Drusilla
Drusilla was the Jewish wife of Antonius Felix, the Roman procurator of Judea, and daughter of Herod Agrippa I. In Acts 24 she joined Felix in hearing the imprisoned apostle Paul speak about faith in Christ Jesus, specifically addressing righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment. Felix reacted with fear and dismissed Paul, later leaving him in custody partly to curry favor with Jewish leaders while hoping for a bribe. This episode illustrates the gospelโs direct confrontation with Roman authority and the varied personal responses it provoked among high officials in the New Testament narrative.
Biography
- Occupation
- Wife of Governor Felix
- Era
- New Testament (c. AD 38-79)
Did You Know?
Drusilla was the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I, the king who executed the apostle James and later died gruesomely according to Acts 12.
Before wedding Felix, Drusilla had been married to Azizus, king of Emesa, but left him after the Roman governor employed a magician named Atomos to lure her away, according to Josephus.
Drusilla and Felix had a son named Marcus Antonius Agrippa who perished as a child during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
At roughly age twenty, Drusilla accompanied Felix when they summoned Paul to speak on righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, prompting Felix's fear in Acts 24:24-25.
As a Herodian princess with Jewish lineage, Drusilla's marriage to the Gentile procurator Felix created a union that blended Roman authority with the remnants of the Herodian dynasty in Judea.
Key Passages
Hears Paul Speak
Acts 24:24-25
This passage shows how the gospel confronts even powerful hearts with the need for righteousness and readiness for God's judgment.
24nd after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.