Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Palace of Agrippa II- Banias - Israel

Agrippa II was the great-grandson of Herod the Great,

raised and educated at the imperial court in Rome.

He was a friend of Rome but a loyal patron of his Jewish subjects,

and he did what he could to avert to cataclysm that began in 66AD,

when the Jewish Rebellion broke out.

Ultimately he sided with the Romans, because he knew they would win.

Pragmatism was part of his nature.

But he was also well-placed to negotiate for the survivors at the end of the War.

Agrippa II and Paul of Tarsus.

In 60AD, when Paul had been in prison for two years,

the procurator in Judea, Festus, consulted Agrippa concerning his case.

This happened during a visit that Agrippa and his sister Bernice

were making to Caesarea

(Agrippa and Bernice were said to be having an incestuous affair,

though the writer of Acts tactfully does not mention this). (wikipedia)

Sometimes the part of being in the Holy Land

is the ability to picture just where the stories

took place that we read about in the Bible.

This is one of those spots.

Trial of St. Paul in front of Agrippa, Bernice and Festus.

Nikolai Bodarevsky- 1875- Russia.

Acts 25:14-27New International Version (NIV)

14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.

16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. 17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. 20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. 21 But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”

He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”

Paul Before Agrippa

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write.27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”