Caesar as Title and Name: The Dual Function of καῖσαρ in Mark 12.14-17
Much has been written about Mark's pericope on the payment of taxes to Caesar (Mk 12.14-17), but there has been no analysis of whether the word ?α?σα? functions as a title or a proper name. Nor is there a clear consensus as to when the cognomen Caesar became a title referring to the emperor and...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2026
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| In: |
Journal for the study of the New Testament
Year: 2026, Volume: 48, Issue: 3, Pages: 678-709 |
| Further subjects: | B
Emperor
B Latinisms B Roman Empire B loanwords B Mark’s Gospel |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Much has been written about Mark's pericope on the payment of taxes to Caesar (Mk 12.14-17), but there has been no analysis of whether the word ?α?σα? functions as a title or a proper name. Nor is there a clear consensus as to when the cognomen Caesar became a title referring to the emperor and when the word καῖσαρσα became a loanword integrated in Greek. This article analyses the evolution of the meaning of CaesarCaesar/καῖσαρ as well as its functions in Mk 12.14?17. The proposal made here is that the word καῖσαρ functions in Mk 12.14-17 simultaneously as a proper name and a title. This deliberate ambiguity allows the scene to function meaningfully both for Jesus?s context and the author's own. |
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| ISSN: | 1745-5294 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the New Testament
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0142064X251377343 |
