Marcus Ambivulus

Marcus Ambibulus was the second Roman Prefect of Judea. He was responsible for this area in the years 9 to 12 AD. The only source of his term of office is a short passage in Josephus. His life before and after the time in Judea nothing is handed down.

Marcus Ambibulus was the successor of Coponius, who was relieved of 8 AD by Emperor Augustus of his office. Ambibulus likely as Prefect civitatis, that have been of the equestrian order ( equester ordo ) as governor of a region that had not been involved up to this point in the actual provincial government, national, is a confirmed one of his successors, Pontius Pilate was a member. This corresponds to the second highest level after the senators of the Roman social order.

Since the Roman historiography Marcus Ambibulus not mentioned and Josephus reported no rebellion against him during his tenure, may be assumed that he carried out his duties in accordance with the Roman ideas.

In the time of Marcus Ambibulus the death of Salome, sister of Herod fell ' I. The awarded their areas of Jamnia, Phasaelis and the plantations to Archelais bequeathed them Livia Drusilla, the third wife of the Emperor Augustus. By Marcus Ambibulus was expected that he also took over the protection of these areas that have been added to the Judean later, making his responsibilities grew.

It is striking that Marcus Ambibulus as its predecessor Coponius was indeed mint coins that they were also without self-portrait. It can be assumed that he thereby problems with the Jewish population was about to go out of the way, forbids their specifications in the 2nd commandment self-portraits. The embossed by him coins usually show fruit-bearing date-palms or ears, which corresponds to the motifs on coins of Coponius.

The successor of Marcus Annius Rufus was Ambubulus.