Who is Caligula in the Bible?
You’ve probably heard of Caligula. If not, you may be wondering who he is and what he was like. His tyrannical reign, his crucifixion, and his resurrection are all explored in this article. You’ll also learn about his incest and resurrection.
Caligula’s tyrannical reign
The story of Caligula’s tyranny is not as easy as we make it out to be. While he had many good qualities, his ruthless reign left little to the imagination. Among other things, he butchered people mercilessly, ordered people to be sacrificed to beasts in public arenas, and even killed people he considered threats. He also had a difficult relationship with the Senate, and killed some of them for it. Caligula also had many wives and relatives, and believed himself to be divine.
While the Bible does not mention him specifically, Caligula was the third Roman Emperor, ruling from 37 to 41 AD. Although he was the son of Germanicus, he became a cruel tyrant within a few months of becoming emperor. He was even known to compare himself to an immortal god, which fueled his maniacal spending spree. He also committed adultery and murder.
His incest
In the Bible, we find no evidence of Caligula having sex with his sisters, but a scenario based on the writings of Suetonius suggests that he did. It is possible that Caligula wanted to make the bloodline of his mother and father appear more important than it actually was.
In Suetonius’ work, Caligula is said to have had sex with three sisters. However, none of the historians of Caligula’s time mention the incestuous behavior, including his biographers, Philo and Seneca. However, both men are critical of the emperor’s behavior.
Although the Bible contains a number of examples of incest, the most famous example comes from Adam and Eve. Abraham and his half-sister Sarah were involved in incest, as were Lot and Abraham. Interestingly, neither of them wanted to participate in the relationship, and in those cases, the incest was probably more accurately described as rape.
His crucifixion
Mark’s gospel opens with the phrase, “The Son of God.” But there is no human voice identifying Jesus as the Son of God until after he has died. The centurion who sees Jesus dying gasps as he sees him die. The crucifixion is presented in Mark as an “anti-triangle,” a parable that shows Christ’s exaltation.
Suetonius described Caligula as “ill-shaped, pale and sickly-looking.” His eyes were hollow and his hair was thin. His crown was bald and he suffered from falling sickness. He was also susceptible to fatigue and was prone to fainting. Despite his ill-health, he had a fair complexion and brown eyes.
His resurrection
Caligula was only 24 when he became emperor. He was also very sick for seven months into his reign, and some think this illness may have contributed to his cruelty. During the first year of his reign, Caligula executed Naevius Sutorius Macro, a prefect of the Praetorian Guard. Eventually, Caligula went insane, and he spent the remainder of his reign exploring the worst parts of his nature.
The first part of his illness was epilepsy, which he had suffered from since childhood. This ailment was referred to in Rome as parliamentary disease and was often considered to be a bad omen.
His death
Caligula was the Emperor of Rome in the year A.D. 37, and his reign began with much promise. He was energetic and popular, but his tyrannical ways soon caught up with him. He became a brutal dictator who declared himself god during his life, demanding to be worshipped alongside the other Roman gods. He was eventually killed by his own Praetorian guards, but his death had repercussions for centuries to come.
The Bible mentions Caligula’s death ten times. He is said to have been stabbed to death by a Praetorian Guard centurion. He was succeeded by Claudius, who ruled the Roman Empire from AD 41 to AD 54. Later, his son Nero took over and reigned for the rest of his life.
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