Publicans

One of the people we're talking about in this week's lesson is Zacchaeus, who is described in Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus was a publican. Following is the definition from The Bible Dictionary:

Publicans. Men who bought or farmed the taxes under the Roman government were called publicani. The name is also used to describe those who actually collected the money, and who were properly called portitores. Both classes were detested by the Jews, and any Jew who undertook the work was excommunicated. Many of the tax-gatherers in Galilee would be in the service of Herod, and not of Rome. There are many references in the N.T. to the readiness with which the publicans received the gospel (Matt. 9:9–10; 10:3; 21:31–32; Mark 2:14–15; Luke 3:12; 5:27–29;7:29; 15:1; 18:13; 19:2, 8).