Quirinius
In a 700 (about) year history of Roman colonial administration there is not one record of a man serving 2 terms as a governor of any particular province. The inscription Christian apologists offer to support their ‘twice governor’ claim most likely involved Lucius Calpurnius Piso and he held the title of governor on 2 different instances and 2 different provinces.
Governor of Syria (6 BCE – 3 BCE) was Publius Quinctillius Varus (he put down revolts which happened after the death of Herod the Great). P. Sulpicius Quirinius became governor in 6 CE and performed the census which was the product of the discharge of the Tetrarch Archelaus from Judaea. Quirinius was governor of Galatia (modern Turkey) and suppressed a revolt and rejoiced a triumph in Rome between 6 BCE and 1 BCE. Quirinius already had a military command of a province and it is highly doubtful that he would be given a second in the middle of a war.
Filed by Frank at September 4th, 2008 under Religion