Herod Agrippa II
Herod Agrippa II was the last king of the Herodian dynasty, ruling small territories in northern Palestine as a Roman client during the mid-first century. In Acts 25โ26 he heard the Apostle Paulโs defense after the Roman procurator Festus arranged the hearing at Caesarea, with Agrippaโs sister Bernice also present. Paul recounted his conversion and mission, leading Agrippa to reply that he was almost persuaded to become a Christian; the king then concluded Paul was innocent and could have been released had he not appealed to Caesar. The account demonstrates the gospelโs advance before governing authorities and records one of the New Testamentโs clearest examples of apostolic testimony to a reigning Herodian ruler.
Biography
- Occupation
- King (tetrarch)
- Era
- New Testament (c. AD 50-100)
Did You Know?
Herod Agrippa II held the Roman-granted right to appoint and depose Jewish high priests, a power he exercised repeatedly while also constructing a palace overlooking the temple's inner courts that forced priests to build a screening wall.
Accompanied by his sister Bernice, with whom Josephus and Roman writers reported an incestuous liaison, Agrippa presided over Paul's hearing in Caesarea and declared himself almost persuaded to embrace Christianity (Acts 26:28).
Though raised at the imperial court in Rome and granted only minor territories, Agrippa II possessed detailed knowledge of Jewish customs and sects, which Paul explicitly acknowledged when defending the resurrection hope before him (Acts 26:3).
Agrippa delivered an impassioned speech inside the temple attempting to halt the Jewish revolt of AD 66, yet after Rome's victory he received additional lands from Vespasian and continued ruling as a Roman client until about AD 100.
As the final Herodian monarch, Agrippa II maintained authority over the temple treasury and vestments even after the temple's destruction, marking the quiet extinction of the dynasty without direct heirs.
Key Passages
Paul Before Agrippa
Acts 26:27-29
This passage shows Paul's compassionate boldness in urging even powerful rulers like Agrippa to embrace saving faith in Christ.
27ing Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.