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Person New Testament

Augustus

Also known as Augustan =ESV; Augustus =KJV; imperial =NIV;, Caesar =ESV, NIV; Cesar =KJV

Augustus, also known as Caesar, was the Roman emperor during the time of Jesus' birth and early life (Luk.2.1; 3:1; Act.25.21, 25; 27:1). Mentioned in 3 verses across 2 books, first at Luke 2:1.

Why it matters. Roman emperor during the birth of Jesus

Last reviewed
2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team

About Augustus

Augustus, also referred to as Caesar, was the first Roman emperor and ruled during the time of Jesus' birth and early life. He is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. In Luk.2.1, a decree is issued by Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered, leading Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. Luk.3.1 mentions that John the Baptist began his ministry in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, indicating that Augustus had died by this time. In Acts, Paul appeals to Caesar as a Roman citizen, referring to the emperor's authority. Augustus' reign was marked by a period of relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire, known as the Pax Romana. His rule had a significant impact on the political and social context of the New Testament world.

Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.

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Appears in Scripture

Named in 3 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.

Record type: Person. FaithGraph explanations on this page are editorial and are not Scripture.