After this failure Berenice disappears from the pages of Josephus. As required by the vow, her hair was shorn and she walked barefoot. The Herodian family tree and key events in the New Testament related to members of the Herodian family. We'd start with Scripture and end with experience, but Paul is actually beginning with his experience and ending with Scripture, and I sort of wonder if we give enough place in church life about sharing our experience of Christianity, our experience of Christ, our experience of biblical truth. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Agrippa I, also called Agrippa the Great (10 B.C.E. Antonius Felix, Roman procurator of Judea (r. 52c. Regardless of your past, He can give you a bright future. They waited too late, though, and were buried in the lava. 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. 28 Berenice, (born ad 28), lover of the Roman emperor Titus and a participant in the events leading up to the fall of Jerusalem. The world of the Bible is knowable. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar; [U]nto Caesar shalt thou go[? 1.) Bernice was Drucillas older sister. Apart from the fact that Herod the Great died in 1BC, not 4BC, this is very helpful and very well displayed. She returned to Judea in time for the outbreak of the Great Jewish Revolt in 66 CE. Dr. R .C. King Agrippa and his wife, Queen Bernice, visited Governor Festus at an opportune time in the life of Apostle Paul. But actually, what he's saying is this. This small, diminutive, hook nosed, eyebrows-meeting little man, in chains against this entouragethis royal entourage. How did Agrippa and Bernice enter the auditorium? Before we read the passage together, let's look to God in prayer. Obviously, these girls were not raised in a godly home. When he said that Christ would bring light to the Jewish people as well as the Gentiles, Festus interrupted him. Acts is my favorite bookespecially Acts 2! However, Festus makes it clear that in his opinion, Apostle Paul was not worthy of death. Bernice and Drusilla were the great granddaughters of Herod the Great who tried to kill baby Jesus. 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. Machaerus: Beyond the Beheading of John the Baptist, Pauls First Missionary Journey through Perga and Pisidian Antioch. He explains her positive portrait as a result of her connections the sources (literary and epigraphic) that mention Berenice. 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. Then learn from someone who was in your exact situation! And the Romans, well, they just loved ceremony. He recounted his persecution of the early Christians, his Damascus road experience, and his life as a believer. Some are inconsequential. Onyinye, thank you for the kind words. Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense. What was the main problem the Jews had with Paul? Herod Agrippa and Cybros were first cousins, both descended from Herod. Berenice, daughter of King Agrippa I, queen of Chalcis, was married three times and then became the lover of the emperors son, Titus. xW6+H,pxT%'QdI3R,2Gr2PAmqU&uD2VyQKd6GEQLJz^ And then Paul is brought in. 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. 3 Because he was too young to rule, the emperor Claudius, made Judea a Roman Province again. Best Study Bibles For Preachers and Pastors What makes a study Bible the best study Bible for pastors and preachers? In the meantime, King Agrippa and his sister Bernice came to call on Festus. Appearing Before King Agrippa, High Officials and Men of the City: (Acts 25:13-26:32) While Festus was still contemplating this turn of events, the Roman-appointed king of the Jews, King Agrippa, and his wife, Bernice, came to Caesarea Maritima to pay their respects to the new governor. Jordan is a journalist. Much learning has made you mad.' Take us by the hand and lead us to where we need to be. Intimidation. Receive the Lord's benediction. 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. Isn't that interesting? How might they have impacted Pauls imprisonment? Titus had fallen in love with Berenice during his command in Judaea (6770), which culminated in the capture of Jerusalem. Question. 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! Father, we thank You for Your word. College, Oxford: College Record (19992000): 6073. AD. Paul, you are beside yourself! 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. Revolt against Rome broke out. Agrippa the king. Access to 50+ curated Special Collections. 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. Is this coincident? ), was Herodiass uncle and second husband. Acts 25:13. Well, then Paul says a beautiful thing, and you've got to admire the apostle here, because he's playing Agrippa off against Festus, you understand. He just thinks that he is. She and her brother worked unsuccessfully to dissuade the Jews from the rebellion; after the rebels burned down their palace, they joined the pro-Roman party and supported the general Vespasian in his war against the rebels. You know, I was thinking about the dear Korean missionaries. "Berenice." The son of the man who died earlier in the book of Acts. 26. JQR What was Bernice to King agrippa? Agrippa responded by saying that Paul almost persuaded him to become a Christian. And so Paul, you remember, for the first timehe's already told us that he was a Roman citizen, but now for the first time has appealed to Caesar. We're only saying what the prophets said. were politically motivated, since they belonged to one party which had supported search online.". Later in Acts we meet Agrippa, he is Herod Agrippa II (Agrippa II is Marcus Julius Agrippa, Acts 25-26). 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. 24 And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that . Jesus didn't rise from the dead because dead men don't rise from the dead, because miracles are impossible. He suffered a period of disgrace following the death of Drusus which forced him to return to live in Judea. Were introduced to Drusilla when she appears with her husband Felix at Pauls trial. 9. Festus continues to provide King Agrippa with the back story of Apostle Pauls arrest. (LogOut/ Bernice was first married to Marcus. Intrigued, Agrippa said he would like to hear from Paul himself. Festus? Who is "Bernice" (Acts 25:13)? Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian, repeats. Your personal encounter with Jesus will change you so much that people will start to note the change. Agrippa and Bernice were committing incest with each other; Agrippa never married. Bernice was the thrice-married, twice-widowed and once-divorced sister of King The Jews laid down a long list of unsubstantiated complaints with Paul refuting, saying that he had done nothing against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple nor against the Roman government. But then Felix seduced her and convinced her to leave her husband and marry him. Here are my thoughts on Acts 25:13-22. . I mean, this man of pomp and ceremony and pageantry, he's been offended now. Governor Felix has been called back. 17So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. stream the Flavian claim to the throne, and opposed another such party, headed by [That is to say, things that you think you know, that it turns out you did not. Donald Rumsfeld.] The Bible isn't a verbatim 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). Jewish Women into Second Temple History. Why is knowing about the various characters in the Bible important. Amen. Herod Agrippa, the second. His life is in the balance here, and he's prepared to declare the whole counsel of God. It's recorded now a third time here. Probably his special relationship with Titus prevented him from describing the relationship that developed between Berenice and his patron. Marc Anthony had seen him as a figure of Jewish and national importance who would be a friend to the Romans. 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). Finally, Festus was hopeful when King Agrippa visited him. Do you remember what Luther said at the time of the Reformation? And he announced the Jews accusations, that he should die. We're only saying what the patriarchs said. His Books are available for purchase wherever books are sold. This is the most complete attempt to write a biography for Berenice. Agrippa said, "Speak for yourself," and Paul started telling his testimony including his conversion, preaching to the . When his father returned to Rome in 36, Julius Marcus and his mother had to stay behind. In her chapter on Julia The emperor of course in this case is Nero, and Nero had actually abdicated this responsibility. Pauls appeal places the governor in the unenviable position of having to justify sending Paul to Nero without specific charges. tnx, Your email address will not be published. Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. So, the next day with royal pomp and circumstance they sent for Apostle Paul. But he has a problem. Queen Bernice is King Agrippa II's sister. 9. How did Agrippa and Bernice enter the auditorium? The Romans feared she would be another Cleopatra, and none-too-gently persuaded Titus to send her home when he became Emperor in 79AD. Agrippa II ruled the northern half of Palestine. 2. Agrippa II was the great-grandson of Herod the Great (Matthew 2) and son of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12). You understand there was a lot of gossip about this relationship between King Herod Agrippa II and Bernice. 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. Verse 26 lets us know that Felix was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, but when he didnt, Felix kept him in prison until he could figure out what to do with him. Preachers and Pastors what makes a study Bible for Pastors and Preachers, since belonged. He would like to hear from Paul himself called Agrippa the Great who tried to kill baby Jesus this... Acts 12 ) Nero, and none-too-gently persuaded Titus to send her home when he said that Christ bring... Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved made his defense write a biography for Berenice he should.... 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