FELIX, ANTONIUS. Roman Procurator of Judea in the time of the Apostle Paul. He was a younger brother of Pallas, the favorite of the Emperor Claudius, and, like his brother, evi dently a freedman of Antonia, the mother of Claudius. Because of this fact, perhaps, he received the honor, unusual for freedmen, of mili tary command, as well as civic office, and was thrice married into royal connections. He suc ceeded Cumanus as Procurator of Judea in A.D. 52, and probably held the position till 5S, al though the latter date is disputed. His rule was marked by ceaseless disturbances and revolts, against which he acted with a severity that final ly resulted in his recall to Rome. ;Most noted among the uprisings was that of the Zealots, bis oppression of whom gave rise, or at least new im pulse, to the fanatical Sicarii. (See ZEALOT.) The disturbance which occasioned his removal from office was the riot between the Jewish and Syrian inhabitants of Ciesarea, regarding the equality of their political privileges, in the quelling of which Felix being unsuccessful, the consideration of the ease was removed to Rome, and Felix was called before a decision was given. I See FEsTus.)
It was to Felix that Claudius I ysias, for rea sons of safety, sent Paul from Jerusalem after his arrest in that city (A.D. 56), and it was be fore this procurator that the Apostle's first hear ings were held. From these no decision was reached. Paul was remanded to prison, where he was kept, though under lenient regulations, through the remaining two years of Felix's term of service, his trial never being completed. There, also, for the sake of pleasing the Jews, with whom his relations were at that time specially strained, Paul was left by the procura tor on his return to Rome. (Acts xxiii. 23-xxiv. 27.) See PAUL.