The Egyptian or Ha-Mitzri (also known as יז״וש) was a 1st-century
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
prophetic figure, always described as a sign prophet or a
messianic prophet.
He is said to have assembled a sizable gathering of followers atop the
Mount of Olives either in preparation of an assault of
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
in order to establish himself as the ruler of the people, or in the expectation that he would
miraculously cause the walls of the city to fall, allowing his followers to enter the city. This group was crushed by the
Roman procurator of
Judaea,
Antonius Felix (ruled 52–60 CE), and the Egyptian fled, while many of his followers were killed and captured, with the remainder managing to flee and hide. The campaign was initially supported by
Helena of Adiabene, but repressed by
Herod Agrippa II.
Sources
Flavius Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; , ; ), born Yosef ben Mattityahu (), was a History of the Jews in the Roman Empire, Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing ''The Jewish War'', he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Judaea ...
says in his ''
Jewish War'' (2.261–262):
Josephus' ''
Antiquities of the Jews'' (20.169–172) contains a second account that introduces significant differences:
In the
Christian text,
The Acts of the Apostles, the commander (
chiliarch) of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem,
Claudius Lysias, mistakes Paul for this Egyptian,
saying "Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand
terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?".
[.]
Analysis
Belgian Catholic theologian
Edward Schillebeeckx (1914–2009) characterised this Egyptian as an 'Egyptian Jewish eschatological miracle-working prophet' who predicted the destruction of Jerusalem's walls akin to the
falling walls of Jericho in
Joshua 6, and compared the Egyptian to
Theudas during Roman procurator
Cuspius Fadus (44–46 CE), and another 'eschatological prophet who led his followers into the wilderness while promising miracles and liberation from all misery' during Roman procurator
Porcius Festus (r. 59–62 CE).
References
{{New Testament people
1st-century births
1st-century deaths
Jewish messiah claimants
People from Roman Judea
Year of birth unknown
1st-century Jews
1st-century people
People in Acts of the Apostles
Prophets in Judaism
Jewish rebels