FELIX, ANTONIUS.Procurator of Judæa (Act_23:24 ff.); according to Josephus, he had been sent to succeed Cumanus in a.d. 52; but this contradicts Tacitus, who makes Cumanus governor of Galilee and Felix of Samaria simultaneously; and this suits Act_24:10 (many years). Both historians give 52 as the year of Cumanus disgrace, so that we may probably take that as the date of Felix accession to office in Judæa. Felix was brother of Pallas, Claudius powerful freedman, whose influence continued him in office under Nero, and on his disgrace (due to a riot at Cæsarea) procured him his life. He is described by Tacitus as a very bad and cruel governor. He was somewhat touched by St. Pauls preaching (Act_24:25 f.), but kept him in prison, first in hope of a bribe,one of many details showing that St. Paul was a prisoner of social importance,and, finally, to please the Jews. He is called most excellent (Act_23:26, Act_24:3; cf. Act_26:25, Luk_1:3), a title given him as governor, but more properly confined to those of equestrian rank. He married thrice, each time to a person of royal birth; see Drusilla.
A. I. Maclean.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Published in 1909