Was the Apostle Paul an Egyptian? Why was Paul mistaken for an Egyptian while he was in Jerusalem?
The book of Acts records an account where the Apostle Paul went to Jerusalem (Acts 21.17). After visiting the Apostle James & other leaders there, Paul went to the temple. While there, some Jews from Asia started spreading misinformation about him & stirred up mob that ended up beating him (Acts 21.27-31). It was such an uproar that the local Roman authorities arrived on the scene & detained Paul (Acts 21.31-33). While the authorities were inquiring who Paul was, people in the crowd were shouting contradictory information (Acts 21.34). After the soldiers had carried Paul to the barracks, Paul asked the Roman official (tribune) if he could speak & he replied:
“Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” - Acts 21.38
Why was Paul mistaken for an Egyptian? One possibility is that the agitators in the crowd planted this idea in the minds of the Romans. Another possibility is that it was a case of mistaken identity as there are specific details of some individual, apparently an Egyptian, that led a revolt. Such an event would certainly have caught the attention of the Roman authorities. But it does also raise the possibility that Paul resembled an Egyptian. Is there any biblical explanation for that?
Well, we do know that Paul tells us that he is a Hebrew (Jew) & specifically from the lineage of Benjamin because he states he is “of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews” (Php 3.5). Going back in history, we know that Abraham is the father of the Hebrew people & fathered Isaac who then fathered Jacob. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Gen 32.28). Israel had 12 sons that later demarcated the 12 tribes of Israel. On one occasion, some of these sons had a run-in with their brother Joseph such that they were going to kill him, but ended up selling him to some slave traders who ended up selling him to an official in Egypt (Gen 37.28). Over the course of time & by God’s miraculous providence, Joseph became very powerful in Egypt (Gen 41.41-43). God had revealed to Joseph that there was going to be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine, so Joseph worked a plan to store up food during the first 7 years so there would be food for the following 7 years. In search of food during the famine & through a series of events, Joseph’s family would make their way to Egypt (Gen 46.5-7), including a son named Benjamin (Gen 46.19-22).
Now prior to Joseph’s family coming to Egypt, the Scriptures say the Pharaoh “gave him (Joseph) in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On” (Gen 41.45). This Egyptian wife bore Joseph children (Gen 46.20). It’s not impossible that some other Israelites & Egyptians had offspring together during their 430 years together (Ex 12.40-42). However, the Israelites were shepherds who were despised by Egyptians (Gen 46.34) & over time the Egyptians grew in their hatred & oppression of them (Ex 1.12-14), so it’s not likely there was much intermingling apart from Joseph’s arranged marriage. Nonetheless, Egyptian genes were introduced into Joseph’s lineage. And other tribes surely intermingled with Joseph’s tribe (Ex 1.7). Therefore, it is fully possible that Benjamin’s lineage picked up some Egyptian traits along the way that could have manifested themselves in the Apostle Paul’s family.
“Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” - Acts 21.38
Why was Paul mistaken for an Egyptian? One possibility is that the agitators in the crowd planted this idea in the minds of the Romans. Another possibility is that it was a case of mistaken identity as there are specific details of some individual, apparently an Egyptian, that led a revolt. Such an event would certainly have caught the attention of the Roman authorities. But it does also raise the possibility that Paul resembled an Egyptian. Is there any biblical explanation for that?
Well, we do know that Paul tells us that he is a Hebrew (Jew) & specifically from the lineage of Benjamin because he states he is “of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews” (Php 3.5). Going back in history, we know that Abraham is the father of the Hebrew people & fathered Isaac who then fathered Jacob. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Gen 32.28). Israel had 12 sons that later demarcated the 12 tribes of Israel. On one occasion, some of these sons had a run-in with their brother Joseph such that they were going to kill him, but ended up selling him to some slave traders who ended up selling him to an official in Egypt (Gen 37.28). Over the course of time & by God’s miraculous providence, Joseph became very powerful in Egypt (Gen 41.41-43). God had revealed to Joseph that there was going to be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine, so Joseph worked a plan to store up food during the first 7 years so there would be food for the following 7 years. In search of food during the famine & through a series of events, Joseph’s family would make their way to Egypt (Gen 46.5-7), including a son named Benjamin (Gen 46.19-22).
Now prior to Joseph’s family coming to Egypt, the Scriptures say the Pharaoh “gave him (Joseph) in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On” (Gen 41.45). This Egyptian wife bore Joseph children (Gen 46.20). It’s not impossible that some other Israelites & Egyptians had offspring together during their 430 years together (Ex 12.40-42). However, the Israelites were shepherds who were despised by Egyptians (Gen 46.34) & over time the Egyptians grew in their hatred & oppression of them (Ex 1.12-14), so it’s not likely there was much intermingling apart from Joseph’s arranged marriage. Nonetheless, Egyptian genes were introduced into Joseph’s lineage. And other tribes surely intermingled with Joseph’s tribe (Ex 1.7). Therefore, it is fully possible that Benjamin’s lineage picked up some Egyptian traits along the way that could have manifested themselves in the Apostle Paul’s family.