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Appeal to Caesar
Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.
A Roman citizen’s request to have a judicial matter heard in Rome; formally called the right of provocatio. In early periods of Roman jurisprudence, this right was considered an appeal to have the people decide a case. By the time of the New Testament, it amounted to a request have the case be judged by the Roman emperor—perhaps in an attempt to amend a lower magistrate’s judgment.
Lexham Bible Dictionary
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The Lexham Bible Dictionary
Appeal to Caesar
Appeal to Caesar A Roman citizen’s request to have a judicial matter heard in Rome; formally called the right of provocatio. In early periods of Roman jurisprudence, this right was considered an appeal to have the people decide a case. By the time of the New Testament, it amounted to a request have the
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
Appeal to Caesar
APPEAL TO CAESAR. Under the Empire, all holders of Roman citizenship possessed among their citizen rights the ius appellationis ad Caesarem, or right of appeal to Caesar. According to the great 3d-century jurist, Ulpian, the right of appeal was guaranteed to all Roman citizens, whether residents of Italy
The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition
Appeal to Caesar
APPEAL TO CAESAR. When *Festus succeeded *Felix as Roman procurator of Judaea in ad 59 (Acts 24:27) and re-opened Paul’s case, which Felix had left unsettled, Paul soon had reason to fear that the new governor’s inexperience might be exploited by the high priest to his own disadvantage. Accordingly,
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Appeal to Caesar
APPEAL TO CAESAR When Paul was brought before Festus for trial on charges made against him by Jews from Jerusalem, Festus asked him if he wanted to return to Jerusalem for trial. Paul, fearing the Jews would kill him, asked that his case be heard by the emperor, as he had done nothing deserving of death
The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Volumes 1–5
APPEALS TO CAESAR BY PAUL
APPEALS TO CAESAR BY PAUL. Paul’s appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:11) raises both historical and theological questions for interpreters of Acts. Historically, the initial problem is to determine the precise nature and function of the appeal to the emperor in Roman history and law. A right of Roman citizens
Key passages
Ac 25:1–12

Now when Festus set foot in the province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him, asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to …

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Related
Paul appeals to Caesar at his trial