Lysanias Λυσανίας
Tetrarch of Abilene during John the Baptist's ministry
Who is Lysanias in the Bible?
Lysanias was a tetrarch, or regional governor, of Abilene, a territory in the Anti-Lebanon mountains, during the ministry of John the Baptist (Luke 3:1). He is mentioned by Luke as one of the rulers in power during the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign, around 26 to 28 AD, helping establish the historical and political context of John the Baptist's emergence and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. Though Scripture provides no further details about his life or rule, historical and archaeological evidence suggests he was likely a descendant of an earlier Lysanias who ruled the region and was executed by Mark Antony around 36 BC. His brief mention in Luke's Gospel underscores the evangelist's attention to historical precision in dating the significant events surrounding Jesus' ministry.
Biography
Lysanias was the tetrarch of Abilene, a region located in the Anti-Lebanon mountains, during the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (Luk.3.1). He is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke as one of the rulers in power when John the Baptist began his ministry. The title "tetrarch" indicates that Lysanias governed a portion of a divided territory. Historical records suggest that he may have been a descendant of an earlier Lysanias who ruled Chalcis and was executed by Mark Antony in 36 BC. Apart from this brief mention in Luke's Gospel, no further details about Lysanias' life or rule are provided in the Bible. His inclusion in the list of rulers helps to establish the historical and political context of John the Baptist's ministry and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.
In Scripture
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- Luke 3:1
"In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,"
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Λυσανίας |
Lysanias
in the wilderness at about 26 or 28 AD. A Lysanias is mentioned by Josephus as having ruled over Chalcis and Abilene, and as having been slain by Mark Antony at the instigation of Cleopatra. As this happened about 36 BC, Luke has been charged with inaccuracy. Inscriptions, however, corroborate the view that the Lysanias of Luke was probably a descendant of the Lysanias mentioned by Josephus (compare Schurer, H J the Priestly Code (P), div I, volume II, App. 1, p. 338).
C. M. Kerr
(1) "A noble man, and one of the blood royal" whom Antiochus Epiphanes (circa 166 BC) left with the government of Southern Syria and the guardianship of his son, while he went in person into P