{
 "id": "basics-def-publicans",
 "question": "What are publicans?",
 "answer": "Publicans were Jewish men who collected taxes in Israel for the Roman Empire. Because they worked for the hated Roman conquerors, they were viewed as politically traitorous and were among the most hated classes of people to the Jews of Jesus’ day. \n\nThese men were considered religiously unclean and were outcasts from Judaism. They were unwelcome in the homes or social gatherings of \"good\" Jews, and the Pharisees classed them as \"sinners\" along with harlots and Gentiles. \n\nPublicans were often adept at chiseling people out of their money because the Romans gave them total freedom in collecting taxes. They would weasel out of people everything they could above what was owed to the Romans, making it a lucrative business. This behavior led them to be despised by almost everyone.",
 "url": "/faq/what-are-publicans/",
 "unit": null,
 "lesson": null,
 "lesson_title": null,
 "question_type": null,
 "tier": 2,
 "faq_class": "definition",
 "aeo_questions": [
  "What is the occupation of publicans in ancient Israel?",
  "Who were the Roman collaborators that the Jewish population despised?",
  "What kind of people in ancient Israel were considered politically and spiritually unclean?"
 ],
 "topic_anchor": "Publicans",
 "derivation": "generated",
 "source_authority": "authoritative",
 "author": "Gene Cunningham",
 "book": "The Basics",
 "source": {
  "doc_id": "btbm-01-TheBasics-8-10-24",
  "ref": "The Basics -- Subject Index entry 'Publicans' (printed pp. 42, 177, 178, 179)",
  "book_page": [
   42,
   179
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  "grounding_pages": [
   42,
   177,
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   179
  ]
 },
 "scripture": [
  {
   "display": "Luke 18:11-12",
   "osis": null,
   "book_pages": [
    190
   ]
  }
 ],
 "topics": [
  "Freedom",
  "Israel",
  "Pharisees",
  "Publicans"
 ],
 "topics_context": [
  "Power and Holy Spirit",
  "gifts of God",
  "Race of life",
  "Bible",
  "Church",
  "Evangelism"
 ],
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