What influence did Julius Caesar have on biblical history?

The common title given to succeeding Roman emperors, adopted from the name of Julius Caesar. Matt. 22:17, 21; Mark 12:14, 16, 17; Luke 2:1; John 19:12, 15; Acts 25:8, 21; Phil. 4:22; etc. The history of the New Testament fell under the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.

Title given to the Roman Emperors after Augustus Caesar, named in Luke 2:1. In Acts 25:21, 25 the Augustus or Caesar at that time was Nero.

The first Roman emperor, son of Cains Octavius and Atia, niece of Julius Caesar. He was one of the Triumvirate with Antony and Lepidus, and upon the death of the latter he shared the empire with Antony: but both being too ambitious to share the kingdom, the battle of Actium, B.C. 31, resulted in Caesar's favour, and he reigned alone: four years later he was confirmed as 'emperor,' and 'Augustus' in B.C. 27. He became associated with Palestine at the defeat of Antony, whom Herod had supported. He behaved, contrary to expectation, kindly to Herod, confirmed him as king, and added Samaria and Gadara to his dominions. Herod gave unreserved allegiance to Augustus, and built a marble temple to his honour at Caesarea Philippi. The emperor died A.D. 14. The Lord Jesus was born during his reign. Luke 2:1.

He was the son of Antipater an Idumaean, who was a proselyte to Judaism. His father having aided Caesar in his war with Egypt was rewarded by being made procurator of all Judaea, and he made his son Herod, then only fifteen years of age, governor of Galilee. On the death of Julius Caesar the country was in anarchy; but eventually Herod contrived to ingratiate himself with Antony and Octavian, and was appointed KING OF JUDAEA. He began his reign (B.C. 37) with blood: there were a few left of the Asmonaean house, descendants of the Maccabees; these were put to death and their adherents, and the whole of the Sanhedrim except two.

[20] The terms of this part of Cæsar's decree, as given by Josephus, Ant , XIV. x. 2, are: "And if at any time hereafter there arise any questions about the Jewish customs, I will that he [i.e., Hyrcanus and his successors] determine the same." This decree, so important to the Jews, was by command of Julius Cæsar to "be openly proposed in a table of brass, both in Greek and in Latin."

In Luke 2:1 we read, "There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed." This decree had a result of which he had no conception. It has been said that, "In whatever conferred dignity and power he had no rival and no check;" and again, "Whilst in enjoyment of this pre-eminence, the Roman Emperor was unconscious that in a village in Judea, in the lowest ranks of life, among the most contemned tribe of his dominions, his Master was born. By this event the whole current of the world's history was changed."

In the next chapter (Luke 2) the scene changes. Instead of the relations of God with Israel according to grace, we see first the pagan emperor of the world — the head of Daniel's last empire — exercising his power in Emmanuel's land, and over the people of God, as though God did not know them. Nevertheless we are still in presence of the birth of the Son of David, of Emmanuel Himself; but He is outwardly under the power of the head of the beast, of a pagan empire. What a strange state of things is brought in by sin! Take special notice however that we have grace here: it is the intervention of God which makes all this manifest. Connected with it are some other circumstances which it is well to observe. When the interests and the glory of Jesus are in question, all this power — which governs without the fear of God, which reigns, seeking its own glory, in the place where Christ should reign — all the imperial glory is but an instrument in the hands of God for the fulfilment of His counsels. As to the public fact, we find the Roman emperor exercising despotic and pagan authority in the place where the throne of God should have been, if the sin of the people had not made it impossible.

The emperor will have all the world registered, and every one goes to his own city. The power of the world is set in motion, and that by an act which proves its supremacy over those who, as the people of God, should have been free from all but the immediate government of their God, which was their glory — an act which proves the complete degradation and servitude of the people. They are slaves, in their bodies and in their possessions, to the heathen, because of their sins (see Nehemiah 9:36-37). But this act only accomplishes the marvellous purpose of God, causing the Saviour-king to be born in the village where, according to the testimony of God, that event was to take place. And, more than that, the divine Person, who was to excite the joy and the praises of heaven, is born among men, Himself a child in this world.

Luke 2 pursues the same grand truths: only there is more at hand. The opening verses bring this before us. God was good to Israel, and was displaying His faithfulness accordingly to, not the law, but His promises. How truly the people were in bondage. Hostile Gentiles had the upper hand. The last great empire predicted in Daniel was then in power. "It came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed [or enrolled]. (And this taxing [or enrolment] was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one to his own city." Such was the thought of the world, of the imperial power of that day, the great Roman beast or empire. But if there was a decree from Caesar, there was a most gracious purpose in God. Caesar might indulge his pride, and count the world his own, in the exaggerated style of human ambition and self-complacency; but God was now manifesting what He was, and oh, what a contrast. The Son of God, by this very deed, providentially enters the world at the promised place, Bethlehem. He enters it after a different sort from what we could have ever drawn from the first gospel, where we have Bethlehem still more significantly mentioned: at any rate, prophecy is cited on the occasion as to the necessity of its being there. That information even the scribes could render to the Magi who came to adore. Here there is nothing of the sort. The Son of God is found not even in an inn, but in the manger, where the poor parents of the Saviour laid him. Every mark follows of the reality of a human birth, and of a human being; but it was Christ the Lord, the witness of the saving, healing, forgiving, blessing grace of God. Not only is His cross thus significant, but His birth, the very place and circumstances being all most evidently prepared. Nor this only; for although we see not here Magi from the East, with their royal gifts, their gold, and frankincense, and myrrh, laid at the feet of the infant king of the Jews, here we have, what I am persuaded was yet more beautiful morally, angelic converse; and suddenly, with the angel (for heaven is not so far off), the choirs of heaven praising God, while the shepherds of earth kept their flocks in the path of humble duty.

Caesar Augustus would be an apt picture of the god and prince of this world. These emperors had divine honours given to them as in complete control of the civilised world. Hence this man makes an edict and sets the whole world in motion in his own interests. Yet by the edict Mary was to be found in the very place which had been prophetically indicated as that where Christ should be born. Thus God overrules the acts of a pagan emperor and causes them to be in absolute accord with what He Himself would do.

It was just the same with regard to His birth in this world. Caesar Augustus had made a decree that a census should be made of all the world, but it did not take effect until Cyrenius had the government of Syria, and each person was to go to his own city to be inscribed. This was the way the purpose of God relative to the time and place of Jesus' birth was to be accomplished. The great emperor was but an instrument in the hand of God, for the accomplishment of His purposes.

But how was this to be brought about, seeing that Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, scores of miles away from Bethlehem? How then was the Scripture to be fulfilled? Oh, how little men think that God is behind the scenes, and quietly overrules what takes place on the earth. The Emperor of Rome, Caesar Augustus, became suddenly possessed of the idea that he would like to know the extent of his dominion and the number of his subjects, and he determined therefore to have a census taken. He sends out, in the pride of his imperial majesty, an edict that the people are to be numbered. Very natural for a king to like to know how many people he reigns over. But in this instance the emperor would know, not only the numbers, but the nationalities of those over whom he reigned; and consequently, when the order went out for this census to be taken, every man went to his own city. So absolute was the edict that every Jew, no matter where he lived, was bound, under terrible penalty, to go up to his own city to be enrolled.