Festus
Fes'tus
(festal), PORCIUS (Graecized Πόρκιος Φῆστος), the successor of Felix as procurator of Judaea (Ac 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 (Ac 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.
