What was Tiberius Caesar’s impact on biblical history?

Tiberius Caesar (42 BC—AD 37) was emperor of Rome during the life, ministry, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He was the appointed successor to Augustus, who was emperor when Jesus was born. As the second Roman emperor, Tiberius ruled AD 14—37.

In Luke 3, as John the Baptist goes out preaching and preparing the way for the Lord to begin His earthly ministry, Scripture says it was “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (verse 1). Luke 3:1 contains the only specific New Testament reference to Tiberius Caesar. However, John 6:23 mentions the city of Tiberias, which was established in honor of Tiberius Caesar by Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, around AD 18. Tiberias was the capital of Galilee. In John’s Gospel, the Sea of Galilee is called the “Sea of Tiberias” (John 6:1; 21:1) because of its juxtaposition to the city of Tiberias on its western shore.

Tiberius Caesar was born into nobility as Tiberius Claudius Nero—the same name as his father, who served as an officer under Julius Caesar. When Tiberius was four, his parents divorced. The boy was raised by his mother, Livia Drusilla. She remarried Octavian, the future emperor who went by the title “Augustus,” meaning “exalted one.” Tiberius was adopted by Augustus and made the emperor’s co-regent in AD 13. When Augustus died the following year, Tiberius succeeded him to the throne, changing his name to Tiberius Caesar Augustus.

For much of his adult life, Tiberius Caesar served as a military leader except for an eight-year period when he voluntarily banished himself to the island of Rhodes because of a falling out with his stepfather. Although Tiberius was married, his stepfather and mother forced him to divorce his wife and marry Julia, Augustus’ daughter and the widow of Marcus Agrippa. Julia’s male children were to secure an heir to the throne, except that none survived. When she and Tiberius had no children, Augustus banished his daughter for committing adultery. With no suitable surviving heirs, Augustus reluctantly named Tiberius as his successor. Tiberius was 54 when he ascended to the throne.

One day when the Pharisees were plotting to trap Jesus, they asked Him if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus held up the Roman coin they had presented to Him and said, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Jesus was referring to Tiberius Caesar, whose portrait was imprinted on the silver denarius. Tiberius is the same Caesar mentioned in Mark 12:14–17; Luke 20:22–25; 23:2; and John 19:12–15.

Unlike his stepfather, Tiberius Caesar was an uncommonly humble emperor who lacked the public relations proficiencies of his predecessor. He was unhappy with the dictatorial system of government handed to him by Augustus and was constantly hounded by political opponents.

Tiberius grew tired of politics and finally withdrew to the island of Capri to escape the pressures of running so vast an empire. He was still ruling when Jesus was crucified but had previously placed the empire in the hands of his unprincipled praetorian prefect, Sejanus. Tiberius eventually executed Sejanus for conspiring to seize the throne, but not before Sejanus appointed Pontius Pilate to serve Tiberius as procurator of Judea in AD 26. Although early Christian sources claim Pilate sent news of Christ’s trial and execution to Tiberius, there is no historical evidence that the emperor ever received it.

Tiberius Caesar died of natural causes at age 78. Caligula, his brother’s grandson, succeeded him.