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Easton's Bible Dictionary
The successor of Felix (A.D. 60) as procurator of Judea
( Acts
24:27 ). A few weeks after he had entered on his office the case of Paul,
then a prisoner at Caesarea, was reported to him. The "next day," after he had
gone down to Caesarea, he heard Paul defend himself in the presence of Herod Agrippa
II. and his sister Bernice, and not finding in him anything worthy of death or
of bonds, would have set him free had he not appealed unto Caesar ( Acts
25:11 , 25:12
). In consequence of this appeal Paul was sent to Rome. Festus, after being in
office less than two years, died in Judea. (See AGRIPPA.)
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
festive
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(Festus means festival) Successor of Felix as procurator
of Judea, ( Acts
24:27 ) sent by Nero probably in the autumn of A.D. 60. A few weeks after
Festus reached his province he heard the cause of St. Paul, who had been left
a prisoner by Felix, in the presence of Herod Agrippa II and Bernice his sister,
( Acts
25:11 , 25:12
) Judea was in the same disturbed state during the procuratorship of Festus which
had prevailed through that of his predecessor. He died probably in the summer
of A.D. 60, having ruled the province less than two years.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
(fes'-tus, por'-shi-us Porkios Phestos):
The Roman governor or procurator who succeeded Felix in the province of Judea
(Acts 24:27), and was thus brought into prominence in the dispute between Paul
and the Sanhedrin which continued after the retirement of Felix (Acts 25 ; 26).
Upon the arrival of Festus in Jerusalem, the official capital of his province,
the Jews besought of him to send Paul from Caesarea to Jerusalem to appear before
them, intending to kill him on the way (Acts 25:3). Festus at first refused their
request, and upon his return to Caesarea proceeded himself to examine Paul (Acts
25:6). But on finding that the evidence was conflicting, and reflecting that,
as the accused was apparently charged on religious rather than on political grounds,
the Sanhedrin was a more suitable court for his case than a Roman tribunal, he
asked Paul if he were agreeable to make the journey to Jerusalem (Acts 25:7 -
9). But Paul, who knew well the nefarious use that the Jews would make of the
pleasure which Festus was willing to grant them, made his appeal unto Caesar (Acts
25:10 , 11). To this request of a Roman citizen accused on a capital charge (compare
Acts 25:16), Festus had perforce to give his consent (Acts 25:12). But the manner
of his consent indicated his pique at the apparent distrust shown by Paul. By
the words "unto Caesar shalt thou go," Festus implied that the case must now be
proceeded with to the end: otherwise, had it been left in his own hands, it might
have been quashed at an earlier stage (compare also Acts 26:32). Meantime King
Agrippa and Bernice had arrived in Caesarea, and to these Festus gave a brief
explanation of the circumstances (Acts 25:13 - 21).
The previous audiences of Festus with Paul and his accusers had, however, served
only to confuse him as to the exact nature of the charge. Paul was therefore summoned
before the regal court, in order both that Agrippa might hear him, and that the
governor might obtain more definite information for insertion in the report he
was required to send along with the prisoner to Rome (Acts 25:22 - 27). The audience
which followed was brought to an abrupt conclusion by the interruption of Paul's
speech (Acts 26:1 - 23) by Festus: "Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning
thee mad" (Acts 26:24). Yet the meeting was sufficient to convince both Agrippa
and Festus that "this man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds" (Acts 26:31).
While Festus displayed a certain contempt for what he regarded as the empty delusions
of a harmless maniac, his conduct throughout the whole proceeding was marked by
a strict impartiality; and his straightforward dealing with Paul formed a marked
contrast to the dilatoriness of Felix. The praise bestowed upon the latter by
Tertullus (Acts 24:2) might with better reason have been bestowed on Festus, in
that he freed the country from many robbers (Sicarii: Josephus, Ant, XX, viii-x;
BJ, II, xiv, 1); but his procuratorship was too short to undo the harm wrought
by his predecessor. The exact date of his accession to office is uncertain, and
has been variously placed at 55-61 AD
(compare Knowling in Expositor's Greek Testament, II, 488-89; see also FELIX).
C.M. Kerr
Tags:
bible commentary, bible history, bible reference, bible study, define, festus, governor, porcius festus, procurator of judea, nero, paul, roman, successor of felix
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