study on the Credibility of St. Luke (1898), chs. VII-VIII (pp. 131-173); ch. X, pp. 199-202 and note I, p. 221; ch. XI, pp. 227-245.
  • W. M. Ramsay, The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament (1915), ch. XII, pp. 150-162.
  • Augustus, tr. F. W. Shipley, Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Loeb Classical Library) (1924), chapter 34.
  • Augustus, tr. F. W. Shipley, Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Loeb Classical Library) (1924), chapter 8.
  • A. T. Robertson, Paul, the Apostle (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) (1915), part 3, III. Chronology of Paul's Career; read online, not yet checked against a scan.
  • E. Schürer, tr. S. Taylor and P. Christie, A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, Division 2, vol. 2 (1885), section 31, pp. 236-238 with notes 67-70.
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Augustus (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 100.1.
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Claudius (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 18.2; 25.4 with Rolfe's note 75; 28; 45; Rolfe's note 79 (accession 25 January 41); note 81 (Felix's wives).
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Nero (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 16.2; 57.1.
  • Suetonius, tr. J. C. Rolfe, The Life of Tiberius (Loeb Classical Library) (1914), 73.1.
  • Tacitus, tr. A. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb, The Annals of Tacitus (1884), 3.48; 12.43; 12.54; 15.44; 15.73, with the translators' notes (1884 printing; first published 1876).
  • Tacitus, tr. A. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb, The History of Tacitus (1888), 5.9 (1888 printing; first published 1864).
  • Tertullian, tr. S. Thelwall, Apology (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3) (1885), chs. 5 and 21.

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