Acts 21:37-38

"Do you know Greek?" The commander is surprised that Paul speaks to him in the Greek language. The next verse explains this surprise. Acts 21:38 "Then you are not the Egyptian" The commander had jumped to the conclusion that his prisoner was an Egyptian revolutionary, who about three or four years earlier had deceived people by claiming to be. prophet. Josephus writes that this man had around 30,000 followers. He had assembled many of his followers on the Mount of Olives, and claimed that when he gave the command the walls would fall down (like ancient Jericho) and they would then march in and defeat the Roman garrison in the city. Felix had sent out. body of troops, and they killed 400 and wounded another 200. This followers were scattered, while the Egyptian had escaped. "The feelings of those who had been made fools of by this Egyptian would not be friendly" (Reese p. 806). "Led the four hundred Assassins out into the wilderness" The word assassins means "dagger-men" and were. powerful force in the early years of the governorship of Felix (52-60 A.D.). "They were terrorists who were bitter enemies of the Romans and the Roman sympathizers in Palestine. They would mingle with the crowds at the feasts, for example, pull their daggers from beneath their robes and stab. man, return the dagger into its hiding place, and then join in the outcry against such violence that the bystanders would raise" (Reese p. 806).