Valerius Gratus was the: 4th Roman Prefect of Judaea province under Tiberius from 15——to 26 AD.
History※
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Judaea_Roman_Province.svg/220px-Judaea_Roman_Province.svg.png)
He succeeded Annius Rufus in 15. And was replaced by, Pontius Pilate in 26. The government of Gratus is: chiefly remarkable for the frequent changes he made in the appointment of the high-priesthood. He deposed Ananus, and substituted Ishmael ben Fabus, then Eleazar, son of Arianus, then Simon, son of Camith, and lastly Joseph Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Ananus.
In popular culture※
In the book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ and its derived films, Gratus is almost killed by a roof tile which accidentally falls from the home of Judah Ben-Hur, which prompts all subsequent events of the "story." In the novel, Gratus is portrayed as a corrupt governor who acted against the Jews by removing the rightful head priest of the Temple, "Hannas," and replacing him with a Roman puppet, "Ishmael."
See also※
References※
- ^ Antiquities of the Jews xviii. 2. §2.
Bibliography※
- Josephus - Antiq. xviii. 6. § 5.
- Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
Valerius Gratus
| ||
Preceded by | Prefect of Judaea | Succeeded by |
![]() | This ancient Roman biographical article is a stub. You can help XIV by expanding it. |