Festus was a good administrator. Once the decision had been made to send Paul to Rome, he acted quickly. Yet it was a peculiar transferral. Agrippa and Festus are reported to have concluded that Paul had done nothing that was likely to undermine the security of the Roman Empire or otherwise be of interest to the high courts at Rome. They must have attached some bill of complaint to the military orders under which Paul was transported, but its contents are not known. The official charges against Paul never came to light.

Centurion Julius of the Augustan Cohort was given the duty of conveying Paul to Rome. The Augustan Cohort was an elite corps of Roman soldiers whose duties included performing special services. They were regarded as more honest than the usual run of troops and were therefo…