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When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Because Felix wanted to stay on good terms with the Jews, he left Paul in prison. [The Jews hated Felix; they wrote a letter to Rom describing his brutality toward them. The complaints led Emperor Nero to dismiss Felix and appoint Festus as governor of Judea in the fall of 60 AD. He held the post for two years.]
When Festus arrived in the province [from Rom], he left Caesarea [Maritima, by the sea] after three days and went up to Jerusalem. [Caesarea Maritima was the political capital of the Roman province of Syria, which included Judea. It was natural that Festus wanted to visit Jerusalem, which was the religious and cultural center of the people he was to rule over. So in the autumn of 60 CE, three days after arriving in Caesarea, he set out for Jerusalem.]
But Festus replied that Paul was being held prisoner in Caesarea [Maritima] and that he himself would soon [in just over a week] be returning there. [Festus offers to take up the case again in Caesarea.]
But Festus, wanting to stay on good terms with the Jews, asked Paul, "Do you want to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there [before the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin] in my presence on this matter?"
A few days later, King Agrippa and [his sister, one year younger than him] Berenice came to Caesarea [Maritima, by the sea] to visit Festus [and welcome him as governor]. [Herod Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I, see Acts 12:1–2. Agrippa II was the last of five Herods mentioned in the Bible. He was born in 27 AD and reigned over Galilee from 53 to 66 AD. He is now visiting with his sister Berenice, who is the same age. Both are in their thirties. Their relationship was somewhat scandalous. According to Josephus, it was rumored that they were living in an incestuous relationship. The two were also siblings of Drusilla, who was married to the former governor Felix, see Acts 24:24. However, she was not in Caesarea during their visit, as she had accompanied Felix back to Italy when he was deposed.]
Agrippa and Berenice stayed there for several days, and Festus presented Paul's case to the king. "Here is a man," he said, "whom Felix left as a prisoner.
The next day, Agrippa and Berenice arrived with great pomp and ceremony [Gk. phantasia, often describing a solemn parade] and entered the audience chamber together with the commanders [presumably five, since there were five cohorts stationed in Caesarea] and the city's leading men. At Festus' command, Paul was brought in.
Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all you other assembled gentlemen, before you stands the man who is the cause of the whole Jewish people turning to me, both in Jerusalem and here, and loudly demanding that he should not live any longer.
