# Paul appeals to Caesar

Early Church · Draft · BSB

Content revision: bd53c0d5c16abc8f · No editorial review date recorded

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Date: c. AD 57–59. Paul spends two years in custody under Felix before Festus succeeds him (Acts 24:27).

When the new governor, Festus, proposes a trial in Jerusalem, Paul refuses and appeals to Caesar. Festus answers, “To Caesar you will go!”

## Primary Scripture

[Acts 25:1–12 (BSB)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2025%3A1%E2%80%9312&version=BSB)

25:1 Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,

25:2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus

25:3 to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

25:4 But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

25:5 So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.”

25:6 After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in.

25:7 When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.

25:8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

25:9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”

25:10 Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

25:11 If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

25:12 Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

## Location evidence

Event map marker: Identified site; \[longitude, latitude\] = \[34.89218, 32.49954\]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.

Caesarea: Identified site. Coordinates \[longitude, latitude\]: \[34.89218, 32.49954\]. Classification source: rule.

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21149)

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21149)

## Interpretation and reuse

Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.

Record source: theographic (377)

Record source: editorial

Events and places adapted from Theographic Bible Metadata (github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata), CC BY-SA 4.0. This adapted data is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm

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