4. Herod Agrippa II. Great-grandson of Herod the Great. He was the son of Herod Agrippa I and his wife Cypros. He was the end of the princes of the Herodian line, according to historians. Agrippa had three sisters, named Bernice, Drusilla, and Mariamne III. (Ac 25:13; 24:24) He was reared in the imperial household in Rome. When he was only 17 years of age his father died, and Emperor Claudius’ advisers thought him too young to assume rulership of the dominions of his father. Accordingly, Claudius assigned governors over the territories instead. After remaining in Rome for a time, Agrippa II was given the kingship over Chalcis, a small principality on the western slope of the Anti-Lebanon Range, after his uncle (Herod king of Chalcis) died.

It was widely rumored that Agrippa carried on an incestuous relationship with his sister Bernice prior to her marriage to the king of Cilicia. (Jewish Antiquities, by F. Josephus, XX, 145, 146 [vii, 3]) Josephus never mentions whether Agrippa was married or not.

Paul’s Defense Before Him. The Scriptures introduce King Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice at the time of their courtesy call on Governor Festus, in about the year 58 C.E. (Ac 25:13) Festus had succeeded Governor Felix. It was during the governorship of Felix that the apostle Paul had been accused by the Jews, but Felix, upon leaving office, desired to gain favor with the Jews and left Paul bound. (Ac 24:27) Incidentally, Felix was a brother-in-law of Agrippa, having married his sister Drusilla. (Ac 24:24) While Paul was awaiting further action on his appeal to Caesar (Ac 25:8-12), King Agrippa voiced to Governor Festus his desire to hear what Paul had to say. (Ac 25:22) Paul was glad to make his defense before Agrippa, whom he referred to as being “expert on all the customs as well as the controversies among Jews.” (Ac 26:1-3) Paul’s powerful argument moved Agrippa to say: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.” To this Paul answered: “I could wish to God that whether in a short time or in a long time not only you but also all those who hear me today would become men such as I also am, with the exception of these bonds.” (Ac 26:4-29) Agrippa and Festus determined that Paul was innocent but that, since he had appealed to Caesar, he had to be sent to Rome for trial.​—Ac 26:30-32.