Acts 23:23-24

Acts 23:23-24 The escort was heavily armed, with heavy infantry and cavalry. Horses were necessary because the distance between Jerusalem and Caesarea was sixty miles and that distance must be covered as quickly as possible. Assuming that this text is mentioning Jewish time in Jerusalem, then it was Acts 1 p.m. when this escort left Jerusalem. "This escort seems. large one for one prisoner, but the tumults of the previous days and the information just received as to. conspiracy gave Lysias good reason to anticipate. formidable attack should they encounter one" (Reese p. 830). Historians tell us that the total force that this command would have had in Jerusalem would have been 1000 soldiers and 120 horsemen. If this is accurate, then Lysias commits over half his cavalry to this escort.

THE LETTER

Seeing that the commander is not going with this force, then an explanation is needed to go along with this prisoner.