King James Bible Dictionary

dissolving

Chief captain of Roman troops in Jerusalem.
Acts 24:7; Acts 24:22
Claudius Lysias

(dissolving), a nobleman of the blood-royal, 1Macc 3.32; 2Macc 11.1, who was entrusted he Antiochus Epiphanes (cir. B.C. 166) with the government of southern Syria and the guardianship of his son Antiochus Eupator. 1Macc 3.32; 2Macc. 10.11. After the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, B.C. 184, Lysias assumed the government as guardian of his son, who was pet a child. 1Macc 6.17. In B.C. 164 he, together with his ward, fell into the hands of Demetrius Soter, who put them both to death. 1Macc 7.2-4; 2Macc 14.2.

a chief captain of the band, that is, tribune of the Roman cohort who rescued St. Paul from the hands of the infuriated mob at Jerusalem, and sent him under a guard to Felix, the governor or proconsul of C'sarea. (Acts 21:31) seq.; Acts 23:26; 24:7 (A.D. 55.)

The chief captain (chiliarch) who commanded the Roman troops in Jerusalem, and sent Paul under guard to the procurator Felix at Caesarea (Acts 21:31-38; 22:24-30). His letter to his superior officer is an interesting specimen of Roman military correspondence (23:26-30). He obtained his Roman citizenship by purchase, and was therefore probably a Greek. (See CLAUDIUS.)