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Who Was Felix?
It's a little technical, but here's some background information on Felix, the governor in today's reading:
"Felix was the brother of Pallas, the infamous favorite of Claudius who, according to Tacitus (Ann. xiii.14), fell into disgrace in A.D. 55. Tacitus implies that Felix was joint procurator of Judea along with Cumanus before being appointed to the sole command, but Josephus is silent about this. Both Tacitus and Josephus refer to his succeeding Cumanus, Josephus stating that it was at the instigation of Jonathan the high priest. There is some doubt about the chronology of Felix’s tenure of office. Eusebius and Jerome place his accession in A.D. 51, and the imprisonment of Paul in 54–56; but most modern commentators incline to the dates 52 for his accession and ca 58–60 for Paul’s trial. Felix was succeeded, after Nero recalled him, by Festus.
The testimony of Acts concerning the evil character of Felix is fully corroborated by the writings of Josephus (BJ ii.13.2–4 [252–261]; Ant. xx.8.5 [160-66]; cf. TacitusAnn xii.54). Although he suppressed the robbers and murderers who infested Judea, among them the “Egyptian” to whom Lysias refers (Acts 21:38), yet “he himself was more hurtful than them all.” When occasion offered, he did not hesitate to employ the Sicarii (assassins) for his own ends, including the murder of the high priest Jonathan (Josephus Ant. xx.8.5). Trading upon the influence of his brother at court, his cruelty and rapacity knew no bounds; during his rule revolts became continuous, marking a distinct stage in that seditious movement which culminated in the outbreak of A.D. 66–70 (cf. HJP, II/2, 174–182). His leaving Paul in bonds was but a final instance of one who sacrificed duty and justice for the sake of his own unscrupulous selfishness." [1]
Who Was Felix?
It's a little technical, but here's some background information on Felix, the governor in today's reading:
"Felix was the brother of Pallas, the infamous favorite of Claudius who, according to Tacitus (Ann. xiii.14), fell into disgrace in A.D. 55. Tacitus implies that Felix was joint procurator of Judea along with Cumanus before being appointed to the sole command, but Josephus is silent about this. Both Tacitus and Josephus refer to his succeeding Cumanus, Josephus stating that it was at the instigation of Jonathan the high priest. There is some doubt about the chronology of Felix’s tenure of office. Eusebius and Jerome place his accession in A.D. 51, and the imprisonment of Paul in 54–56; but most modern commentators incline to the dates 52 for his accession and ca 58–60 for Paul’s trial. Felix was succeeded, after Nero recalled him, by Festus.
The testimony of Acts concerning the evil character of Felix is fully corroborated by the writings of Josephus (BJ ii.13.2–4 [252–261]; Ant. xx.8.5 [160-66]; cf. TacitusAnn xii.54). Although he suppressed the robbers and murderers who infested Judea, among them the “Egyptian” to whom Lysias refers (Acts 21:38), yet “he himself was more hurtful than them all.” When occasion offered, he did not hesitate to employ the Sicarii (assassins) for his own ends, including the murder of the high priest Jonathan (Josephus Ant. xx.8.5). Trading upon the influence of his brother at court, his cruelty and rapacity knew no bounds; during his rule revolts became continuous, marking a distinct stage in that seditious movement which culminated in the outbreak of A.D. 66–70 (cf. HJP, II/2, 174–182). His leaving Paul in bonds was but a final instance of one who sacrificed duty and justice for the sake of his own unscrupulous selfishness." [1]
[1] Vol. 2, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1988), 298.
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