El impuesto al César (Mc 12,13-17) y la labor redaccional del evangelista

Abstract

The annexation of Judea to the Empire assumed the payment of poll tax, which was levied by the Jewish religious administration. It was not stipulated that the payment will be made in cash, and it could be be done with bronze coins, coins of Tyre or even grain. In addition, numismatic studies have confirmed that the monetization of Roman denarii was scarce in Judea at that time, which would make it impossible for the Jews to pay it with imperial denarii. The mention of the “denarius” and the “Herodians” in Mark 12:13-17 is due to the editorial work of the evangelist, who reelaborated a logion of Jesus to face a conflict in his Roman community: the taxation of the fiscus Iudaicus.