Tribute Money. Render unto Caesar is the beginning of a phrase attributed to Jesus in the synoptic gospels, which reads in full, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's. This phrase has become a widely quoted summary of the relationship between Christianity, secular government, and society. The original message, coming in response to a question of whether it was lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Caesar, gives rise to multiple possible interpretations about the circumstances under which it is desirable for Christians to submit to earthly authority. All three synoptic gospels state that hostile questioners tried to trap Jesus into taking an explicit and dangerous stand on whether Jews should or should not pay taxes to the Roman authorities. The accounts in and say that the questioners were Pharisees and Herodians, while says only that they were spies sent by teachers of the law and the chief priests. They anticipated that Jesus would oppose the tax, as their purpose was to hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. The governor was Pilate, and he was the man responsible for the collecting of taxes in Roman Judea. Initially the questioners flattered Jesus by praising his integrity, impartiality, and devotion to truth. Then they asked him whether or not it is right for Jews to pay the taxes demanded by Caesar. In the Gospel of Mark the additional, provocative question is asked, Should we pay or shouldn't we? Jesus first called them hypocrites, and then asked one of them to produce a Roman coin that would be suitable for paying Caesar's tax. One of them showed him a Roman coin, and he asked them whose head and inscription were on it. They answered, Caesar's, and he responded: Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. The questioners were impressed. states that they marvelled; unable to trap him any further, and being satisfied with the answer, they went away. The text identifies the coin as a denarion, and it is usually thought that the coin was a Roman denarius with the head of Tiberius. The coin is also called the tribute penny. The inscription reads Ti Caesar Divi Avg F Avgvstvs. The reverse shows a seated female, usually identified as Livia depicted as Pax. However, it has been suggested that denarii were not in common circulation in Judaea during Jesus' lifetime and that the coin may have instead been an Antiochan tetradrachm bearing the head of Tiberius, with Augustus on the reverse. Another suggestion often made is the denarius of Augustus with Caius and Lucius on the reverse, while coins of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Germanicus are all considered possibilities. A similar episode occurs in the Gospel of Thomas, but there the coin in question is gold. Importantly, in this non-canon gospel, Jesus adds, and give me what is mine. Main articles: Tax resistance and Zealotry The taxes imposed on Judaea by Rome had led to riots. New Testament scholar Willard Swartley writes: The tax denoted in the text was a specific tax It was a poll tax, a tax instituted in A.D. 6. A census taken at that time to determine the resources of the Jews provoked the wrath of the country. Judas of Galilee led a revolt, which was suppressed only with some difficulty. Many scholars date the origin of the Zealot party and movement to this incident. The Jewish Encyclopedia says of the Zealots: When, in the year 5, Judas of Gamala in Galilee started his organized opposition to Rome, he was joined by one of the leaders of the Pharisees, R. Zadok, a disciple of Shammai and one of the fiery patriots and popular heroes who lived to witness the tragic end of Jerusalem The taking of the census by Quirinus, the Roman procurator, for the purpose of taxation was regarded as a sign of Roman enslavement; and the Zealots' call for stubborn resistance to the oppressor was responded to enthusiastically. At his trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus was accused of promoting resistance to Caesar's tax. Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king. The passage has been much discussed in the modern context of Christianity and politics, especially on the questions of separation of church and state and tax resistance. When Jesus later was crucified, he was in a sense rendering unto Caesar the body that belonged to Caesar's realm, while devoting his soul to God.