Agrippa II

b. 27 AD; d. c 100 AD.

Son of Herod Agrippa I and brother of Bernice, Miriamme, and Drusilla, Agrippa II was the last of the Herod family to rule over any part of Palestine. Agrippa II is best remembered in the Bible as the king who, on a visit to Caesarea to pay respect to Festus, was consulted by the latter about Paul's case (Acts 25:13-22). Agrippa subsequently heard Paul's defence, at the end of which he charged Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" (Acts 26:28). His own judgment was that Paul "could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar" (Acts 26:32).

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☰ Open Map of his territorial sovereignity.

Though he was deemed too young to inherit his kingdom when his father died in 44 AD, Agrippa II was awarded the prerogative of appointing the Jewish high priests from 48 to 66 AD. In 52 AD Emperor Claudius gave him the rule of the small kingdom of Chalcis (which had been ruled by his uncle). He was further honoured by the Emperor the following year when he was made—in exchange for giving up Chalcis—governor of the tetrachy formerly ruled by Philip (Batanea, Gaulanitis and Traconitis) and Lysanias (Abila). Later still, after the death of Claudius, his territories were enlarged further still when Nero added Galilee and Perea to his holding. In appreciation of this Agrippa renamed his capital Caesarea Philippi to Neronias (though the name never stuck).

Though he tried his best he was unable to stem the tide of unrest at the outbreak of the First Jewish Revolt in 66 AD. He died in Rome, childless, the last of the Herodian dynasty.