A centurion of the cohort of Augustus, to whom Festus, governor of Judea, committed Paul to be conveyed to Rome. Julius had great regard for Paul. He suffered him to land at Sidon, and to visit his friends there; and in a subsequent part of the voyage he opposed the violence of the soldiers, directed against the prisoners generally, in order to save the apostle, Mal 27:1-44 .\par
Julius (jû’li-ŭs or jûl’yus). A centurion of Augustan Band (which see), under whose charge Paul was conveyed to Rome. Acts chaps. 27, 28. He was courteous to the apostle, and may be the same with Julius Priscus, subsequently prefect of the prætorian guards.
[Ju’lius]
The centurion of ’Augustus’ band’ who had custody of Paul in travelling to Rome. He treated Paul with great courtesy, allowing him to visit his friends at Sidon and refresh himself. Paul counselled him as to where they should winter, but he naturally was swayed by the master of the ship, though it proved afterwards that it would have been wiser to have listened to the man of God, who, though a prisoner, could tell them that God had given him all that sailed in the ship, and that all would be saved. When the shipwreck occurred, Julius would not allow the prisoners to be put to death because he was desirous of saving Paul. God was watching over His servant, and turned the heart of Julius towards him. Act 27:1; Act 27:3; Act 27:43.
JULIUS.—For the voyage to Rome St. Paul was committed with other prisoners to the charge of a centurion named Julius, ‘of the Augustan band’ or cohort (Act 27:1). Julius showed much kindness to the Apostle, and evidently treated him as a man of importance, though he did not take his advice on a matter of navigation (Act 27:3; Act 27:9; Act 27:11; Act 27:21; Act 27:31; Act 27:43, Act 28:16). Sir Wm. Ramsay suggests (St. Paul, p. 323) that, as Julius rather than the captain or ‘sailing master’ (not ‘owner’) had supreme command (Act 27:11), the ship must have been a Government vessel. He and his soldiers were probably frumentarii or peregrini, having a camp at Rome and engaged in the commissariat of distant legions, and in bringing political prisoners. In Act 28:16 some MSS (not the best) say that the prisoners were delivered to the captain of the guard in Rome. This, if a gloss, is at least probably true; the captain of the peregrini would be meant. (See also art. Band.) A. J. Maclean.
(Ἰïýëéïò)
After the decision of Festus to send St. Paul to Rome, he was entrusted to the care of a ‘centurion named Julius of the Augustan cohort’ (Act_27:1-3). The Apostle was treated with kindness and consideration by the centurion, who, although he disregarded St. Paul’s advice as to the place of wintering (Act_27:9-11), deferred to his recommendation regarding cutting away the boat (Act_27:31), and, in order to save him, refused to allow the soldiers to kill the prisoners (Act_27:42). On arriving in Rome Julius handed over his prisoner to the ‘captain of the guard’ (Act_28:16). Much discussion has gathered round the phrase ‘Augustan cohort’ to which Julius belonged. Ramsay regards it as probable that Julius belonged to the corps of official couriers, employed as emissaries to various parts of the Empire-the peregrini; and the ‘captain of the guard’ is supposed to have been their commanding officer (see articles Band, Augustan Band).
As Julius was the family name of the members of the Roman Imperial house, it was assumed by many of the vassal kings from the days of Julius Caesar onwards. It was borne by all the Jewish princes from Antipater, the father of Herod the Great. Josephus mentions a Julius Archelaeus, son-in-law of Agrippa I. (Ant. xix. ix. 1; cf. Schürer, i. 561, also index, p. 69).
Literature.-R. J. Knowling, Expositor’s Greek Testament , ‘Acts’, 1900, p. 516; W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, 1895, p. 315; E. Schürer, GJV [Note: JV Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes (Schürer).] 4 i. [1901] 460-462.
W. F. Boyd.