Douglas Jacoby Podcast

NT Characters: Drusilla

Episode Summary

Douglas continues his series on New Testament Characters today looking at Drusilla. Douglas shares what we learn from her life and story.

Episode Notes

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

References

• Acts 24:24
• Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, xx.7.2.
• NT Character Podcast on Felix

Birth

• Born in Rome (?) 38 AD
• The youngest of three daughters of Herod Agrippa I (grandson of Herod the Great), who had killed the apostle James (Acts 12).
• She was apparently quite beautiful.

Marriage

• Married as a teenager.
• Accepted an invitation to leave her lawful husband to marry Felix. Felix engaged the services of a Jewish Cypriot magician (similar to the sorcerer of Acts 13?) to persuade her to leave her husband.
• Thus she ignored the clear teaching of Judaism on marriage.
• Felix and Drusilla had a son, Marcus Antonius Agrippa, as well as a daughter, Antonia Clementiana.

Death

• Died 24 August 79 in Pompeii, with the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
• Two famous people died in the eruption: Drusilla and Pliny the elder. (He was a personal friend of the emperor Vespasian)--who died trying to rescue a friend.

Lessons

• Cultivate character, not only the outward self.
• Remain faithful to your spouse.
• Judgment will eventually overtake us all.