a Roman emperor; he succeeded Caius Caligula, A. D. 41, and
reigned thirteen years, eight months, and nineteen days, dying A. D. 54.
King Agrippa was the principal means of persuading Claudius to accept
the empire, which was tendered him by the soldiers. As an acknowledgment
for this service, he gave Agrippa all Judea, and the kingdom of Chalcis
to his brother Herod. He put an end to the dispute which had for some
time existed between the Jews of Alexandria and the other freemen of
that city, and confirmed the Jews in the possession of their right of
freedom, which they had enjoyed from the beginning, and every where
maintained them in the free exercise of their religion. But he would not
permit them to hold any assemblies at Rome. King Agrippa dying A. D. 44,
the emperor again reduced Judea into a province, and sent Cuspius Fadus
to be governor. About the same time the famine happened which is
mentioned Acts xi, 28–30, and was foretold by the Prophet Agabus.
Claudius, in the ninth year of his reign, published an edict for
expelling all Jews out of Rome, Acts xviii, 2. It is very probable that
the Christians, who were at that time confounded with the Jews, were
banished likewise.
2. CLAUDIUS FELIX, successor of Cumanus in the government of Judea.
Felix found means to solicit and engage Drusilla, sister of Agrippa the
Younger, to leave her husband Azizus, king of the Emessenians, and to
marry him, A. D. 53. Felix sent to Rome Eleazar, son of Dinæus, captain
of a band of robbers, who had committed great ravages in Palestine; he
procured the death of Jonathan, the high priest, who sometimes freely
represented to him his duty; he defeated a body of three thousand men,
whom an Egyptian, a false prophet, had assembled upon the Mount of
Olives. St. Paul being brought to Cesarea, where Felix usually resided,
was well treated by this governor, who permitted his friends to see him,
and render him services, hoping the Apostle would procure his redemption
by a sum of money. He however neither condemned Paul, nor set him at
liberty, when the Jews accused him; but adjourned the determination of
this affair till the arrival of Lysias, who commanded the troops at
Jerusalem, where he had taken Paul into custody, and who was expected at
Cesarea, Acts xxiii, 26, 27, &c; xxiv, 1–3, &c.
While the Apostle was thus detained, Felix, with his wife Drusilla, who
was a Jewess, sent for him, and desired him to explain the religion of
Jesus Christ. The Apostle spoke with his usual boldness, and discoursed
to them on justice, temperance, and the last judgment. Felix trembled
before this powerful exhibition of truths so arousing to his conscience;
but he remanded St. Paul to his confinement. He farther detained him two
years at Cesarea, in compliance with the wishes of the Jews, and in
order to do something to propitiate them, because they were extremely
dissatisfied with his government. Being recalled to Rome, A. D. 60; and
many Jews going thither to complain of the extortions and violence
committed by him in Judea, he would have been put to death, if his
brother Pallas, who had been Claudius’s slave, and was now his freedman,
had not preserved him. Felix was succeeded in the government of Judea by
Porcius Festus.
reigned thirteen years, eight months, and nineteen days, dying A. D. 54.
King Agrippa was the principal means of persuading Claudius to accept
the empire, which was tendered him by the soldiers. As an acknowledgment
for this service, he gave Agrippa all Judea, and the kingdom of Chalcis
to his brother Herod. He put an end to the dispute which had for some
time existed between the Jews of Alexandria and the other freemen of
that city, and confirmed the Jews in the possession of their right of
freedom, which they had enjoyed from the beginning, and every where
maintained them in the free exercise of their religion. But he would not
permit them to hold any assemblies at Rome. King Agrippa dying A. D. 44,
the emperor again reduced Judea into a province, and sent Cuspius Fadus
to be governor. About the same time the famine happened which is
mentioned Acts xi, 28–30, and was foretold by the Prophet Agabus.
Claudius, in the ninth year of his reign, published an edict for
expelling all Jews out of Rome, Acts xviii, 2. It is very probable that
the Christians, who were at that time confounded with the Jews, were
banished likewise.
2. CLAUDIUS FELIX, successor of Cumanus in the government of Judea.
Felix found means to solicit and engage Drusilla, sister of Agrippa the
Younger, to leave her husband Azizus, king of the Emessenians, and to
marry him, A. D. 53. Felix sent to Rome Eleazar, son of Dinæus, captain
of a band of robbers, who had committed great ravages in Palestine; he
procured the death of Jonathan, the high priest, who sometimes freely
represented to him his duty; he defeated a body of three thousand men,
whom an Egyptian, a false prophet, had assembled upon the Mount of
Olives. St. Paul being brought to Cesarea, where Felix usually resided,
was well treated by this governor, who permitted his friends to see him,
and render him services, hoping the Apostle would procure his redemption
by a sum of money. He however neither condemned Paul, nor set him at
liberty, when the Jews accused him; but adjourned the determination of
this affair till the arrival of Lysias, who commanded the troops at
Jerusalem, where he had taken Paul into custody, and who was expected at
Cesarea, Acts xxiii, 26, 27, &c; xxiv, 1–3, &c.
While the Apostle was thus detained, Felix, with his wife Drusilla, who
was a Jewess, sent for him, and desired him to explain the religion of
Jesus Christ. The Apostle spoke with his usual boldness, and discoursed
to them on justice, temperance, and the last judgment. Felix trembled
before this powerful exhibition of truths so arousing to his conscience;
but he remanded St. Paul to his confinement. He farther detained him two
years at Cesarea, in compliance with the wishes of the Jews, and in
order to do something to propitiate them, because they were extremely
dissatisfied with his government. Being recalled to Rome, A. D. 60; and
many Jews going thither to complain of the extortions and violence
committed by him in Judea, he would have been put to death, if his
brother Pallas, who had been Claudius’s slave, and was now his freedman,
had not preserved him. Felix was succeeded in the government of Judea by
Porcius Festus.