. The Roman Caesar at this time was Nero. I look forward to hearing from you! He knew nothing about Christ. Herod Agrippa's grandfather executed his father, Aristobulus IV. Had Paul presented the Gospel during his trial before Festus? I have been thinking that such a table is needed. AD? Augustus, who ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 14 AD and brought He's making now, with his sister, this journey to Caesarea, no doubt to pay his respects to Governor Festus. The other is Josephus, who claims that rumors of the siblings inappropriate relationship led Berenice to seek a third match (Ant. Drusilla left her first husband to marry Roman governor Felix. Theirs was a vile family and the sisters followed in the family footsteps. Inscriptions indicate that she was a Roman citizen and bore the Roman name Julia. There were two main groups that comprised the Sanhedrin Council: one group was called the Pharisees, and the other group was the Sadducees. Agrippa the king. This is Paul's defense. Mucianus. But he has a problem. And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer (Acts 25:24). Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Well, we'll pick up the reading at verse 13 of chapter 25. This man, as Festus himself said, Paul is speaking about a man called Jesus, a dead man who Paul is saying is alive, that He arose from the dead. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him, (Acts 9:29). King Herod Agrippa I (r. 3744 C.E.) Paul was brought before them. It would have ended in only one way: the Sanhedrin court in Jerusalem would have found him guilty, they would have exercised their right under Roman law to have Paul put to death on the grounds that he was a heretic and that he has blasphemed the name of God. It's not strictly a trial, but it is a defense. When his father had to flee from his creditors, the boy visited Palestine for the first time - he must have been five years old. He's fascinated by this case, and wishes to hear it. Do you know we only have one description of the Apostle Paul from ancient writing, and it comes from a book that you find in the apocrypha, The Acts of Paul and Thecla, and it describes Paul in this way: "A man of small stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting" [You would just know, wouldn't you, that Paul's eyebrows would meet!] Here is your ticket to join us as we discover more and more about the biblical world and its people. Berenice of Cilicia, also known as Julia Berenice and sometimes spelled Bernice (28 AD - ? Growing in the Grace & Knowledge of Jesus Christ, 13Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. (Acts 25:19). (LogOut/ The identical thing happened to Saul. His reputation as a persecutor, and imprisoner of Christians preceded him. Herod Agrippa II., son of Herod Agrippa I. This article is provided as a ministry of. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Marcus Julius Agrippa (Agrippa II) and his sister Bernice were the children of Herod Agrippa I. Each issue of Biblical Archaeology Review features lavishly illustrated and easy-to-understand articles such as: Fascinating finds from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament periods, The latest scholarship by the world's greatest archaeologists and distinguished scholars, Stunning color photographs, informative maps, and diagrams, Reviews of the latest books on biblical archaeology, 45+ years of Biblical Archaeology Review, 20+ years of Bible Review online, providing critical interpretations of biblical texts. It's been running for the last couple of weeks. the Flavian claim to the throne, and opposed another such party, headed by Thats all thats recorded about Drusilla and Bernice in the Bible. Levick, Barbara. It was the realization that Jesus Christ was alive. And Agrippa was Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great who tried to kill our Lord when he was a baby and nephew to Herod Antipas who succeeded in seeing our Lord die. Two Dominions. they're making a visit to Caesarea. Resource Toolbox. Others are life changing. His desire is inevitable. New York: 1959, and see further in Jordan, ibid. Josephus informs us that they appeared in public together, for example when Agrippa gave his peace address to the people of Jerusalem just before the outbreak of revolt against Rome (Josephus, BJ 2.333; 402405). The original Greek word translated "Augustus" It is, in technical language, an apologia. Bernice was Drucillas older sister. And he announced the Jews accusations, that he should die. Much learning has made you mad.' Apparently not (see C"?1p1i63b66F9w,o>aoRn9>/^. He also describes Philip son of Jacimus writing a letter addressing the two royal siblings (Josephus, Vita 48; 180). '], [Now so far we knew that Paul had persecuted Christians in Damascus. Amen. "Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar; [U]nto Caesar shalt thou go [? In two sources this constant companionship is interpreted as incest. According to Josephus, Drusilla and her only child died in Pompeii twenty years later when they tried to escape the volcanic explosion. All this is happening to actualize the will of the Lord God. And Festus agreed that King Agrippa would hear Paul the next day. interests influence his description of the Queen. The Sadducees were the major religious group in that council. Nero and his officials would not take kindly to a governor who showed incompetence in judging trivial matters. Bernice claiming royal power did the same. Herod Antipas was king during the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus. 10. Categories: Acts. 3. In "chains" (Acts 26:29, see Required fields are marked *. Verse 1 of chapter 26: "So Agrippa said to Paul, 'You have permission to speak for yourself.' King Herod Agrippa I was a grandson of Herod the Great; he ruled over Judea and Samaria. After his death (A.D. 40) she lived in incestuous connection with her brother Agrippa II. 3. And may God bless to us that reading of His holy and exciting word. later married Herodiass daughter Salome, his grandniece. He was the last of Herod's line to be a king. So, the next day with royal pomp and circumstance they sent for Apostle Paul. You know, I was thinking about the dear Korean missionaries. Acts 12 relates that he was eaten by worms, (possibly Fournier's gangrene, the same disease that may have killed his grandfather Herod the Great) after God struck him for accepting the praise of sycophants, comparing him to a god. He was the father of Herod Agrippa II, the last king from the Herodian dynasty. The Emperor Claudius, who had confirmed Agrippas kingship in Judea, also nominated his brother Herod as king of Chalcis, a tiny principality in the Lebanon Mountains. i. And Luke is telling you, 'I was there, I saw this, I heard this, you understand. Luke draws a contrast between Agrippa and Paul. Felix was the Roman governor charged with ruling what to do with Paul. In the meantime, Felix sent for him often and conversed with him. he went about trying to force Christians to blaspheme. The ritual, the pageantry? Paul presents his best arguments to Agrippa (and Festus). Receive the Lord's benediction. Berenice was also immortalized in various plays and novels, e.g. After his death, Chalcis was awarded to her brother, with whom she ruled for a time until she married King Polemo of Cicilia, Anatolia. Festus continues to provide King Agrippa with the back story of Apostle Pauls arrest. Festus explained the conflict between Paul and the Jews in Jerusalem as a religious dispute. Agrippa is the son of the King Herod who had James killed and Peter imprisoned (Acts 12), so this family history is part of the background to Paul's appearance before Agrippa. I know that you believe the prophets." This article discusses the very different representations of this woman found This King Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa, who killed James the brother of John, and of whose death mention is made in Acts 12:1 the Jewish chronologer (1) (Ganz Tzemach David, par. Please stand. Tiberius Alexander became an apostate from Judaism, held the office of procurator of Judaea (A.D. 46- 48), and was a prefect in Egypt (A.D. 66-70). (Acts 25:11) - he had held, not unlike "Google" is used interchangeably today with the expression "to Oh, to be thought by the world to be out of our minds, because of our zeal for the gospel! Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 5. 9. moDX j&~f>i 13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. Governor Felix has been called back. By Mary Jane Chaignot. And Luke tells us at the end of chapter 26, in verse 29, that he's brought in in chains. Crook, John A. The Gospel of Matthew: Forgive Us Our Debts. During their political visit, Paul's case came up. % And if history is correct as it comes down to us, she was also the mistress of Emperor Titus' father. We love You. Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible, 53 People in the Bible Confirmed Archaeologically. ACTS 25:14-19 14 When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying: "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, 15 about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me when I was in Jerusalem, asking for . Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. So did her joint venture with her brother, who had meanwhile arrived in Jerusalem, to still the Jewish insurrection, which came in the wake of Floruss outrages (BJ 2.402405). King Agrippa and his sister Bernice had come to visit. Your email address will not be published. Agrippa said, "Speak for yourself," and Paul started telling his testimony including his conversion, preaching to the . Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar; [U]nto Caesar shalt thou go[? Queens and Some Contemporary Women in the Roman Empire, 8490. He's putting them in a difficult position, but he turns to Agrippa, and he knows that Agrippa has Jewish background, and he says to him, "Do you believe the prophets? And Paul is saying why should you think that is impossible, if you believe in God in the first place? vm5LgUkM-{8R0B.s@LI"FySyO;Iwd1(2Ju6W7,\\2)1?VJTUiad#Nwfd1a|yx Very interesting and informative. This match led Polemo to undertake circumcision and a Jewish lifestyle. Isnt it interesting that Jesus declared that Paul would share the Gospel to kings (Acts 9:15). But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar (Acts 25:21). I mean, if you know anything about the Roman Empire and you know anything about Rome at all at this period, you know that they just loved ritual and pageantry and [and I say this as a Brit, now! Agrippa II ruled the northern half of Palestine. Berenice had two sons by HerodHyrcanus and Berenicianusof whom we know nothing. They were Jews, but they were loyal to the empire. 19Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. King Agrippa and Bernice entered the meeting room with great fanfare. Do you remember what Luther said at the time of the Reformation? You'd motion with your hand. And the Romans, well, they just loved ceremony. Amen. Recall the will of the Lord for Apostle Paul. Lord God, thank You for making Your love and forgiveness available to anyone who asks. Festus? Though, as a Jew, Agrippa was sensitive to Jewish concerns, he was unswervingly loyal to Rome Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Late in his career, Herod Agrippa II saw that tensions were rising between Rome and the Jews, and he tried unsuccessfully to prevent war. She married her uncle Herod, King of Chalcis, a small realm in Syria. Even in rabbinic literature she is mentioned as the queen alongside her brother, the king (BT A seven-day festival to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt (eight days outside Israel) beginning on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan. But they couldnt free him since hed appealed to Caesar. 25:23; 26:29 Agrippa entered with great pomp, Paul was in chains. In her chapter on Julia Bernice and Drusilla were the great granddaughters of Herod the Great who tried to kill baby Jesus. However, this may be a case of Herod the Greats sister Salome, who might have still be alive at the time the girl danced, and who actually may have been the one who concocted or at least supported the scheme to have John the Baptist permanently removed from the scene an interesting theory anyway. As today's text reveals, it was during this time that King Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice visited Festus. 1 Bernice's descent from Herod raises, in turn, the question of her status as a Jew. This attempt failed. Herod Agrippa was king of Judea for about four years. affair of Titus and Berenice. The . Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Societys vast library plus much morewith an All-Access pass. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). We ask for the blessing now of Your Spirit as we read the Scriptures together. The governor, king, and Bernice talked over all that Paul shared and agreed that hed done nothing deserving of death or chains. Let's learn some things about king Agrippa, and his sister Bernice, for the rest of ACTS 25, and all of ACTS 26 has to do with Paul, Festus, and king Agrippa. Seutonius and Cassius Dio relate similar details. Backstory: Acts 21:27-40; 23:1-35; 24:1-23Their Story: Acts 24:24-27; 25:1-27; 26, Join with other women in theAll Gods Women Bible Study Facebook group. (Viewed on March 1, 2023) . Your email address will not be published. There have been times in the history of the church, especially in periods of great revival and awakening, especially in the eighteenth century, when that functioned in the life of the church to great benefit and to great effect. Matthew describes her only as the daughter of Herodias. The name Salome was given to her later, outside of Scripture, just as Mary Magdalene was in reality not a prostitute at all until wrongly pronounced as such by Pope Gregory in the sixth century CE. He's fascinated by the case of Paul. He's invoked this law which had been in existence now for perhaps a hundred years or sohe'd invoked the right of a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar, to have his case heard before the emperor himself. 25:23 Agrippa was accompanied by Bernice, Paul stood alone. How might they have impacted Pauls imprisonment? 13. in Josephus BJ He explains her positive portrait as a result of her connections 1. I saw Him. Festus Consults King Agrippa. Its most Paul denied his accusation, pointing out that King Agrippa knew that what he was saying was the truth. Paris: 1951. Ilan, Tal. He was to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others including kings and governors. And I want us to see three things this evening as we look at this exciting narrative of Paul's defense before Agrippa. Berenice, daughter of King Agrippa I, queen of Chalcis, was married three times and then became the lover of the emperors son, Titus. You have Herod the Great at the time of the birth of Jesus; you have Herod Antipas (the Herod that Jesus called a fox); you have Herod Agrippa I (who had put James to death and had died that violent death in Acts 12); and now you've got the great-grandson of Herod the Great, Herod Agrippa II. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. He lived out the rest of his life in Rome. Have an update or correction? We've moved 37 times in the last 18 months. As todays text reveals, it was during this time that King Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice visited Festus. This blog boils the world down to "two kinds of people." Search for: Pages. It's not quite as positive as that. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Josephus. JSJ And so she ends her life in great poverty and bitterness. The world of the Bible is knowable. Enjoy reading your stories thanks. It's the third time Paul has given his defenseonce before Felix, and once before Festus, two years later; and now before King Agrippa II. Subsequently, when Agrippa heard Festus declaration of Paul he desired to hear him for himself. of Justus of Tiberias, Josephus enemy. ii. Acts 25:13-22 Festus lays Paul's case before Agrippa. 1 Festus, the new governor, received a visit from King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice. Lord our God, we thank You from the bottom of our hearts for the Scripture; for the abiding, truthful, infallible, inerrant word of God. Take us by the hand and lead us to where we need to be. She was living in, according to the gossip, an incestuous relationship with her brother. Retail: $19.99. It's a senseless thing to do, isn't it? 93 C.E.) You see, you think it's hard to speak about Jesus at the water cooler because you're going to be embarrassed. During their stay, Festus told them about Pauls perplexing case. King Agrippa was the Jewish leader approved by Rome so . Herod Agrippa, the second. They lived shameless lives, flaunting their lack of morals. As we examine Sauls personal encounters with Jesus three things will stand out. Paul has been, as you recall, in prison in Caesarea now for just over two years. Before we read the passage together, let's look to God in prayer. King Agrippa and Bernice come to Caesarea to give their respects. How did Paul enter the auditorium? "With great pomp" (Acts 25:23). The Herodian family tree and key events in the New Testament related to members of the Herodian family. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked . Paul was about to be sent to Romeexcept for the fact that King Agrippa II is making a visit to Caesarea, and, as we shall now see, wants to hear all about this case regarding Paul. part of the future emperor, who needed popular support. Herod Agrippa I, original name Marcus Julius Agrippa, (born c. 10 bcedied 44 ce), king of Judaea (41-44 ce), a clever diplomat who through his friendship with the Roman imperial family obtained the kingdom of his grandfather, Herod I the Great. The Roman Empire was founded by Julius Caesar's heir, Caesar Augustus. Having over 40 years experience with the Word! How did Agrippa and Bernice enter the auditorium? He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. Both sisters were given the opportunity to hear Pauls testimony. The case interested King Agrippa, so he asked Festus if he could hear Paul tell his story. , Vita 48 ; 180 ) it interesting that Jesus declared that Paul shared and agreed that hed nothing. 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