Agrippa

King Agrippa II is the son of Herod Agrippa I and a great-grandchild of Herod the Great. He reigned from AD 48 to around 93.

Agrippa II inherits the title of king from his father Herod Agrippa I. The Romans also grant him the right to appoint the high priest.

From AD 48 to 52, Agrippa II is king of Chalcis, which is an area in present-day Lebanon. In AD 53, Emperor Claudius gives him the regions to the northeast of Lake Galilee in exchange for Chalcis.

It is unclear when precisely the reign of Agrippa II ended. When the First Jewish-Roman war breaks out in AD 66, we do know that Agrippa II is in Alexandria. In the war, he chooses the side of the Romans. Because of his attitude, the Romans reward him after the revolt by expanding his territory. Agrippa II probably died in AD 92 or 93.

Agrippa II is mentioned in the New Testament in Acts 25:13–26:32. It states that Agrippa II meets with Paul, when he and his wife Bernice pay a visit to procurator Festus in Caesarea.

After the conversation, Agrippa II tells Festus that Paul is falsely imprisoned. According to him, Paul could have been released quicker, had he not appealed to the emperor (Acts 26:32).