The Egyptian or Ha-Mitzri was a 1st-century Jewish 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 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.
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Josephus Flavius Josephus 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 Acts of the Apostles, the commander (chiliarch, or military tribune) of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem, Claudius Lysias, confuses Paul with this Egyptian after detaining him during a disturbance near the temple (Acts 21:37–39). When Paul addresses him in Greek, Lysias reacts with surprise. Paul responds by identifying himself as a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, "a citizen of no insignificant city" (Acts 21:39), thereby implying that he is not the Egyptian.
Scholars disagree over the best English translation of Lysias' reaction in verse 38, which can be rendered either as an astonished question pressing Paul on his identity, "Are you not the Egyptian then...?" (cf. KJV, NIV, ESV) or as a revision of his prior assumption, "Then you are not the Egyptian...?" (cf. NRSV, NET, LSB).
Commentaries by Bruce, Conzelmann and Pervo argue that Paul's command of Greek causes Lysias to immediately reconsider his initial assumption that Paul was the Egyptian, while Clarke and Fitzmyer argue that Paul's identity is only fully clarified in verse 39. Fitzmyer affirms that the question in verse 38 initially expects a "yes" answer, citing BDF: "ouk ara denotes astonishment in Acts 21:38… 'why, are you not…?'"
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 ().
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