man. And when he had been there eight days or ten, he went down to Cesarea.

And the day after he sat on the tribunal, and commanded to bring Paulos. And when he had come, the Jihudoyee who had come down from Urishlem surrounded him, and accusations many and hard brought against him, which they were not able to prove; while Paulos put forth the mind, that he had not offended in any thing, neither against the law of the Jihudoyee, nor against the temple, nor against Cæsar. But Festos, because he willed to accord a favour to the Jihudoyee, said to Paulos, Art thou willing to go up to Urishlem, and there concerning these things to be judged before me?

Paulos answered, and said, At the tribunal of Cæsar stand I. There it is right for me to be judged. Not any thing have I transgressed against the Jihudoyee, as also thou knowest; and if a crime I have committed, or any thing worthy of death, I ask not (to be exempted) from death. But, if there be nothing in me of which these accuse me, no man shall give me to them as a gift. I invoke the appeals of Cæsar.

Then Festos, having spoken with the sons of his council, said, The appeals of Cæsar hast thou invoked? To Cæsar goest thou.

LXIII.

AND when days had been, Agripos the king and Bernike came down to Cesarea to salute 6 Festos. And when they had been with him (some) days, Festos recounted to the king the judgment of Paulos, saying, A certain man has been left bound by Felix; and when I was at Urishlem, the chief priests and elders of the Jihudoyee informed me against him, and begged that I

6 To wish the peace of.

7 Or, cause.

would do for them judgment against him. And I told them, it was not the custom of the Romans to give any man as a gift to be killed, until his adversaries have come and accused him to his face, and there be given him place to defend himself against that of which he is accused. And when I had come hither, without delay, the day after I sat on the tribunal, and commanded to bring the man to me. And his accusers stood up with him, but could not find any evil accusation to prove against him, (such) as I had expected, but (had) various questions with him regarding their worship, and concerning Jeshu, a man who was dead, of whom Paulos said that he was alive. And because I stood not 8 upon the investigation of these (matters), I said to Paulos, Dost thou require to go to Urishlem, and there be judged concerning these? But he required to be kept unto the judgment of Cæsar; and I commanded that he should be kept until I may send him to Cæsar.

And Agripos said, I would hear this man.

And Festos said, To-morrow thou shalt hear him.

And the day after came Agripos and Bernike with great pomp, and entered the house of judgment, with the tribunes and the chiefs of the city. And Festos commanded, and Paulos came.

And Festos said, King Agripos, and all men who are with us, concerning this man whom you see have all the people of the Jihudoyee taken me at Urishlem and here, crying, that This ought not further to live; but I perceived not that he had done any thing worthy of death. And because he required to be reserved for the judgment of Cæsar, I have commanded that he should be sent. But (as) I know not what to write of him unto Cæsar, therefore have I willed to bring him before you, and

8 Or, have not been constituted for.

especially before thee, king Agripos, that, having inquired into his case, I may find what to write. For it is not fit when we send a man bound, not to record his transgression.

And Agripos said to Paulos, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paulos stretched forth his hand and made defence, and said,

Of all that I am accused by the Jihudoyee, king Agripos, I consider myself happy, that before you I (have to) make defence. Especially because I know that you are conversant with all questions and laws of the Jihudoyee; therefore, I pray you with patient mind to hear me. For the Jihudoyee themselves—if they would testify-know my manners from my youth, which were mine from the beginning among my people at Urishlem; because they of a long time were assured of me, and they know that in the high doctrine of the Pharishee I lived. And now, concerning the hope of the promise that was made to our fathers by Aloha, stand I, and am judged. And for this hope (to which) our twelve tribes, with diligent prayers by day and night, are expecting to come, for this very hope am I accused by the Jihudoyee, king Agripos! What judge you; ought we not to believe that Aloha will raise the dead?

For I, at the first, proposed in my mind to do many things against the name of Jeshu Natsroya. This I also did in Urishlem. And many holy ones I cast into the house of the bound, by the authority which I had received from the great priests; and when they were killed by them, I participated with those who condemned them. And in every synagogue I was furious against them, while I constrained them to blaspheme the name of Jeshu; and, being filled with great wrath against them, I went forth unto other cities also to persecute them.

And while going on this account to Darmsuk, with

authority and permission from the great priests, at the dividing of the day, in the way, I saw from heaven, O king, shining upon me and upon all who were with me, a light which (was) more excellent than the sun. And we fell all of us upon the earth; and I heard a voice that said to me in Hebrew, Shaol, Shaol, why persecutest thou me?9 It is hard to thee to kick against the pricks! And I said, Who art thou, my Lord? And he said, I am Jeshu Natsroya, whom thou persecutest. And he said to me, Stand upon thy feet, because for this I have appeared to thee, to appoint thee a minister and witness of that (for) which thou hast seen me, and (for) which thou shalt see me. And I will deliver thee from the people of the Jihudoyee, and from the other nations to whom I send thee, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto Aloha, and receive the forgiveness of sins, and a lot with the saints through faith, which (is) in me.

Wherefore, king Agripos, I withstood not with perversity the heavenly vision, but preached, at first to them who were in Darmsuk, and to them who were at Urishlem, and in all the districts of Jihud, and also to the Gentiles have I preached, that they should repent, and turn to Aloha, and do works worthy of repentance. And for these things the Jihudoyee seized me in the temple, and would have killed me; but Aloha hath helped me until this day; and, behold, I stand and testify to the small and to the great, yet nothing beyond Musha and the prophets do I speak, but those things which they said should come to pass; that the Meshiha should suffer, and should be the chief of the resurrection from the house of the dead, and should preach light to the people and to the nations.

LXIV.

AND as Paulos was thus making defence, Festos cried with a high voice, Thou art mad, Paulos; much learning1 hath made thee mad!

Paulos said to him, I am not mad, victorious Festos, but words of truth and righteousness I speak. And king Agripos also, especially, knoweth concerning these things; and therefore speak I with openness before him ; because not one of these things I think have been hidden from him; for they were not done in secrecy. Believest thou, king Agripos, the prophets? I know that thou believest.

King Agripos said to him, (Within) a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

And Paulos said, I would from Aloha that in little and in much, not only thou, but also all who hear me to-day, were as I am, except these bonds.

And the king arose, and the governor, and Bernike, and those who sat with them: and when they were removed thence they spake one with another, and said, Nothing that is worthy of death or of bonds hath this man done. And Agripos said to Festos, This man could have been dismissed, if he had not called the appeal of Cæsar.

And Festos commanded concerning him that he should be sent unto Cæsar in Italia. And he delivered Paulos, and other prisoners with him, to a certain man, a centurion of the band of Sebaste, whose name was Julios. And when he would proceed, we went down to a ship which was from Adramantos the city, to go to the region of Asia. And Aristarkos, a Makedonoya who was of Thessalunike the city, entered the ship with us. And the day after we came to Tsaidon. And the centurion behaved

1 Or, many books.