Roman governor of Syria about 6 C.E., with whose name are associated events and problems of great importance. After the banishment of ARCHELAUS in the year 6, a date confirmed by Dio Cassius (55:27), Judea came under the direct administration of the Romans, and was incorporated with the province of Syria. It thus becomes clear why the emperor Augustus should have ordered the ex-consul Quirinius (Greek, Κυρήνιος) to Syria to levy an assessment (Josephus, "Ant." 17:13, § 5). At the same time COPONIUS was sent as procurator of Judea; but Quirinius went thither also, since the levying of the tax on the entire province was his special duty (ib. 18:1, § 1).
The assessment caused great dissatisfaction among the Jews (ib.), and open revolt was prevented only by the efforts of the high priest Joazar (ib. 2, § 1). The levying of this assessment resulted, moreover, in the revolt of JUDAS THE GALILEAN and in the formation of the party of the ZEALOTS (Josephus, "B. J." 7:8, § 1; Lucas, in Acts 5:37). Josephus mentions the assessment in another passage also ("Ant." 20:5, § 2).