What was a Publican?

Answer 1

A tax collector.

Answer 2

A tax collector or a private contractor enlisted to manage the Roman bureuacracy. Because the word publican is an older English word not much in use in the United States, it really needs fixed in translation in newer bibles. Unfortunately the story of the "Publican and the Pharisee" is well known. Like suddenly reverting to late middle English to say the Lord's prayer, words can get stuck in religion.

Answer 3

Publicans were tax collectors for the Romans in the "Bible days". They had a bad reputation as many would take advantage of citizens and overcharge them on taxes. Anything they received over what the government required them to collect was theirs to keep. Many were very wealthy because of their dishonesty. Jesus was looked down by the Jewish leaders on for his socializing with publicans. Probably the most famous referrence to this socializing is in Luke 19:1-10 when Jesus went to the home of Zacchaeus who was as the Bible says, "chief among the publicans."

Answer 4

from Wikipedia.com (your friend!)

Publican

Modern usage

In modern parlance, a publican is a manager of a pub or bar. In the United Kingdom a publican can also be called a landlord.

Ancient usage

In antiquity, publicans (Latin publicanus) were public contractors, in which role they often supplied the Roman military, managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw public building projects. In addition, they served as tax collectors for the Republic (and later the Empire), bidding on contracts (from the Senate in Rome) for the collection of various types of taxes. Importantly, this role as tax collectors wasn't emphasized until late into the history of the Republic (c. 1st century BC). By New Testament times, publicans were seen chiefly as tax collectors by provincial peoples. However, their role as public contractors, especially as regards building projects, was still significant. Nevertheless, with the rise of a much larger Imperial bureaucracy, this task of the publicans, as well as their overall importance, declined precipitately. Evidence for the existence of publicans extends as far back as the 3rd century BC, although it is generally assumed that they existed at still earlier times in Roman history. Knowledge of a tentative terminus post quem is taken from the histories of the 1st century AD Imperial historian Livy.

Answer 5

Tax collector

Answer 6

In the UK its a person that owns a pub (bar/tavern), I believe.

Answer 7

The person that owned / ran a bar in the U.K.