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| One of the apostle Paul’s most eloquent presentations of the Gospel, along with his own personal testimony, occurs when he has an audience before King Agrippa and his sister Bernice. |
| An inscription found in Beirut mentions the following: |
| “Queen Bernice and the great King A[grippa] in regards to King Herod, their great grandfather, who constructed the marbles as well as the six columns.” |
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| Artifact mentioning Queen Bernice, |
| King Agrippa II and King Herod |
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| The Biblical story of Bernice and Agrippa is found in Acts 25-26: |
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| Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; . . . And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying: "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, "about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. |
| When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, "but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be |
| alive. . . |
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| "Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." |
| "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him." |
| So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus' command Paul was brought in. . . |
| Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." |
| So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: |
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| "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, "especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. "My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. "They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. |
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| "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. "To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. "Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? |
| "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. "This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. "And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. |
| "While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, "at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. "And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' |
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| "So I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' |
| And He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 'But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 'I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 'to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.' |
| "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, "but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. "For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. "Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come; "that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." |
| Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!" |
| But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. "For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." |
| Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." |
| And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains." |
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| PAUL PROCLAIMED THE SAME MESSAGE AS MOSES AND THE PROPHETS: |
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| MOSES AND THE PROPHETS TAUGHT THAT CHRIST WOULD BE A LIGHT TO BOTH THE JEWS AND GENTILES. |
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| "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people." Deuteronomy 32:43 |
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| “. . . In Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined." Isaiah 9:1-2 |
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| "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious." Isaiah 11:10 |
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| "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles." Isaiah 42:1 |
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| THE PROPHETS TAUGHT THAT THE CHRIST WOULD BE CRUCIFIED. |
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| “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? . . . But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!" . . . Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots . . . Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.” Psalm 22 |
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| THE PROPHETS TAUGHT THAT CHRIST WOULD BE RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD. |
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| "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." Psalms 16:10 |
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| "Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead." Isaiah 26:19 |
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| This article is a chapter from our 3 volume book series "Bible Believer's Archaeology" which can be downloaded for your ebook reader or mobile device by visiting our resource download page by Clicking Here. |
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| Sources: |
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| The Holy Bible, Author: The Lord God |
| Scripture taken from the New King James Version unless noted. |
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| Banias, The Story of Caesarea, Author John F Wilson. |
| Note 70: Translation of the Beirut Inscription |
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| Women in Scripture, Authors Meyers, Craven, Shepard, Kraemer |
| Pg. 59-60 Photograph of the Beirut artifact mentioning Bernice and Agrippa. Note: Bernice is as mentioned on a statue in Athens that honors her as a “great Queen”. |
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| The Building Program of Herod the Great 1998 |
| Author: Roller, Page 249 a drawing of the Beirut Inscription. |
| Page 250 (The actual Inscription reads) |
| “R]egina Berenice Regis Magni A[” |
| “Qu]od Rex Herodes Proavos Eorum Fecerat Ve[” |
| “Marmor [ ]que Et Columnis [S]ex” |
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| Argubright’s translation used Perseus Latin Morphological Analysis word study available at: |
| www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/morphindex?lang=la |
| Literal Translation: |
| Regina=”Queen”, Berenice=”Bernice”, Regis = “King or ruler”, Magni=”magnificent or great”, A[....] assumed to be Agrippa possibly referring to King Agrippa I, Bernices father, but most likely King Agrippa II her brother and great grandson of Herod, Quo=“who with respect to”, Rex=”king”, Herodes=”Herod”, Proavos from proavus = “great grandfather”, eorum = “their, he or she”, Fecerat from facio = “construct or build”, Marmor = “marbles”, [ ]que=? Inscription not clear, Et = “as well as”, Columnis= “columns or pillars”, [S]ex= “the number six”. |
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| The Book of Acts by author Frederick Bruce |
| pg. 451, note 27: on a Latin inscription from Beirut she is called “Queen Bernice, daughter of the Great King Agrippa the first ...” Comptes rendus de 1' Academie de Inscriptions” (1927) pg 243-244 |
| On a Greek inscription in Athens she is called “Julia Berenice, the great queen” (IG III.556 = CIG 361) |
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| Artwork: “The Conversion of Paul” Artist:Henry Felix Emmanual Philippoteaux, illustrated in Cassell’s Illuminated Family Bible Vol. 4 from Matthew to Revelation pg.201, Publisher: Cassell, Petter & Calpin (1860). |
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| Artwork: ”Paul before Herod Agrippa”, Artist: H.Anelay & W.J.Lintom, Illustrated in Cassell’s Illuminated Family Bible Vol. 4 from Matthew to Revelation pg.229, Publisher: Cassell, Petter & Calpin (1860). |
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| Artwork: “Beirut inscription mentioning Bernice and Agrippa” based upon photo: |
| Illustration © copyright 2008 John Argubright. |
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| Artwork: “The Resurrected Christ rising the Dead” Illustrated in “Anyone can Draw!” (1939) Author: Arthur Zaidenberg, Publisher: World Publishing. |
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