The life and work of St. Paul

iT. PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA. II. 553
and he inherited the government of a country in which the wildest anarchy
was triumphant, and internecine quarrels were carried on in the bloodiest
spirit of revenge. Had he been Procurator for a longer time, difficult as was
the task to hold in the leash the furious hatreds of Jews and Gentiles, he
might have accomplished more memorable results. The sacred narrative displays
him in a not unfavourable light, and he at any rate contrasts most
favourably with his immediate predecessor and successor, in the fact that he
tried to administer real justice, and did not stain his hands with bribes. 1
Hia first movements show an active and energetic spirit. He arrived in
Palestine about the month of August, and three days after his arrival at
Caesarea went direct to Jerusalem. One of the first questions which he had
to face was the mode of dealing with St. Paul. Two years of deferred hope,
and obstructed purposes, and dreary imprisonment had not quenched the
deadly antipathy of the Jews to the man whose free offer of the Gospel to
the Gentiles seemed to them one of the most fatal omens of their impending
ruin. The terrible fight in the market-place between Jews and Syrian
Greeks, which had caused the disgrace of Felix, had left behind it an uu-
'appeased exasperation, and the Jews of Csesarea were unanimous J in demand-
of Paul. When Festus reached Jerusalem
ing the immediate punishment
the same cry 3 met him, and the death of Paul was demanded, not only by
the mob, but by deputations of all the chief personages in Jerusalem, headed
by Ishmael Ben Phabi, the new High Priest. 4 We have seen already that
the Jews, with great insight into human nature, eagerly seized the first opportunity
of playing upon the inexperience of a newly-arrived official, and
moulding, him if possible, while he was likely to be most plastic in his
desire to create a favourable impression. But Festus was not one of the base
and feeble Procurators who would commit a crime to win popularity. The
i Palestinian Jews soon found that they had to do with one who more resembled
a Gallio than a Felix. The people and their priests begged him as an
'initial favour not to exempt Paul's case from their cognisance, but to bring
him to Jerusalem, that he might once more be tried by the Sanhedrin, when
^they would take care that he should cause no second fiasco by turning their
theologic jealousies against each other. Indeed, these sacerdotalists, who
thought far less of murder than of a ceremonial pollution,* had taken care
that if Festus once granted their petition, their hired assassins should get rid
!of Paul on the road " or ever he came near." Festus saw through them
'sufficiently to thwart their design under the guise of a courteous offer that,
as Paul was now at Caesarea, he would return thither almost immediately,
and give a full and fair audience to their- complaints. On their continued
insistence Festus gave them the haughty and genuinely Roman reply that,
1 Joe. Antt. IT. 8, 9 ; 9, 1 ; B. J. ii. 14, 1.
2 Acts TXV. 24, airav TO 7rA.rj0os rav 'lovSaiuv . . . i-Mie. */(., ~i|3ouiTt.
4 He had been appointed by Agrippa II., A.D. 59.
5 See Sota. f . 47, 2 ; Totifta Sota, c. 14 ; Joma, f . 23, 1 ; Jos. B. J, pcusim. (GrStz.
iii. 321, teqq,)