Claudius Lysias
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Claudius Lysias

CLAUDIUS LYSIAS

klo'-di-us lis'-i-as (Klaudios Lysias): A chief captain who intervened when the Jews sought to do violence to Paul at Jerusalem (Acts 21:31; Acts 24:22). Lysias, who was probably a Greek by birth (compare Acts 21:37), and who had probably assumed the Roman forename Claudius (Acts 23:26) when he purchased the citizenship (Acts 22:28), was a military tribune or chiliarch (i.e. leader of 1,000 men) in command of the garrison stationed in the castle overlooking the temple at Jerusalem. Upon learning of the riot instigated by the Asiatic Jews, he hastened down with his soldiers, and succeeded in rescuing Paul from the hands of the mob. As Paul was the apparent malefactor, Lysias bound him with two chains, and demanded to know who he was, and what was the cause of the disturbance. Failing amid the general tumult to get any satisfactory reply, he conducted Paul to the castle, and there questioned him as to whether he was the "Egyptian," an postor that had lately been defeated by Felix (Josephus, BJ, II, xiii, 5; Ant, XX, viii, 6). Upon receiving the answer of Paul that he was a "Jew of Tarsus," he gave him permission to address the people from the stairs which connected the castle and the temple. As the speech of Paul had no pacifying effect, Lysias purposed examining him by scourging; but on learning that his prisoner was a Roman citizen, he desisted from the attempt and released him from his bonds. The meeting of the Sanhedrin which Lysias then summoned also ended in an uproar, and having rescued Paul with difficulty he conducted him back to the castle. The news of the plot against the life of one whom he now knew to be a Roman citizen decided for Lysias that he could not hope to cope alone with so grave a situation. He therefore dispatched Paul under the protection of a bodyguard to Felix at Caesarea, along with a letter explaining the circumstances (Acts 23:26-30. The genuineness of this letter has been questioned by some, but without sufficient reason.) In this letter he took care to safeguard his own conduct, and to shield his hastiness in binding Paul. There is evidence (compare Acts 24:22) that Lysias was also summoned to Caesarea at a later date to give his testimony, but no mention is made of his arrival there. It is probable, however, that he was among the chief captains who attended the trial of Paul before King Agrippa and Festus (compare Acts 25:22). For the reference to him in the speech of Tertullus (see Acts 24:7 the Revised Version, margin), see TERTULLUS.

C. M. Kerr

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Claudius Lysias

[LYSIAS CLAUDIUS]

ATS Bible Dictionary
Claudius Lysias

See LYSIAS.

Greek
3079. Lusias -- Lysias, a Roman
... Lysias, a Roman. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Lusias Phonetic
Spelling: (loo-see'-as) Short Definition: Claudius Lysias Definition: Claudius ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3079.htm - 6k

2804. Klaudios -- Claudius, the name of an Emperor, also an army ...
... Definition: (a) Claudius, the fourth of the Roman Emperors, Tiberius Claudius Caesar
Augustus Germanicus, who ruled AD 41-54, (b) Claudius Lysias, a tribune at ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2804.htm - 6k

Library

The Trial at Caesarea
... conviction. Claudius Lysias, in his letter to Felix, had borne a similar
testimony in regard to Paul's conduct. Moreover, Felix ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 39 the trial at.htm

Paul a Prisoner
... "As they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band,
that all Jerusalem was in an uproar." Claudius Lysias well knew the turbulent ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 38 paul a prisoner.htm

Acts XXV
... He remembered the purpose of the similar request preferred before Claudius Lysias,
and perceived that his only safety was in frustrating their present attempt. ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xxv.htm

Christian Cemeteries.
... Claudius Lysias writes to the governor of Judaea that Paul was accused by his
fellow-citizens, not of crimes deserving punishment, but on some controversial ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter vii christian cemeteries.htm

Acts XXVII
... The answer to his prayers was about to be realized, and the promise made him by
night in the prison of Claudius Lysias that he should yet testify of Jesus in ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xxvii.htm

Paul's Missionary Labors.
... Trophimus; dragged him out of the sanctuary, lest they should defile it with blood,
and would undoubtedly have killed him had not Claudius Lysias, the Roman ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 33 pauls missionary labors.htm

Paul in the Temple
... enclosure. Tidings 'came up' to the officer in command, Claudius Lysias
by name (Acts 23:26), that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/paul in the temple.htm

Luke's Attitude Towards the Roman World
... be, that a Roman citizen necessarily had a Roman name, that Paul could not have
revealed himself to the magistrates at Philippi or to Claudius Lysias, and that ...
/.../ramsay/was christ born in bethlehem/chapter 3 lukes attitude towards.htm

Acts XXIII
... governor. (25) And he wrote a letter in this form: (26) Claudius Lysias
to the most excellent governor Felix, greeting. (27) This ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xxiii.htm

Paul's Epistles; his Collection for the Poor Saints at Jerusalem ...
... The chief captain, whose name was Claudius Lysias, [134:4] at once "took soldiers
and centurions," and running down to the rioters, arrived in time to prevent ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter ix pauls epistles his.htm

Resources
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