Steven Carr

In Acts 25, Festus says 'Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. I was at a loss how to investigate such matters...'

Was Festus at a loss how to investigate these matters, because the Jesus of that time was outside his jurisdiction, having not been on earth recently?

Toto

I think, first of all, that this never happened. But I suspect that Festus in the narrative is not sure how to investigate religious disputes and especially a claim about someone who died and is now alive - which would not be a crime under Roman law as far as I know.

But you wonder why the Jews did not charge Paul with worshipping a criminal recently convicted of sedition under Pilate. That would have got Festus' attention, I would think.

andrewcriddle

Having departed this earth would presumably remove Jesus from Festus' jurisdiction, whether or not this departure was a recent event.

Andrew Criddle

Steven Carr

So Festus would never have thought of asking the followers of this Jesus if they had seen a resurrected Jesus?

andrewcriddle

Festus like other educated Romans (see Pliny letters book 7 letter 27) probably took seriously claims of manifestations of the dead.

However, he probably did not see adjudicating such things as coming within his remit as Governor.

Andrew Criddle