Was the Ethiopian eunuch a Jew or a proselyte?
He was probably a Jew, though if he was not, he had to be a proselyte. He had come to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, which was still standing. Jews were often entrusted with national treasuries and had a natural knack for business and money. This made him well qualified to keep a nation's treasury.
Les explains that he had always taught the Ethiopian eunuch as a proselyte, but Merlin suggested he was probably a Jew, and Les now agrees. Les reasons that nations often used gifted or talented men, especially from Israel, because Jews have a natural knack for business, money, and investment. What better qualified person to keep the treasury of a nation than a Jew? If he was not a Jew, he had to be a proselyte, because he had great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, was in charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. The Temple was still going, about A.D. 36, and was not destroyed until A.D. 70. Les also points to Daniel as an example of a Jew serving in a foreign court.
And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
More Questions
Was the Ethiopian eunuch actually Ethiopian?
The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 was probably a Jew rather than an ethnic Ethiopian, since nations employed gifted/talented men from Israel and Jews had a natural gift for handling money and treasuries.
Why did Les think the Ethiopian eunuch was a proselyte?
The Ethiopian eunuch was a proselyte because Acts 8:27 shows him returning from Jerusalem where he had been worshiping.