Claudius Lysias is a figure mentioned in the New Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles. John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ...

According to Acts (Acts 21:31-24:9), Lysias was a Roman Tribune and the commander (chiliarch) of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. Ordinary Magistrates Extraordinary Magistrates Titles and Honors Emperor Politics and Law Tribune (from the Latin: tribunus; Greek form tribounos) was a title shared by several elected magistracies and other governmental and/or (para)military offices of the Roman Republic and Empire. ... Chiliarch. ... Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim) (Standard) Yerushalayim or Yerushalaim Arabic commonly القـُدْس (Al-Quds); officially in Israel أورشليم القدس (Urshalim-Al-Quds) Name Meaning Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: The Holiness Government City District Jerusalem Population 724,000 (2006) Jurisdiction 123,000 dunams (123 km²) Jerusalem (Hebrew:  , Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic:  , al-Quds, the Holiness)[2...

He rescued Paul of Tarsus from a hostile mob, but arrested him, suspecting him of being "The Egyptian," a seditious Messianic pretender. Paul was able to persuade Lysias that he was not an agitator, and won permission to address the crowd - which then went from being united against Paul to being divided. Lysias was unsure of Paul, and had him brought to the soldiers' quarters to be examined under scouraging. On receiving report that Paul was a Roman citizen and then making personal inquiry, Claudius became afraid because of having violated the rights of a Roman by having him bound. Claudius still desired to arrive at the truth concerning accusations against Paul, by commanding the Sanhedrin to assemble, dissension among the Sanhedrin towards Paul caused Claudius to order his men to snatch Paul away from their midst. Paul of Tarsus (b. ... For the tractate in the Mishnah, see Sanhedrin (tractate). ...

Upon learning of a plot to kill Paul, Claudius Lysias summoned two of his army officers and commanded them to get ready 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen to leave for Caesarea Maritima. In compliance with Roman law, he also sent a statement of the case to the procurator Antonius Felix. This letter, however, was not altogether factual. It is an interesting specimen of Roman military correspondence (Acts 23:26-30). Although acknowledging Paul's innocence, Claudius Lysias gave the impression that he had rescued Paul because of having learned that the apostle was a Roman, whereas in reality he had violated Paul's citizenship rights by having him bound and even ordering that he be examined under scourgings. As to the disciple Luke's knowledge of the letter's contents, it may be that the letter itself was read at the time Paul's case was heard. Caesarea Palaestina, also called Caesarea Maritima, a town built by Herod the Great about 25 - 13 BC, lies on the sea-coast of Israel about halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa, on the site of a place previously called Pyrgos Stratonos (Strato or Stratons Tower, in Latin Turris Stratonis). ... A procurator is the incumbent of any of several current and historical political or legal offices. ... Marcus Antonius Felix (Felix in Greek: ο Φηλιξ, born between 5/10-?) was the ancient Rome procurator of Iudaea Province 52-60, in succession to Ventidius Cumanus. ... Luke the Evangelist (לוקא, Greek: Loukas) is said by tradition to be the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, the third and fifth books of the New Testament. ...

He obtained his Roman citizenship by purchase, and was therefore probably a Greek.

This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897. Eastons Bible Dictionary generally refers to the Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, by Matthew George Easton M.A., D.D. (1823-1894), published three years after Eastons death in 1897 by Thomas Nelson. ...