Difference between revisions of "Festus"

<p> No information is forthcoming concerning [[Porcius]] Festus, who succeeded [[Felix]] in the procuratorship of [[Judaea]] , other than that supplied by &nbsp;Acts 24:27; &nbsp;Acts 26:32 and by Josephus, <i> Ant </i> . xx. viii. 9f., ix. 1, and <i> Bellum Judaicum (Josephus) </i> II xiv. 1. According to Josephus, [[Festus]] set himself with vigour and success to restore order to his province, which he found distracted with sedition and overrun by bands of robbers. ‘He caught the greatest part of the robbers, and destroyed a great many of them.’ More particularly it is added that he ‘sent forces, both horsemen and footmen, to fall upon those that had been seduced by a certain impostor, who promised them deliverance and freedom from the miseries they were under, if they would but follow him as far as the wilderness. Accordingly, those forces that were sent destroyed both him that had deluded them and those that were his followers also.’ The only other incident in the administration of Festus which [[Josephus]] relates shows him, in association with King [[Agrippa]] II., withstanding ‘the chief men of Jerusalem’ ( <i> Ant </i> . xx. viii. 11), and permitting an appeal to Caesar-an interesting combination in view of the narrative in Acts. The circumstances, as stated by Josephus, were those: Agrippa had made an addition to his palace at Jerusalem, which enabled him to observe from his dining-hall what was done in the Temple. [[Thereupon]] ‘the chief men of Jerusalem’ erected a wall to obstruct the view from the palace. Festus supported Agrippa in demanding the removal of this wall, but yielded to the request of the [[Jews]] that the whole matter might be referred to Nero, who upheld the appeal and reversed the judgment of his procurator. </p> <p> Josephus evidently regards Festus as a wise and righteous official, affording an agreeable contrast to Albinus, his successor, of whom he says that ‘there was not any sort of wickedness that could be named but he had a hand in it’ ( <i> Bellum Judaicum (Josephus) </i> II. xiv. 1). </p> <p> [[Turning]] to the Book of Acts, we find that there, while justice is done to the promptness with which Festus addressed himself to his duties and to the lip-homage he was ready to pay to ‘the custom of the Romans,’ he appears in a less favourable light, and the outstanding fact meets us of the estimate which St. Paul formed of him. St. Paul preferred to take his chance with [[Nero]] to leaving his cause to be disposed of by this fussy, plausible official. ‘I appeal unto Caesar,’ is the lasting condemnation of Festus. He was persuaded that the [[Apostle]] was innocent of the ‘many and grievous, charges’ brought against him, yet he was quite prepared to sacrifice him, if thereby he ‘could gain favour with the Jews’; hence the preposterous proposal of a re-trial at Jerusalem. The noble use which St. Paul made shortly after of the opportunity given him by Festus to speak for himself before Agrippa and [[Berenice]] should not blind us to the callousness of the man who planned that scene with all its pomp and circumstance, and deliberately exploited a prisoner in bonds for the entertainment of his [[Herodian]] guests. Festus died after holding his office for a brief term-‘scarcely two years’ (Schürer, <i> History of the [[Jewish]] People (Eng. tr. of GJV).] </i> I. ii. [1890] 185). See articleDates for discussion of the chronology of the procuratorship of Festus. </p> <p> Literature.-S. Buss, <i> Roman Law and History in the NT </i> , 1901, p. 390; C. H. Turner, ‘Eusebius’ [[Chronology]] of Felix and Festus’ in <i> Journal of Theological Studies </i> iii. [1901-02] 120; G. H. Morrison, <i> The [[Footsteps]] of the [[Flock]] </i> , 1904. p. 362; M. Jones. <i> St. Paul the [[Orator]] </i> , 1910, p. 212; A. Maclaren, <i> [[Expositions]] </i> : ‘Acts, ch. xiii.-end,’ 1907, p. 322. </p> <p> G. P. Gould. </p>

<p> During his short governorship of [[Judea]] (AD 60-62), Festus had to judge the difficult case of Paul. The Jews knew that Festus was inexperienced in Jewish affairs and tried to take advantage of this to win their case against Paul. But Festus was aware of their cunning (&nbsp;Acts 25:1-5). He therefore arranged a proper trial and as a result was convinced of Paul’s innocence. However, wanting to win the goodwill of the Jews, he refused to release Paul. [[Tired]] of this constant injustice, Paul appealed to the [[Emperor]] (&nbsp;Acts 25:6-12). </p> <p> Festus now faced a difficulty. He had to send a person to the Emperor, without knowing the offence of which the person was supposedly guilty. He did not understand what made the Jews hate Paul. When Herod Agrippa, an expert on Jewish affairs, arrived at the governor’s palace, Festus explained his problem. He was pleased to give his visitor the opportunity to hear Paul’s case (&nbsp;Acts 25:23-27). Agrippa confirmed that Paul was innocent, but since Paul had appealed to the Emperor, Festus had no alternative but to send him to Rome (&nbsp;Acts 26:32). </p>

<p> Portius Festus succeeded Felix in the government of Judea, A.D. 60. Felix his predecessor, to oblige the Jews, when he resigned his government, left St. Paul in bonds at Caesarea, in Palestine, &nbsp;Acts 24:27 . Festus, at his first coming to Jerusalem, was entreated by the principal Jews to condemn St. Paul, or to order him up to Jerusalem, they having conspired to assassinate him in the way. Festus answered, that it was not customary with the Romans to condemn any man without hearing him; but said that he would hear their accusations against St. Paul at Caesarea. From these accusations St. Paul appealed to Caesar, and by this means secured himself from the prosecution of the Jews, and the wicked intentions of Festus, whom they had corrupted. </p>

<p> [[Festus]] ( ''Fés'Tus'' ). &nbsp;Acts 24:27. Porcius Festus was appointed by Nero to succeed Felix as procurator of Judea, about 60 or 61 a.d. Before him Paul had to defend himself, but removed his cause from the provincial tribunal by appeal to Caesar. &nbsp;Acts 24:27; &nbsp;Acts 25:1-27; &nbsp;Acts 26:1-32. Festus administered his government less than two years, and died in Judea. </p>

<p> (festal), PORCIUS (Graecized '''''Πόρκιος''''' '''''Φῆστος''''' ''),'' the successor of Felix as procurator of Judaea (&nbsp;Acts 24:27; Joseph. [[Ant]] . 20:8, 9; [[War]] , ii. 14, 1), sent by Nero, probably in the autumn of A. D. 55. (See Felix). A few weeks after Festus reached his province he heard the cause of the apostle Paul, who had been left -a prisoner by Felix, in the presence of Herod Agrippa II. and [[Bernice]] his sister. Not finding any thing in the apostle worthy of death or of bonds, and being confirmed in this view by his guests, he would have set him free had it not been that Paul had himself previously (&nbsp;Acts 25:11-12) appealed to Caesar. In consequence, Festus sent him to Rome. (See Paul). Judaea was in the same disturbed state during the procuratorship of Festus, which had prevailed through, that of his predecessor., Sicarli, robbers, and magicians were put down with a strong hand ''(Ant. 20:'' 8, 10). Festus bad a difference with the Jews at [[Jerusalem]] about a high wall which t-hey had built to prevent Agrippa seeing from his palace into the court of the Temple. As this also hid the view of the [[Temple]] from the Roman guard appointed to watch it during the festivals, the procurator took strongly the side of Agrippa, but permitted the Jews to send to Rome for the decision of the emperor. He, being influenced by Poppaea, who was a proselyte (Joseph. Ant. 20:$, 11), decided in favor of the Jews. Festus probably died in the summer of A. D. 62, and was succeeded by [[Albinus]] (Joseph. War, 20:9, 1). The chronological questions concerning his entrance on the province and his death are too intricate and difficult to be entered on here, but will be found fully discussed by Anger, De temporum in Act. Apost. ratione, p. 99 sq.; and 'Wieseler, Chronologie der Apostelgeschichte, p. 8999. (See Chronology). Josephus implies ([[War]] , ii, 14, 1) that Festus was a just as well as an active magistrate. </p>