The district which had been tributary to Archelaus was annexed[1] to the province of Syria, and Quirinius, a man of consular rank, was sent by Cæsar to take a valuation of the property in Syria and to sell the personal estate[2] of Archelaus.—Ant. XVII. 13. 2, 5 (342-344, 355). (24) The Revolt of Judas "in the days of the enrolment" under Quirinius
"After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the
enrolment and drew away people after him" (Acts v. 37). Josephus
here narrates the story of the revolt in the year A.D. 6, to which
Gamaliel alludes in his speech in the Sanhedrin as reported in the
Acts. See Appendix, Note I, for the relation of this enrolment to
"the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria"
(Luke ii. 2); also Note IV ("Theudas and Judas").
A.D. 6-7 Now Quirinius, a Roman senator, and one who had held all the subordinate offices, passing through each grade[3] until he reached the consulate, and a man of high reputation on other grounds, came with a small retinue to Syria, being sent by Cæsar[4] as judicial administrator of the nation and assessor of the national property. With him was sent Coponius, a man of equestrian rank, as governor of the Jews with supreme powers. Quirinius also visited Judæa, now an appanage of the province of Syria, to take a valuation of the Jews' property and to sell the estate of Archelaus.
The Jews, although they were indignant when they first heard of the proposed enrolments, under the influence of the high priest Joazar, son of Boethus, condescended to desist from further opposition; they yielded to his advice and, without more scruple, set about valuing their estates. But one Judas, a Gaulanite,
