Zacchaeus was a chief tax-collector at Jericho in the Bible. He is known primarily for his faith in climbing a sycamore tree to see Jesus and also his generosity in giving away half of all he possessed.
The Tax Collector and Bishop of Caesarea
sycamore of Zacchaeus, Greek Orthodox monastery of the prophet Elisha, Jericho, Palestine
Jesus invites Zacchaeus to come down from the sycamore tree, 11th century Veneto-Byzantine mosaic from Saint Mark's Basilica
Zacchaeus by Niels Larsen Stevns. Jesus calls Zacchaeus down from his height in the tree
In antiquity, publicans were public contractors, in whose official capacity they often supplied the Roman legions and military, managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw public building projects. In addition, they served as tax collectors for the Roman Republic, farming the taxes of the Roman provinces, and bidding on contracts for the collection of various types of taxes. Importantly, this role as tax collectors was not emphasized until late into the history of the Republic. The publicans were usually of the class of equites.
Conversion of Zacchaeus (Pietro Monaco, 1730s): Jesus (right) addresses a publicanus (left); Zacchaeus watches from a tree.
