By the time Jesus was born, the Jewish nation had been conquered by the Romans. But the Roman government adopted a tolerant policy toward the Jews, allowing them to practice their religion. The Jews, in return, would offer daily sacrifices in the temple on behalf of the Roman Emperor. The Romans allowed autonomous rule in certain areas of Palestine, which were areas where traditional Jewish customs could be maintained. However, Rome would always retain the power to station armies to keep Roman order. Moreover, the Jews would have to pay taxes to the Roman emperor (Lk 20:25). So autonomous rule is questionable during Jesus’ time. The Jewish nation was protected by the Roman empire, but it was also subjected to it. In 37 B.C., the “Herodian court†was founded along with the Jewish council. Although the Jews had the power to handle religious issues and gather opinions, death sentences had to be given by Roman officials to legally execute (Mt 27:1–2). Therefore, the Jewish nation was more in name than in power.
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