Acts 23:31-35 31So then the soldiers, according to the order given to them, taking Paul, brought him by night to Antipatris, 32and on the next day, letting the horsemen go on with him, they returned to the barracks. 33When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34After reading the letter and asking what province he was from, and learning he was from Cilicia, 35“I will give you a hearing,” he said, “when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.
The contingent of 470 soldiers escorted Paul to Antipatris, a military fort located about halfway between Jerusalem and Caesarea. Those soldiers returned to Jerusalem, likely quite exhausted from a 60-mile walk carrying spears and armor and on alert for any ambush. The seventy cavalrymen continued on with Paul, who was also on horseback. In all, it was a quick and intense trip. The soldiers delivered their mysterious prisoner to Felix in Caesarea, along with the letter written by Lysias. Paul was a prisoner, but he was likely not treated like other Jewish prisoners who could experience significant hardship from Roman soldiers. His Roman citizenship was a significant protection in a time like this.
Paul had to wait for his accusers from Jerusalem before having a hearing before the governor or any type of formal trial. Since Paul was from Tarsus in Cilicia, Governor Felix could have transferred him there to be dealt with, but he did not know all the details. Since Paul was escorted out of Jerusalem by 470 soldiers and accompanied all the way to Caesarea by seventy horsemen, and since the major leaders in Jerusalem were coming, this situation seemed important enough to keep things under his jurisdiction. Herod’s praetorium, was built by Herod the Great. Recent excavations indicate it was a large complex. Paul could have been housed in any number of rooms, but likely not a dungeon or jail cell. Luke’s details about the situation are basic and brief. We can imagine Paul being in constant prayer, seeking God’s direction for what he would say before the governor. Like Paul, we can see God’s presence and purpose when we face a difficult situation beyond our control.