People & groups
Tax collector
A person who collected tolls or taxes under the ruling administration.
Also called · Publican
What it means
Tax collection under Roman rule could involve contractors and local agents. Opportunities for overcharging contributed to public suspicion and disgrace.
The Gospels place tax collectors among socially rejected people, while also showing Matthew, Zacchaeus, and others responding to Jesus.
How it appears in the Bible
John the Baptist told collectors not to demand more than authorized, revealing the moral issue without declaring the occupation itself impossible.