Tertullus (ΤΈΡΤΥΛΛΟΣ)

TERTULLUS (ΤΈΡΤΥΛΛΟΣ). - Orator, chosen, because of his experience in Roman forensic practice and in the Greek language, as advocate of the Sanhedrin against St. Paul before the procurator of Judea Antonius Felix, at Caesarea in Palestine in 58 (Acts 24:1-9).

It is uncertain whether he was Jewish, Greek or Latin; various indications tend to exclude the first hypothesis; the name Tertullus (from Tertius) was common among the Romans. His indictment, very skillful, began with a captatio benevolentiae too flattering in comparison with the procurator's real merits (v. FELIX, ANTONIUS); the accusations against Paul, shrewdly kept on political ground, were three: he stirs up seditions among the Jews of the Empire; he is the leader of the sect of the Nazoreans (only here in the New Testament as equivalent to "Christians"); he attempted to violate the Temple. On the authenticity of vv. 6c-8a manuscripts and scholars are divided, but with a clear tendency toward non-authenticity, especially for internal reasons: thus T. would invite the procurator to interrogate the accused himself, without calling into question the tribune Lysias. St. Luke reported the indictment very briefly, perhaps relying on notes taken during the trial, at which he could have been present.

Luigi Vagaggini