Festus, who appears in the last verse of chapter 24, and the first verse of chapter 25, provides us with one of the

few certain dates in the chronology of the Acts. As Festus died in A.D. 61, and Felix was recalled in A.D. 60, there

can be no doubt as to the dating of this new chapter.

The narrative of Acts 25 speaks of Festus in a more favourable light than was the case with Felix. Festus

certainly attempted to administer `even-handed' justice, and Josephus says of him: `Festus succeeded Felix as

procurator, and made it his business to correct those that made disturbances in the country' (Wars of Jews ii 14,1).

Three days after his arrival at Cæsarea, Festus went up to Jerusalem and one of his first interviews would

undoubtedly have been with the High Priest. By this time Ananias had been superseded by Ismael, the son of Fabi

(see Josephus Ant. xx. 8, 8), but, although there had been a change in the person of the High Priest, it is evident that

there had been no change in the attitude of the Jews themselves towards the prisoner at Cæsarea. The High Priest

desires of Festus a `favour', intending that, if the request were granted, Paul should be waylaid and killed before he

could reach Jerusalem. However, Festus maintains the Roman standard of justice and replies:

`It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers

face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him' (Acts 25:16).

As Lewin comments: `The answer of Festus was such as became an imperial Prefect, and worthy of being

written in letters of gold'.

Festus did, however, attempt one concession, and asked Paul whether he would be willing to go up to Jerusalem

to be tried by the Sanhedrin, under his protection (Acts 25:9). However, the apostle knew that he was to witness at

Rome, and, cutting short any further bargaining with justice, he pronounces the irrevocable words `Cæsarem

appello'.

`I stand before Cæsar's tribunal, and there ought my trial to be. To the Jews I have done no wrong as thou

knowest full well. If I am guilty, and have done anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if the things

whereof these men accuse me are nought, no man can give me up to them. I APPEAL UNTO CÆSAR' (Acts

25:10,11 Conybeare & Howson).

It could not have been very pleasant for a newly-arrived governor to have his first public trial end in this way,

but against such an appeal there was no argument. Accordingly, Festus holds a brief consultation with his Assessors

and, finding that Paul's appeal is valid, replies: `Hast thou appealed unto Cæsar? Unto Cæsar shalt thou go'. The

wording here seems to convey the unspoken thought - `And you little realize what this appeal will mean'.

While the case was taken, by the apostle's appeal, out of the hands of Festus, he was still under obligation to

remit to the supreme tribunal the apostoli, or report upon its previous progress. He was, moreover, in some

perplexity, for the testimony of the Jews had been irregular, a mere accumulation of many and grievous complaints,

which they could not prove. As he says in verse 27: `It seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not

withal to signify the crimes laid against him' (Acts 25:27). In these circumstances, the advent of King Agrippa

seemed providential. On the death of his uncle, Agrippa had been made king of Chalcis. Claudius had also given

him the tetrarchy of Batanaea, and to this Nero had added part of Galilee and Peraea. Bernice was Agrippa's sister,

and had been the wife of his uncle, the king of Chalcis. Her relationship with her brother was the subject of

suspicion (Juv. vi. 156), and she subsequently became the wife of Polemon, King of Cilicia, and the mistress of

Titus. Drusilla, as we have already noted, was her younger sister.

The Herodians owed much to Roman patronage, and King Agrippa lost no time in paying a visit to the new

Roman Governor. Seizing the opportunity that this visit presented, Festus remarks to his guest:

`There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the

elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him' (Acts 25:14,15).

Festus then recapitulates the facts of the case, and Agrippa intervenes with the words: `I would also hear the man

myself'. We must remember that Paul was now outside the jurisdiction of Festus, and that Agrippa also had no

authority in the matter. It was simply an excellent opportunity for getting the opinion of one who was intimately