The Rest of Paul’s Imprisonments

Abstract

Although the legal background of the prison episodes narrated in the book of Acts has been discussed at length, there has been little such inquiry into the imprisonments to which Paul’s own letters refer. Basic historical questions—Why was Paul imprisoned? What legal or administrative procedures were involved?—remain largely unaddressed. This article provides an overview of the role of prison in the administration of criminal justice in the Greek East, describes the various levels of jurisdiction in which it served, and identifies the likely mechanism of Paul’s imprisonments. With one possible exception, these imprisonments were authorized not by Roman officials, but by local magistrates, working on behalf of their cities. This conclusion has significant implications for our understanding of the ‘charges’ against Paul, as well as for reconstructing Paul’s social location. In short, his imprisonments represent the routine disregard of the ancient elite for the bodies of their social inferiors.