Why did the Ethiopian official have to be at least a proselyte if he was not a Jew?
If he was not Jewish, he had to be at least a proselyte because he had come to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, which was still operating around A.D. 36. The Temple was still going full speed ahead and was not destroyed until A.D. 70.
Les teaches that the Ethiopian official was probably a Jew, not automatically an Ethiopian, because nations often used gifted or talented men, especially from Israel, and Jews had a natural knack for business, money, and investment. He held great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, and had charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, which was still going full speed ahead around A.D. 36 and would not be destroyed until A.D. 70. If he was not a Jew, then he had to be at least a proselyte, since he came to the Temple to worship.
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,
What was the Ethiopian eunuch's job in Ethiopia?
He served as the treasurer of the Ethiopian economy, having charge of all the treasure under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians. Scripture describes him as a man of great authority who managed the nation's treasury and had come to Jerusalem to worship.
Was the Ethiopian eunuch actually an Ethiopian?
He was probably not an actual Ethiopian by birth. Nations often used gifted men from Israel for trusted roles like treasurer. He was likely a Jew, or if not, a proselyte, who had come to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple.
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 was the Ethiopian eunuch probably a proselyte?
Les teaches that the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 was likely a proselyte because he had returned from Jerusalem, where he had been worshiping.