{"id":89635,"date":"2026-02-13T06:00:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T11:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?p=89635"},"modified":"2026-02-13T08:54:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:54:17","slug":"tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/","title":{"rendered":"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_89638\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/attachment\/roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-caesarea-philippi-courtesy-ecker-and-leibner-photo-t-rogovski\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-89638\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-89638\" class=\"wp-image-89638 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski-300x285.jpg.avif\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"379\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski-300x285.jpg.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski-1024x971.jpg.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski-768x729.jpg.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg 1500w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/379;\" data-original-sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" data-smush-avif-fallback=\"{&quot;data-src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski-300x285.jpg&quot;,&quot;data-srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski-300x285.jpg 300w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski-1024x971.jpg 1024w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski-768x729.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg 1500w&quot;}\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-89638\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roman boundary stone from the area of Caesarea Philippi. <em>Courtesy Ecker and Leibner. photo T. Rogovski. <\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>During excavations at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/abel-beth-maacah-in-the-bible\/\">Abel Beth Maacah<\/a> in northern Israel, archaeologists made an unexpected discovery: a large <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-boundary-stone-discovered\/\">Roman boundary stone<\/a>, reused as a cover for a late medieval burial. Although surprising in a medieval context, Roman boundary stones are nothing new for this area, which during the late Roman period was part of the hinterland of Paneas (biblical Caesarea Philippi). While the boundary stone joins more than 40 other such markers, it provides new insight into an intriguing phenomenon alluded to in rabbinic sources and unknown anywhere else in the Roman world.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n\n\t\t<div id=\"mailing_list_ebook_page\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class='gravity_form_mailing_list'>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"downloadFormSec esolshortwrap\">\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-3 col-sm-3 mb-4 mb-md-0\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img data-src='https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/the-galilee-jesus-knew.jpg' class='esolsetnewimg smush-dimensions lazyload' width='200' style='--smush-image-width: 200px; --smush-image-aspect-ratio: 200\/259;' src='data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg=='>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-9 col-sm-9\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-sm-12\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>FREE ebook: <strong>The Galilee Jesus Knew<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\nvar gform;gform||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,themeScriptsLoaded:!1,isFormEditor:()=>\"function\"==typeof InitializeEditor,callIfLoaded:function(o){return!(!gform.domLoaded||!gform.scriptsLoaded||!gform.themeScriptsLoaded&&!gform.isFormEditor()||(gform.isFormEditor()&&console.warn(\"The use of gform.initializeOnLoaded() is deprecated in the form editor context and will be removed in Gravity Forms 3.1.\"),o(),0))},initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.callIfLoaded(o)||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.scriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",()=>{gform.domLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}))},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"action\",o,r,e,t)},addFilter:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"filter\",o,r,e,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook(\"action\",o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook(\"filter\",o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,r){gform.removeHook(\"action\",o,r)},removeFilter:function(o,r,e){gform.removeHook(\"filter\",o,r,e)},addHook:function(o,r,e,t,n){null==gform.hooks[o][r]&&(gform.hooks[o][r]=[]);var d=gform.hooks[o][r];null==n&&(n=r+\"_\"+d.length),gform.hooks[o][r].push({tag:n,callable:e,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(r,o,e){var t;if(e=Array.prototype.slice.call(e,1),null!=gform.hooks[r][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[r][o]).sort(function(o,r){return o.priority-r.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){\"function\"!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),\"action\"==r?t.apply(null,e):e[0]=t.apply(null,e)})),\"filter\"==r)return e[0]},removeHook:function(o,r,t,n){var e;null!=gform.hooks[o][r]&&(e=(e=gform.hooks[o][r]).filter(function(o,r,e){return!!(null!=n&&n!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][r]=e)}});\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n\n                <div class='gf_browser_unknown gform_wrapper gform-theme gform-theme--foundation gform-theme--framework gform-theme--orbital' data-form-theme='orbital' data-form-index='0' id='gform_wrapper_3' ><style>#gform_wrapper_3[data-form-index=\"0\"].gform-theme,[data-parent-form=\"3_0\"]{--gf-color-primary: #204ce5;--gf-color-primary-rgb: 32, 76, 229;--gf-color-primary-contrast: #fff;--gf-color-primary-contrast-rgb: 255, 255, 255;--gf-color-primary-darker: #001AB3;--gf-color-primary-lighter: #527EFF;--gf-color-secondary: #fff;--gf-color-secondary-rgb: 255, 255, 255;--gf-color-secondary-contrast: #112337;--gf-color-secondary-contrast-rgb: 17, 35, 55;--gf-color-secondary-darker: #F5F5F5;--gf-color-secondary-lighter: #FFFFFF;--gf-color-out-ctrl-light: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.1);--gf-color-out-ctrl-light-rgb: 17, 35, 55;--gf-color-out-ctrl-light-darker: rgba(104, 110, 119, 0.35);--gf-color-out-ctrl-light-lighter: #F5F5F5;--gf-color-out-ctrl-dark: #585e6a;--gf-color-out-ctrl-dark-rgb: 88, 94, 106;--gf-color-out-ctrl-dark-darker: #112337;--gf-color-out-ctrl-dark-lighter: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65);--gf-color-in-ctrl: #fff;--gf-color-in-ctrl-rgb: 255, 255, 255;--gf-color-in-ctrl-contrast: #112337;--gf-color-in-ctrl-contrast-rgb: 17, 35, 55;--gf-color-in-ctrl-darker: #F5F5F5;--gf-color-in-ctrl-lighter: #FFFFFF;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary: #204ce5;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-rgb: 32, 76, 229;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-contrast: #fff;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-contrast-rgb: 255, 255, 255;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-darker: #001AB3;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-lighter: #527EFF;--gf-color-in-ctrl-light: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.1);--gf-color-in-ctrl-light-rgb: 17, 35, 55;--gf-color-in-ctrl-light-darker: rgba(104, 110, 119, 0.35);--gf-color-in-ctrl-light-lighter: #F5F5F5;--gf-color-in-ctrl-dark: #585e6a;--gf-color-in-ctrl-dark-rgb: 88, 94, 106;--gf-color-in-ctrl-dark-darker: #112337;--gf-color-in-ctrl-dark-lighter: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65);--gf-radius: 3px;--gf-font-size-secondary: 14px;--gf-font-size-tertiary: 13px;--gf-icon-ctrl-number: url(\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg width='8' height='14' viewBox='0 0 8 14' fill='none' xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%3E%3Cpath fill-rule='evenodd' clip-rule='evenodd' d='M4 0C4.26522 5.96046e-08 4.51957 0.105357 4.70711 0.292893L7.70711 3.29289C8.09763 3.68342 8.09763 4.31658 7.70711 4.70711C7.31658 5.09763 6.68342 5.09763 6.29289 4.70711L4 2.41421L1.70711 4.70711C1.31658 5.09763 0.683417 5.09763 0.292893 4.70711C-0.0976311 4.31658 -0.097631 3.68342 0.292893 3.29289L3.29289 0.292893C3.48043 0.105357 3.73478 0 4 0ZM0.292893 9.29289C0.683417 8.90237 1.31658 8.90237 1.70711 9.29289L4 11.5858L6.29289 9.29289C6.68342 8.90237 7.31658 8.90237 7.70711 9.29289C8.09763 9.68342 8.09763 10.3166 7.70711 10.7071L4.70711 13.7071C4.31658 14.0976 3.68342 14.0976 3.29289 13.7071L0.292893 10.7071C-0.0976311 10.3166 -0.0976311 9.68342 0.292893 9.29289Z' fill='rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65)'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\");--gf-icon-ctrl-select: url(\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg width='10' height='6' viewBox='0 0 10 6' fill='none' xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%3E%3Cpath fill-rule='evenodd' clip-rule='evenodd' d='M0.292893 0.292893C0.683417 -0.097631 1.31658 -0.097631 1.70711 0.292893L5 3.58579L8.29289 0.292893C8.68342 -0.0976311 9.31658 -0.0976311 9.70711 0.292893C10.0976 0.683417 10.0976 1.31658 9.70711 1.70711L5.70711 5.70711C5.31658 6.09763 4.68342 6.09763 4.29289 5.70711L0.292893 1.70711C-0.0976311 1.31658 -0.0976311 0.683418 0.292893 0.292893Z' fill='rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65)'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\");--gf-icon-ctrl-search: url(\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg width='640' height='640' xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M256 128c-70.692 0-128 57.308-128 128 0 70.691 57.308 128 128 128 70.691 0 128-57.309 128-128 0-70.692-57.309-128-128-128zM64 256c0-106.039 85.961-192 192-192s192 85.961 192 192c0 41.466-13.146 79.863-35.498 111.248l154.125 154.125c12.496 12.496 12.496 32.758 0 45.254s-32.758 12.496-45.254 0L367.248 412.502C335.862 434.854 297.467 448 256 448c-106.039 0-192-85.962-192-192z' fill='rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65)'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\");--gf-label-space-y-secondary: var(--gf-label-space-y-md-secondary);--gf-ctrl-border-color: #686e77;--gf-ctrl-size: var(--gf-ctrl-size-md);--gf-ctrl-label-color-primary: #112337;--gf-ctrl-label-color-secondary: #112337;--gf-ctrl-choice-size: var(--gf-ctrl-choice-size-md);--gf-ctrl-checkbox-check-size: var(--gf-ctrl-checkbox-check-size-md);--gf-ctrl-radio-check-size: var(--gf-ctrl-radio-check-size-md);--gf-ctrl-btn-font-size: var(--gf-ctrl-btn-font-size-md);--gf-ctrl-btn-padding-x: var(--gf-ctrl-btn-padding-x-md);--gf-ctrl-btn-size: var(--gf-ctrl-btn-size-md);--gf-ctrl-btn-border-color-secondary: #686e77;--gf-ctrl-file-btn-bg-color-hover: #EBEBEB;--gf-field-img-choice-size: var(--gf-field-img-choice-size-md);--gf-field-img-choice-card-space: var(--gf-field-img-choice-card-space-md);--gf-field-img-choice-check-ind-size: var(--gf-field-img-choice-check-ind-size-md);--gf-field-img-choice-check-ind-icon-size: var(--gf-field-img-choice-check-ind-icon-size-md);--gf-field-pg-steps-number-color: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.8);}<\/style><div id='gf_3' class='gform_anchor' tabindex='-1'><\/div><form method='post' enctype='multipart\/form-data'  id='gform_3'  action='\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89635#gf_3' data-formid='3' novalidate>\n                        <div class='gform-body gform_body'><div id='gform_fields_3' class='gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_above description_below validation_below'><div id=\"field_3_1\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-email gfield--input-type-email gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_above gfield--no-description field_description_below hidden_label field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_3_1'>Email<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_email'>\n                            <input name='input_1' id='input_3_1' type='email' value='' class='large'   placeholder='E-mail' aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"  \/>\n                        <\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_3_11\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-html gfield--input-type-html gfield--width-half gfield_html gfield_html_formatted gfield_no_follows_desc field_sublabel_above gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><button onclick=\"gform.submission.handleButtonClick(this);\">REQUEST FREE BOOK<\/button><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class='gform-footer gform_footer top_label'> <input type='submit' id='gform_submit_button_3' class='gform_button button' onclick='gform.submission.handleButtonClick(this);' data-submission-type='submit' value='SIGN ME UP'  \/> \n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submission_method' data-js='gform_submission_method_3' value='postback' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_theme' data-js='gform_theme_3' id='gform_theme_3' value='orbital' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_style_settings' data-js='gform_style_settings_3' id='gform_style_settings_3' value='[]' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='is_submit_3' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submit' value='3' \/>\n            \n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_currency' data-currency='USD' value='\/vPx3tdBvyWiPXRZ3947SYX18Pk2Pusy\/esOzCv0rMq25KnmOt7i++HwXUlT2jmNL+IT3ZwCByGXiYIQppiGOxUGpi63\/mmAPRDo3XhwLhEE\/SE=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_unique_id' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='state_3' value='WyJbXSIsIjkyNzBiOTg0YTQ4ZGVkZGVmN2IzODQ3NzdhM2I4YzVlIl0=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_target_page_number_3' id='gform_target_page_number_3' value='0' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_source_page_number_3' id='gform_source_page_number_3' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' name='gform_field_values' value='' \/>\n            \n        <\/div>\n                        <\/form>\n                        <\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n gform.initializeOnLoaded( function() {gformInitSpinner( 3, 'https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms\/images\/spinner.svg', false );jQuery('#gform_ajax_frame_3').on('load',function(){var contents = jQuery(this).contents().find('*').html();var is_postback = contents.indexOf('GF_AJAX_POSTBACK') >= 0;if(!is_postback){return;}var form_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_wrapper_3');var is_confirmation = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_confirmation_wrapper_3').length > 0;var is_redirect = contents.indexOf('gformRedirect(){') >= 0;var is_form = form_content.length > 0 && ! is_redirect && ! is_confirmation;var mt = parseInt(jQuery('html').css('margin-top'), 10) + parseInt(jQuery('body').css('margin-top'), 10) + 100;if(is_form){jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').html(form_content.html());if(form_content.hasClass('gform_validation_error')){jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').addClass('gform_validation_error');} else {jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').removeClass('gform_validation_error');}setTimeout( function() { \/* delay the scroll by 50 milliseconds to fix a bug in chrome *\/ jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').offset().top - mt); }, 50 );if(window['gformInitDatepicker']) {gformInitDatepicker();}if(window['gformInitPriceFields']) {gformInitPriceFields();}var current_page = jQuery('#gform_source_page_number_3').val();gformInitSpinner( 3, 'https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms\/images\/spinner.svg', false );jQuery(document).trigger('gform_page_loaded', [3, current_page]);window['gf_submitting_3'] = false;}else if(!is_redirect){var confirmation_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('.GF_AJAX_POSTBACK').html();if(!confirmation_content){confirmation_content = contents;}jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').replaceWith(confirmation_content);jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gf_3').offset().top - mt);jQuery(document).trigger('gform_confirmation_loaded', [3]);window['gf_submitting_3'] = false;wp.a11y.speak(jQuery('#gform_confirmation_message_3').text());}else{jQuery('#gform_3').append(contents);if(window['gformRedirect']) {gformRedirect();}}jQuery(document).trigger(\"gform_pre_post_render\", [{ formId: \"3\", currentPage: \"current_page\", abort: function() { this.preventDefault(); } }]);        if (event && event.defaultPrevented) {                return;        }        const gformWrapperDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_wrapper_3\" );        if ( gformWrapperDiv ) {            const visibilitySpan = document.createElement( \"span\" );            visibilitySpan.id = \"gform_visibility_test_3\";            gformWrapperDiv.insertAdjacentElement( \"afterend\", visibilitySpan );        }        const visibilityTestDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_visibility_test_3\" );        let postRenderFired = false;        function triggerPostRender() {            if ( postRenderFired ) {                return;            }            postRenderFired = true;            gform.core.triggerPostRenderEvents( 3, current_page );            if ( visibilityTestDiv ) {                visibilityTestDiv.parentNode.removeChild( visibilityTestDiv );            }        }        function debounce( func, wait, immediate ) {            var timeout;            return function() {                var context = this, args = arguments;                var later = function() {                    timeout = null;                    if ( !immediate ) func.apply( context, args );                };                var callNow = immediate && !timeout;                clearTimeout( timeout );                timeout = setTimeout( later, wait );                if ( callNow ) func.apply( context, args );            };        }        const debouncedTriggerPostRender = debounce( function() {            triggerPostRender();        }, 200 );        if ( visibilityTestDiv && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent === null ) {            const observer = new MutationObserver( ( mutations ) => {                mutations.forEach( ( mutation ) => {                    if ( mutation.type === 'attributes' && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent !== null ) {                        debouncedTriggerPostRender();                        observer.disconnect();                    }                });            });            observer.observe( document.body, {                attributes: true,                childList: false,                subtree: true,                attributeFilter: [ 'style', 'class' ],            });        } else {            triggerPostRender();        }    } );} ); \n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t<!-- download link -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div id=\"eBook_download_link\" name=\"eBook_download_link\">\n\n\t\t\t<button onclick=\"location.href='https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/the_galilee_jesus_knew.pdf'\">DOWNLOAD EBOOK<\/button>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>The Effects of Diocletian\u2019s Tax Reforms<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Measuring more than 3 feet tall, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/dig\/abel-beth-maacah-2\/\">Abel Beth Maacah<\/a>Abel Beth Maacah stone is one of the largest Roman boundary stones ever discovered. According to scholars writing in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/00310328.2024.2435218\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Palestine Exploration Quarterly<\/em><\/a>, the stone would have stood upright, embedded several inches into the ground, making it easily visible. The Abel Beth Maacah stone is especially interesting as it contains the names of two previously unknown towns, Tirthas and Golgol, as well as the name of an imperial surveyor, Baseileikos. Like other boundary stones, it begins with the names of the four Roman Tetrarchs of the late third century CE: Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius, and Maximian. The Tetrarchs were co-emperors, with Diocletian and Maximian being the highest ranking with the title Augustus, and Constantius and Maximian being lower-level emperors with the title Caesar.<\/p>\n<p>It is thought that such stones were placed as part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/daily-life-and-practice\/roman-emperor-nervas-reform-of-the-jewish-tax\/\">tax reforms<\/a> of Diocletian and Maximian, which altered the way <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/how-ancient-taxes-were-collected-under-king-manasseh\/\">taxes<\/a> were levied around the empire. The boundary stones would have demarcated where the lands of one village ended and another\u2019s began. However, this was more important than simply showing who owned what. It served the Roman government in determining which villages and cities owed taxes on which lands.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_89639\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/attachment\/map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-caesarea-philippi-paneas-courtesy-ecker-and-leibner-map-r-sabar\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-89639\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-89639\" class=\"wp-image-89639 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-272x300.jpg.avif\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"442\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-272x300.jpg.avif 272w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-927x1024.jpg.avif 927w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-768x848.jpg.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-1390x1536.jpg.avif 1390w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar.jpg 1500w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/442;\" data-original-sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" data-smush-avif-fallback=\"{&quot;data-src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-272x300.jpg&quot;,&quot;data-srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-272x300.jpg 272w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-927x1024.jpg 927w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-768x848.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar-1390x1536.jpg 1390w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Map-of-boundary-stones-discovered-in-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi-Paneas.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-Map-R.-Sabar.jpg 1500w&quot;}\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-89639\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Map of boundary stones discovered in the area of Caesarea Philippi\/Paneas. <em> Courtesy Ecker and Leibner. Map R. Sabar.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Strangely, despite several dozen such stones having been discovered, primarily in the hinterland of Caesarea Philippi, none have ever been found outside the Levant. However, since the tax reform of Diocletian and Maximian was an empire-wide reform, we might expect to find such stones all around the empire, not just in one particular region. Thus, the peculiar distribution of the stones has remained a problem for Roman and Levantine archaeologists.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n\n\t\t<div id=\"mailing_list_ebook_page\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class='gravity_form_mailing_list'>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"downloadFormSec esolshortwrap\">\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-3 col-sm-3 mb-4 mb-md-0\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img data-src='https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/life-in-the-ancient-world-ebook-e1585324350938.jpg' class='esolsetnewimg smush-dimensions lazyload' width='125' style='--smush-image-width: 125px; --smush-image-aspect-ratio: 125\/166;' src='data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg=='>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-9 col-sm-9\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-sm-12\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>FREE eBook:<strong> Life in the Ancient World<\/strong>.<br\/> Craft centers in Jerusalem, family structure across Israel and ancient practices\u2014from dining to makeup\u2014through the Mediterranean world.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                <div class='gf_browser_unknown gform_wrapper gform-theme gform-theme--foundation gform-theme--framework gform-theme--orbital' data-form-theme='orbital' data-form-index='0' id='gform_wrapper_3' ><style>#gform_wrapper_3[data-form-index=\"0\"].gform-theme,[data-parent-form=\"3_0\"]{--gf-color-primary: #204ce5;--gf-color-primary-rgb: 32, 76, 229;--gf-color-primary-contrast: #fff;--gf-color-primary-contrast-rgb: 255, 255, 255;--gf-color-primary-darker: #001AB3;--gf-color-primary-lighter: #527EFF;--gf-color-secondary: #fff;--gf-color-secondary-rgb: 255, 255, 255;--gf-color-secondary-contrast: #112337;--gf-color-secondary-contrast-rgb: 17, 35, 55;--gf-color-secondary-darker: #F5F5F5;--gf-color-secondary-lighter: #FFFFFF;--gf-color-out-ctrl-light: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.1);--gf-color-out-ctrl-light-rgb: 17, 35, 55;--gf-color-out-ctrl-light-darker: rgba(104, 110, 119, 0.35);--gf-color-out-ctrl-light-lighter: #F5F5F5;--gf-color-out-ctrl-dark: #585e6a;--gf-color-out-ctrl-dark-rgb: 88, 94, 106;--gf-color-out-ctrl-dark-darker: #112337;--gf-color-out-ctrl-dark-lighter: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65);--gf-color-in-ctrl: #fff;--gf-color-in-ctrl-rgb: 255, 255, 255;--gf-color-in-ctrl-contrast: #112337;--gf-color-in-ctrl-contrast-rgb: 17, 35, 55;--gf-color-in-ctrl-darker: #F5F5F5;--gf-color-in-ctrl-lighter: #FFFFFF;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary: #204ce5;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-rgb: 32, 76, 229;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-contrast: #fff;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-contrast-rgb: 255, 255, 255;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-darker: #001AB3;--gf-color-in-ctrl-primary-lighter: #527EFF;--gf-color-in-ctrl-light: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.1);--gf-color-in-ctrl-light-rgb: 17, 35, 55;--gf-color-in-ctrl-light-darker: rgba(104, 110, 119, 0.35);--gf-color-in-ctrl-light-lighter: #F5F5F5;--gf-color-in-ctrl-dark: #585e6a;--gf-color-in-ctrl-dark-rgb: 88, 94, 106;--gf-color-in-ctrl-dark-darker: #112337;--gf-color-in-ctrl-dark-lighter: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65);--gf-radius: 3px;--gf-font-size-secondary: 14px;--gf-font-size-tertiary: 13px;--gf-icon-ctrl-number: url(\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg width='8' height='14' viewBox='0 0 8 14' fill='none' xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%3E%3Cpath fill-rule='evenodd' clip-rule='evenodd' d='M4 0C4.26522 5.96046e-08 4.51957 0.105357 4.70711 0.292893L7.70711 3.29289C8.09763 3.68342 8.09763 4.31658 7.70711 4.70711C7.31658 5.09763 6.68342 5.09763 6.29289 4.70711L4 2.41421L1.70711 4.70711C1.31658 5.09763 0.683417 5.09763 0.292893 4.70711C-0.0976311 4.31658 -0.097631 3.68342 0.292893 3.29289L3.29289 0.292893C3.48043 0.105357 3.73478 0 4 0ZM0.292893 9.29289C0.683417 8.90237 1.31658 8.90237 1.70711 9.29289L4 11.5858L6.29289 9.29289C6.68342 8.90237 7.31658 8.90237 7.70711 9.29289C8.09763 9.68342 8.09763 10.3166 7.70711 10.7071L4.70711 13.7071C4.31658 14.0976 3.68342 14.0976 3.29289 13.7071L0.292893 10.7071C-0.0976311 10.3166 -0.0976311 9.68342 0.292893 9.29289Z' fill='rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65)'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\");--gf-icon-ctrl-select: url(\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg width='10' height='6' viewBox='0 0 10 6' fill='none' xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%3E%3Cpath fill-rule='evenodd' clip-rule='evenodd' d='M0.292893 0.292893C0.683417 -0.097631 1.31658 -0.097631 1.70711 0.292893L5 3.58579L8.29289 0.292893C8.68342 -0.0976311 9.31658 -0.0976311 9.70711 0.292893C10.0976 0.683417 10.0976 1.31658 9.70711 1.70711L5.70711 5.70711C5.31658 6.09763 4.68342 6.09763 4.29289 5.70711L0.292893 1.70711C-0.0976311 1.31658 -0.0976311 0.683418 0.292893 0.292893Z' fill='rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65)'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\");--gf-icon-ctrl-search: url(\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg width='640' height='640' xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M256 128c-70.692 0-128 57.308-128 128 0 70.691 57.308 128 128 128 70.691 0 128-57.309 128-128 0-70.692-57.309-128-128-128zM64 256c0-106.039 85.961-192 192-192s192 85.961 192 192c0 41.466-13.146 79.863-35.498 111.248l154.125 154.125c12.496 12.496 12.496 32.758 0 45.254s-32.758 12.496-45.254 0L367.248 412.502C335.862 434.854 297.467 448 256 448c-106.039 0-192-85.962-192-192z' fill='rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.65)'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\");--gf-label-space-y-secondary: var(--gf-label-space-y-md-secondary);--gf-ctrl-border-color: #686e77;--gf-ctrl-size: var(--gf-ctrl-size-md);--gf-ctrl-label-color-primary: #112337;--gf-ctrl-label-color-secondary: #112337;--gf-ctrl-choice-size: var(--gf-ctrl-choice-size-md);--gf-ctrl-checkbox-check-size: var(--gf-ctrl-checkbox-check-size-md);--gf-ctrl-radio-check-size: var(--gf-ctrl-radio-check-size-md);--gf-ctrl-btn-font-size: var(--gf-ctrl-btn-font-size-md);--gf-ctrl-btn-padding-x: var(--gf-ctrl-btn-padding-x-md);--gf-ctrl-btn-size: var(--gf-ctrl-btn-size-md);--gf-ctrl-btn-border-color-secondary: #686e77;--gf-ctrl-file-btn-bg-color-hover: #EBEBEB;--gf-field-img-choice-size: var(--gf-field-img-choice-size-md);--gf-field-img-choice-card-space: var(--gf-field-img-choice-card-space-md);--gf-field-img-choice-check-ind-size: var(--gf-field-img-choice-check-ind-size-md);--gf-field-img-choice-check-ind-icon-size: var(--gf-field-img-choice-check-ind-icon-size-md);--gf-field-pg-steps-number-color: rgba(17, 35, 55, 0.8);}<\/style><div id='gf_3' class='gform_anchor' tabindex='-1'><\/div><form method='post' enctype='multipart\/form-data'  id='gform_3'  action='\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89635#gf_3' data-formid='3' novalidate>\n                        <div class='gform-body gform_body'><div id='gform_fields_3' class='gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_above description_below validation_below'><div id=\"field_3_1\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-email gfield--input-type-email gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_above gfield--no-description field_description_below hidden_label field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_3_1'>Email<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_email'>\n                            <input name='input_1' id='input_3_1' type='email' value='' class='large'   placeholder='E-mail' aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"  \/>\n                        <\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_3_11\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-html gfield--input-type-html gfield--width-half gfield_html gfield_html_formatted gfield_no_follows_desc field_sublabel_above gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><button onclick=\"gform.submission.handleButtonClick(this);\">REQUEST FREE BOOK<\/button><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class='gform-footer gform_footer top_label'> <input type='submit' id='gform_submit_button_3' class='gform_button button' onclick='gform.submission.handleButtonClick(this);' data-submission-type='submit' value='SIGN ME UP'  \/> \n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submission_method' data-js='gform_submission_method_3' value='postback' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_theme' data-js='gform_theme_3' id='gform_theme_3' value='orbital' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_style_settings' data-js='gform_style_settings_3' id='gform_style_settings_3' value='[]' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='is_submit_3' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submit' value='3' \/>\n            \n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_currency' data-currency='USD' value='d3adEiPed16Y8GLKcraHUevLfS4T7IfS\/a1kArOFst9x1RvX\/5Yw4EncyXzhGpLRuk\/lq8MwuEHGACtHREN385KElTwuvYBbwO91LViZsljfnic=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_unique_id' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='state_3' value='WyJbXSIsIjkyNzBiOTg0YTQ4ZGVkZGVmN2IzODQ3NzdhM2I4YzVlIl0=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_target_page_number_3' id='gform_target_page_number_3' value='0' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_source_page_number_3' id='gform_source_page_number_3' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' name='gform_field_values' value='' \/>\n            \n        <\/div>\n                        <\/form>\n                        <\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n gform.initializeOnLoaded( function() {gformInitSpinner( 3, 'https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms\/images\/spinner.svg', false );jQuery('#gform_ajax_frame_3').on('load',function(){var contents = jQuery(this).contents().find('*').html();var is_postback = contents.indexOf('GF_AJAX_POSTBACK') >= 0;if(!is_postback){return;}var form_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_wrapper_3');var is_confirmation = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_confirmation_wrapper_3').length > 0;var is_redirect = contents.indexOf('gformRedirect(){') >= 0;var is_form = form_content.length > 0 && ! is_redirect && ! is_confirmation;var mt = parseInt(jQuery('html').css('margin-top'), 10) + parseInt(jQuery('body').css('margin-top'), 10) + 100;if(is_form){jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').html(form_content.html());if(form_content.hasClass('gform_validation_error')){jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').addClass('gform_validation_error');} else {jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').removeClass('gform_validation_error');}setTimeout( function() { \/* delay the scroll by 50 milliseconds to fix a bug in chrome *\/ jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').offset().top - mt); }, 50 );if(window['gformInitDatepicker']) {gformInitDatepicker();}if(window['gformInitPriceFields']) {gformInitPriceFields();}var current_page = jQuery('#gform_source_page_number_3').val();gformInitSpinner( 3, 'https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms\/images\/spinner.svg', false );jQuery(document).trigger('gform_page_loaded', [3, current_page]);window['gf_submitting_3'] = false;}else if(!is_redirect){var confirmation_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('.GF_AJAX_POSTBACK').html();if(!confirmation_content){confirmation_content = contents;}jQuery('#gform_wrapper_3').replaceWith(confirmation_content);jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gf_3').offset().top - mt);jQuery(document).trigger('gform_confirmation_loaded', [3]);window['gf_submitting_3'] = false;wp.a11y.speak(jQuery('#gform_confirmation_message_3').text());}else{jQuery('#gform_3').append(contents);if(window['gformRedirect']) {gformRedirect();}}jQuery(document).trigger(\"gform_pre_post_render\", [{ formId: \"3\", currentPage: \"current_page\", abort: function() { this.preventDefault(); } }]);        if (event && event.defaultPrevented) {                return;        }        const gformWrapperDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_wrapper_3\" );        if ( gformWrapperDiv ) {            const visibilitySpan = document.createElement( \"span\" );            visibilitySpan.id = \"gform_visibility_test_3\";            gformWrapperDiv.insertAdjacentElement( \"afterend\", visibilitySpan );        }        const visibilityTestDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_visibility_test_3\" );        let postRenderFired = false;        function triggerPostRender() {            if ( postRenderFired ) {                return;            }            postRenderFired = true;            gform.core.triggerPostRenderEvents( 3, current_page );            if ( visibilityTestDiv ) {                visibilityTestDiv.parentNode.removeChild( visibilityTestDiv );            }        }        function debounce( func, wait, immediate ) {            var timeout;            return function() {                var context = this, args = arguments;                var later = function() {                    timeout = null;                    if ( !immediate ) func.apply( context, args );                };                var callNow = immediate && !timeout;                clearTimeout( timeout );                timeout = setTimeout( later, wait );                if ( callNow ) func.apply( context, args );            };        }        const debouncedTriggerPostRender = debounce( function() {            triggerPostRender();        }, 200 );        if ( visibilityTestDiv && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent === null ) {            const observer = new MutationObserver( ( mutations ) => {                mutations.forEach( ( mutation ) => {                    if ( mutation.type === 'attributes' && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent !== null ) {                        debouncedTriggerPostRender();                        observer.disconnect();                    }                });            });            observer.observe( document.body, {                attributes: true,                childList: false,                subtree: true,                attributeFilter: [ 'style', 'class' ],            });        } else {            triggerPostRender();        }    } );} ); \n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t<!-- download link -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div id=\"eBook_download_link\" name=\"eBook_download_link\">\n\n\t\t\t<button onclick=\"location.href='https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/life_in_the_ancient_world.pdf'\">DOWNLOAD EBOOK<\/button>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<hr \/>\n<p>One possible explanation may be found in the specific function of these boundary stones. As suggested by some scholars, the stones indicated where the tax zone of one village ended and another began. With so many stones found around Caesarea Phillipi, many smaller settlements in the area may have been outside of the tax jurisdiction of the city. It is possible that the Herodian dynasty privatized the area, turning it into a patchwork of small tax zones rather than a single area under the authority of one city. This would explain the abundance of boundary stones in the region, as each of these small villages would have needed its own.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_89660\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-89660\" class=\"wp-image-89660 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-1024x768.jpg.avif\" alt=\"View of Lebanon from on top of Abel Beth Maacah. Courtesy Nathan Steinmeyer, BAS.\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-1024x768.jpg.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-300x225.jpg.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-768x576.jpg.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-1536x1152.jpg.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2025\/02\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-2048x1536.jpg.avif 2048w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/300;\" data-original-sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" data-smush-avif-fallback=\"{&quot;data-src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-1024x768.jpg&quot;,&quot;data-srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/View-of-Lebanon-from-on-top-of-Abel-Beth-Maacah.-Courtesy-Nathan-Steinmeyer-BAS-2048x1536.jpg 2048w&quot;}\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-89660\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View of Lebanon from on top of Abel Beth Maacah. <em>Courtesy Nathan Steinmeyer, BAS.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>According to the scholars who published the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/who-was-the-king-of-abel-beth-maacah\/\">Abel Beth Maacah stone<\/a>, this practice may even be referenced in the Jerusalem Talmud. Compiled in the fourth century, not long after the reign of Diocletian, the Jerusalem Talmud says: \u201cDiocletian oppressed the inhabitants of Paneas. They said to him: We are going (i.e., fleeing).\u201d It appears that the region of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/\">Caesarea Philippi<\/a> was hit particularly hard by Diocletian\u2019s tax reforms, likely because of the abundance of small tax zones. Under the reforms, each zone had to pay taxes on every field under its control, whether in use or not. While this was not a problem for large cities that could distribute the added tax burden across hundreds of families, for small settlements, such a situation could quickly become untenable and result in more and more families leaving for areas with a lower tax burden. And, indeed, archaeology tells us that by the time of the Islamic conquest in the seventh century, the area of Caesarea Phillipi was largely abandoned.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><small><em>This article was first published in Bible History Daily on February 17, 2025.<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h4 style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\">Related reading in\u00a0<em>Bible History Daily<\/em><\/h4>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"c48SpGreaw\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/digging-abel-beth-maacah\/\">Digging Abel Beth Maacah<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Digging Abel Beth Maacah&#8221; &#8212; Biblical Archaeology Society\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/digging-abel-beth-maacah\/embed\/#?secret=EohN1g34QP#?secret=c48SpGreaw\" data-secret=\"c48SpGreaw\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"PhsxPbge4U\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/biblical-sites-places\/biblical-archaeology-sites\/ruins-at-banias-king-herods-palace-identified-at-caesarea-philippi\/\">Ruins at Banias &#8211; King Herod\u2019s Palace Identified at Caesarea Philippi<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Ruins at Banias &#8211; King Herod\u2019s Palace Identified at Caesarea Philippi&#8221; &#8212; Biblical Archaeology Society\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/biblical-sites-places\/biblical-archaeology-sites\/ruins-at-banias-king-herods-palace-identified-at-caesarea-philippi\/embed\/#?secret=km9X5rJaGc#?secret=PhsxPbge4U\" data-secret=\"PhsxPbge4U\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"oYk1FejUV8\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/banias-roman-coin-hoard\/\">Roman Coin Hoard Discovered at Banias<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Roman Coin Hoard Discovered at Banias&#8221; &#8212; Biblical Archaeology Society\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/banias-roman-coin-hoard\/embed\/#?secret=j7If3nIG1h#?secret=oYk1FejUV8\" data-secret=\"oYk1FejUV8\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Z5uoXRACvA\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/archaeology-today\/a-day-at-abel\/\">A Day in the Life at Abel Beth Maacah<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;A Day in the Life at Abel Beth Maacah&#8221; &#8212; Biblical Archaeology Society\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/archaeology-today\/a-day-at-abel\/embed\/#?secret=ZMYgFPgxun#?secret=Z5uoXRACvA\" data-secret=\"Z5uoXRACvA\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 2em 0;\">All-Access members, read more in the\u00a0<em>BAS Library<\/em><\/h4>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"GwYeqJjLTQ\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/proof-positive-how-we-used-math-to-find-herods-palace-at-banias\/\">Proof Positive: How We Used Math to Find Herod\u2019s Palace at Banias<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Proof Positive: How We Used Math to Find Herod\u2019s Palace at Banias&#8221; &#8212; The BAS Library\" src=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/proof-positive-how-we-used-math-to-find-herods-palace-at-banias\/embed\/#?secret=7pOkxIeKBQ#?secret=GwYeqJjLTQ\" data-secret=\"GwYeqJjLTQ\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"xmArEOHdMI\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/the-wise-woman-of-abel-beth-maacah\/\">The Wise Woman of Abel Beth Maacah<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;The Wise Woman of Abel Beth Maacah&#8221; &#8212; The BAS Library\" src=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/the-wise-woman-of-abel-beth-maacah\/embed\/#?secret=WDubU71pFZ#?secret=xmArEOHdMI\" data-secret=\"xmArEOHdMI\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Fey3mY9POT\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/department\/shifting-borders-the-benyaw-inscription-from-abel-beth-maacah\/\">Shifting Borders? The Benyaw Inscription from Abel Beth Maacah<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Shifting Borders? The Benyaw Inscription from Abel Beth Maacah&#8221; &#8212; The BAS Library\" src=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/department\/shifting-borders-the-benyaw-inscription-from-abel-beth-maacah\/embed\/#?secret=3uk013K0Ck#?secret=Fey3mY9POT\" data-secret=\"Fey3mY9POT\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"EkSoLou8kQ\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/department\/archaeological-views-looking-for-arameans-at-tel-abel-beth-maacah\/\">Archaeological Views: Looking for Arameans at Tel Abel Beth Maacah<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Archaeological Views: Looking for Arameans at Tel Abel Beth Maacah&#8221; &#8212; The BAS Library\" src=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/department\/archaeological-views-looking-for-arameans-at-tel-abel-beth-maacah\/embed\/#?secret=ijvk5htPTY#?secret=EkSoLou8kQ\" data-secret=\"EkSoLou8kQ\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin: 2em 0;\"><p><strong>Not a <em>BAS<\/em> Library or All-Access Member yet? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/subscribe-new\/?utm_term=W26009B0\">Join today.<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During excavations at Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel, archaeologists made an unexpected discovery: a large Roman boundary stone, reused as a cover for a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":89638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[376],"tags":[575,21934,23423,17199],"class_list":["post-89635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ancient-israel","tag-abel-beth-maacah","tag-caesarea-philippi","tag-hula","tag-roman"],"acf":[],"nelio_content":{"autoShareEndMode":"never","automationSources":{"useCustomSentences":false,"customSentences":[]},"efiAlt":"","efiUrl":"","followers":[55,62],"highlights":[],"isAutoShareEnabled":true,"networkImageIds":[],"permalinkQueryArgs":[],"series":[],"suggestedReferences":[]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi - Biblical Archaeology Society<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Measuring more than 3 feet tall, the Abel Beth Maacah stone is one of the largest Roman boundary stones ever discovered.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"During excavations at Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel, archaeologists made an unexpected discovery: a large Roman boundary stone, reused as a cover\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Biblical Archaeology Society\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BibArch\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-13T11:00:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-13T13:54:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1423\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nathan Steinmeyer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BibArch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BibArch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nathan Steinmeyer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Nathan Steinmeyer\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd937a582af2511d58a3eb599206794\"},\"headline\":\"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-13T11:00:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-13T13:54:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/\"},\"wordCount\":807,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"abel beth maacah\",\"Caesarea Philippi\",\"Hula\",\"Roman\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Ancient Israel\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/\",\"name\":\"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi - Biblical Archaeology Society\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-13T11:00:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-13T13:54:17+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd937a582af2511d58a3eb599206794\"},\"description\":\"Measuring more than 3 feet tall, the Abel Beth Maacah stone is one of the largest Roman boundary stones ever discovered.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":1423,\"caption\":\"Roman boundary stone from the area of Caesarea Philippi. Courtesy Ecker and Leibner. photo T. Rogovski.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/\",\"name\":\"Biblical Archaeology Society\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd937a582af2511d58a3eb599206794\",\"name\":\"Nathan Steinmeyer\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/author\/nathan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi - Biblical Archaeology Society","description":"Measuring more than 3 feet tall, the Abel Beth Maacah stone is one of the largest Roman boundary stones ever discovered.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi","og_description":"During excavations at Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel, archaeologists made an unexpected discovery: a large Roman boundary stone, reused as a cover","og_url":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/","og_site_name":"Biblical Archaeology Society","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BibArch\/","article_published_time":"2026-02-13T11:00:36+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-13T13:54:17+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":1423,"url":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nathan Steinmeyer","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@BibArch","twitter_site":"@BibArch","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nathan Steinmeyer","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/"},"author":{"name":"Nathan Steinmeyer","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd937a582af2511d58a3eb599206794"},"headline":"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi","datePublished":"2026-02-13T11:00:36+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-13T13:54:17+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/"},"wordCount":807,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg","keywords":["abel beth maacah","Caesarea Philippi","Hula","Roman"],"articleSection":["Ancient Israel"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/","url":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/","name":"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi - Biblical Archaeology Society","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-13T11:00:36+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-13T13:54:17+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd937a582af2511d58a3eb599206794"},"description":"Measuring more than 3 feet tall, the Abel Beth Maacah stone is one of the largest Roman boundary stones ever discovered.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Roman-boundary-stone-from-the-area-of-Caesarea-Philippi.-Courtesy-Ecker-and-Leibner.-photo-T.-Rogovski.jpg","width":1500,"height":1423,"caption":"Roman boundary stone from the area of Caesarea Philippi. Courtesy Ecker and Leibner. photo T. Rogovski."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-israel\/tax-administration-roman-caesarea-philippi\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Tax Administration in Roman Caesarea Philippi"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/","name":"Biblical Archaeology Society","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8dd937a582af2511d58a3eb599206794","name":"Nathan Steinmeyer","url":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/author\/nathan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89635\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}