Integrating Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Societys vast library plus much morewith an All-Access pass. ), Pauls first judge, left him in prison for two years until new procurator Porcius Festus (r. c. 6062 C.E.) She married her uncle Herod, King of Chalcis, a small realm in Syria. King Agrippa 2nd. "I wish not only you, but all who hear me would become as I am" a Christian in love with Jesus "except for these chains.". 18When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 8. You understand the Herods were playing two cards. Before we read the passage together, let's look to God in prayer. Pauls appeal places the governor in the unenviable position of having to justify sending Paul to Nero without specific charges. They were escorted by many high-ranking military officers and prominent men from Caesarea who had come to hear Paul as well. On trial for "hope" (Acts 26:6-8) Paul again made the resurrection the real bone of contention between himself and his Jewish accusers (23:6; 24:15; 25:19). I appreciate that! 33 (1984): 1213. Antonius Felix, Roman procurator of Judea (r. 52c. Before the hearing began Festus addressed a few introductory remarks to the assembled company. Indeed, one-third of the were politically motivated, since they belonged to one party which had supported Apparently not (see The . 4. 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. g%b)AMIB%0> %Ja ZGlqf{MUS5wGxFI, Having over 40 years experience with the Word! acts 12 20-23? The son of Agrippa I was King Herod Agrippa II, also known as Julius Marcus Agrippa; he was the brother of Bernice and Drusilla and heard Paul's defense of the gospel in Acts 26. Since Paul insisted he was innocent of any wrongdoing. What was Bernice to King agrippa? We make choices every day of our lives. 2. Berenice of Cilicia, also known as Julia Berenice and sometimes spelled Bernice (28 AD - ? Your email address will not be published. Festus Consults King Agrippa December 17, 2016 Posted by flashbuzzer in Books, Christianity. 19.276277). Now you will commence to talk about him. Herod Agrippa and Cybros were first cousins, both descended from Herod. 1937. 16I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. Now Paul stood before the next in line of the Herods, Herod Agrippa. About David Ettinger; Categories. 5. Acts is my favorite bookespecially Acts 2! He explains her positive portrait as a result of her connections The two apparently became lovers in 68 C.E. Luke draws a contrast between Agrippa and Paul. Along with her brother, she tried to act as a peacemaker, but when the revolt broke out, she supported the Romans with troops and supplies from Chalcis. After his death (A.D. 40) she lived in incestuous connection with her brother Agrippa II. 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. (Acts 12. How did Paul enter the auditorium? John Moors Cabot Professor of History, Harvard University. Happy Womens History Month! Who is "Bernice" (Acts 25:13)? document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. London: 1974. Tags: acts, agrippa, festus, luke, paul add a comment. 4 0 obj You need far more learning. He spent his childhood and youth at the imperial court in Ancient Rome where he befriended the imperial princes Claudius and Drusus, the son of Tiberius. But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive (Acts 25:19). Were introduced to Drusilla when she appears with her husband Felix at Pauls trial. Crispina, mentioned in the Babatha archive, Ilan suggests that the woman was In Acts 26, Paul stands before King Agrippa II, who encourages him to "speak for himself," i.e., in his own defense. They were both the great grandchildren of Herod the Great. Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense. Recall the will of the Lord for Apostle Paul. This is Paul's apology; this is Paul preaching the gospel, and preaching the gospel before one of the most powerful (next to the emperor) in Rome, one of the most (at least in his own mind and pretentiousness) one of the most powerful figures then alive, King Agrippa Herod Agrippa II. 3. intrigues Agrippa, so he wishes to hear the apostle for himself. Both sisters were given the opportunity to hear Pauls testimony. [Hegisippus]. the Flavian claim to the throne, and opposed another such party, headed by She became Tituss lover and lived openly with him for a time. Here is your ticket to join us as we discover more and more about the biblical world and its people. Bible Gateway Recommends. The Roman Caesar at this time was Nero. 10. In 26:28 Agrippa interrupts him by saying, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian" (NKJV). 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. ] (Acts 25:12). And the likes of Luther and Calvin turned it around and said, no, we're only saying what the church fathers said. 0. Berenice, twice widowed, left her third husband to be with brother Agrippa II (rumored lover) and was with him at Festuss trial of Paul. And he announced the Jews accusations, that he should die. He knew nothing about Christ. As a young teen Drusilla married King Aziz. immediately preceding Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. (negative). During their political visit, Paul's case came up. Vaguely, we hear that when Titus himself became emperor in 79 Berenice returned to Rome but to no avail and she was compelled to leave (Suetonius, Titus 7.1; Cassius Dio, Roman History 66.15.34). Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa, who was one of the sons of Herod the Great. And Festus is more than willing for Agrippa to give him some advice, because he's about to send Paul to Rome, and there is no case! I have been thinking that such a table is needed. Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: (Acts 25:18). Upon hearing the details of the matter, Agrippa was interested in hearing Paul himself. committing incest are treated as royalty. He had abdicated this responsibility to one of his representatives in the court in Rome. Tacitus is also our first source on Berenices love affair with Titus (Histories 2.2.1), the Roman general who eventually burnt Jerusalem and then succeeded his father to the throne of Rome. It's a dynasty, a powerful dynasty although Herod Agrippa II is not that powerful. The local King Agrippa and Bernice (who was his sister) are visiting Festus, the new governor of Caesarea. Therefore, King Agrippa and his wife, Queen Bernice, didnt visit Festus by chance. For Jesus' sake we ask it. Didn't "Augustus" (Acts 25:25) already die in 14 Governor Festus said, "King So what can we learn from Bernice and Drusilla? ), was replaced by a series of Roman governors, including Pontius Pilate (r. 2636 C.E.). After two years Felix was replaced as the governor, but he kept Paul imprisoned in order to please the Jews. Berenices granddaughter. Oh, to be thought by the world to be out of our minds, because of our zeal for the gospel! He had offered, you remember, a solution: that Paul go to trial in Jerusalem before the Jews. Your email address will not be published. The Jews, as they themselves once said, had no king but Csar. Governor Felix has been called back. A seven-day festival to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt (eight days outside Israel) beginning on the 15, Integrating And Paul is saying why should you think that is impossible, if you believe in God in the first place? Experience for yourself the amazing transformation that God offers to each and every one of us. Krieger, Klaus-Stefan. [Well, not just that, of course. Gospel of John is devoted to the 24 hours Romans: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. She was widowed for a second time in 48 C.E., when only twenty (Ant. He was on his way to Damascusbut this is the first time he's told us he went to foreign cities to do this.]. Four highly acclaimed books, published in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution: Aspects of Monotheism, Feminist Approaches to the Bible, The Rise of Ancient Israel and The Search for Jesus. The Herodian family tree and key events in the New Testament related to members of the Herodian family. "about a Isn't that interesting? When his father died in A.D. 44, Agrippa II was seventeen years old and living in Rome. relative peace - Pax Romana - to it was so revered that his name Blogging About The Word. Roman leaders wore laurel leaves as symbols of martial victory and triumph. King Agrippa and his wife, Queen Bernice, visited Governor Festus at an opportune time in the life of Apostle Paul. This article is provided as a ministry of. Herod Antipas was king during the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus. He would be. Tell me how I can become a Christian.' When he died, she was rumored to be having an incestuous relationship with her brother Agrippa. xW6+H,pxT%'QdI3R,2Gr2PAmqU&uD2VyQKd6GEQLJz^ The Sanhedrin Council was a religious group that functioned as a court in important cases. Agrippa I, also called Agrippa the Great (10 B.C.E. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. How might they have impacted Pauls imprisonment? They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Leroy A. Daley is an author, blogger, YouTuber, and Bible teacher. Born about 10 B.C., Agrippa I was the grandson of Herod the Great, the son of Aristobolus and Bernice. 4. Festus Consults King Agrippa. Festus was forced to send him on to Caesar to appeal his case to him. search online.". I mean, you can think of the worst incidents in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, where we read of terrible things that were done to Christians and forcing them to blaspheme their God, and that's what Saul of Tarsus was. Is this coincident? around the mid-50s, he was given rule over limited areas of Galilee and Peraea. College, Oxford: College Record (19992000): 6073. After the early death of her first husband she was married to her uncle Herod, king of Chalcis. Tbingen: 1999. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Globally, he's helped hundreds of Christians understand the Bible better. It wasn't a terribly important dominion over which he governed. When you face trials, and you face intimidation, and you face opposition; when you have to give a reason for the hope that lies within you with meekness and godly fear, learn from the way in which the Apostle Paul does it here. As today's text reveals, it was during this time that King Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice visited Festus. God caused all things to work out for the good (Romans 8:28). And may God bless to us that reading of His holy and exciting word. All this is happening to actualize the will of the Lord God. Hence superscriptions on the earliest extant copies of the Epistle of James [Codex Corbeinsis; Widmanstadt; Tremellius etc] document James son of Zebedee as Author and Bishop of Jerusalem (Arabic editions) who died shortly before the sacking of Jerusalem in A.D.70. the sources (literary and epigraphic) that mention Berenice. That this man is prepared to speak and to declare the whole counsel of God, to unveil his whole life before these men and women, and stand up for Jesus no matter what the cost." Bernice was born in 28 CE, and was a year younger than her brother, the future King Herod Agrippa II. Well, Bernice wasn't far from this. certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive" Agrippa II did not have any children, and when he met the apostle Paul, he was living in an incestuous relationship with his younger sister Bernice. Berenice was a member of the Herodian Dynasty, who ruled the Roman province of Judaea between 39 BC and 92 AD. Festus continues to provide King Agrippa with the back story of Apostle Pauls arrest. He was the last of Herod's line to be a king. In 53 AD, Emperor Claudius promoted King Agrippa II to rule over a larger region northeast of the Sea of Galilee. However, even though Saul had an experience with Jesus the disciples in Jerusalem were still afraid of him. Agrippa. 1 Bernice's descent from Herod raises, in turn, the question of her status as a Jew. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> Isn't that exciting? After his death, Chalcis was awarded to her brother, with whom she ruled for a time until she married King Polemo of Cicilia, Anatolia. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, Go away for now: when I have a convenient time I will call for you.. What a soap opera life these two sisters lived. However, Tacitus is not the only source that discloses this information. Well, ask that to the logical positivist Anthony Flue, who says it's impossible. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. 6. Corrections? This blog looks at the seedy relationship between Agrippa and Bernice. Then she married her uncle Herod. You understand there was a lot of gossip about this relationship between King Herod Agrippa II and Bernice. Not only was Augustus the man who laid the foundations of the empire, but also the longest serving emperor, and in the eyes of many, the best ruler Rome ever had. The eldest daughter of the Judaean tetrarch Herod Agrippa I by his wife Cypros, Berenice was married at age 13, but her husband died without consummating the marriage. Herod Agrippa II (Hebrew: ; AD 27/28 - c. 92 or 100), officially named Marcus Julius Agrippa and sometimes shortened to Agrippa, was the last ruler from the Herodian dynasty, reigning over territories outside of Judea as a Roman client.Agrippa II fled Jerusalem in 66, fearing the Jewish uprising and supported the Roman side in the First Jewish-Roman War. Nevertheless, she made her way to the Roman governors palace to ask Gessius Florusthe Roman governorto desist from the violent activities he had undertaken against the Jewish population of Jerusalem (BJ 2.313). The Jewish leaders requested that Festus moved Paul from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Paul, so he begins laying out the case before Agrippa. Manage Settings Paul denied his accusation, pointing out that King Agrippa knew that what he was saying was the truth. He recounted his persecution of the early Christians, his Damascus road experience, and his life as a believer. He has been givenwhen his father died in Acts 12, he was only 17 years old. Open our eyes to the things we do that draw us away from You. She was living in, according to the gossip, an incestuous relationship with her brother. promise when he first dismissed her. Herod Agrippa II., son of Herod Agrippa I. Bernice claiming royal power did the same. He's fascinated by this case, and wishes to hear it. 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First judge, left him in prison for two years Felix was replaced by series... Ii., son of Aristobolus and Bernice ( who was his sister ) are Festus... Festus Consults King Agrippa and his wife, Queen Bernice, didnt visit Festus chance. Dominion over which he governed abdicated this responsibility to one of us eyes to the 24 Romans! Edit content received from contributors Professor of History, Harvard University looks at the seedy relationship between King Agrippa... 28 AD - yourself the amazing transformation that God offers to each and every one of.. Thematic essays on Jewish women around the world leaves as symbols of martial victory triumph... Status as a court in important cases Apparently not ( see the back... Verify and edit content received from contributors be a King # x27 ; s look to God prayer.