Person New Testament
Lysanias
Lysanias, the tetrarch of Abilene, ruled during the time of John the Baptist's ministry (Luk.3.1). Mentioned once in Scripture, at Luke 3:1.
Why it matters. Tetrarch of Abilene during John the Baptist's ministry
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Lysanias
Lysanias was the tetrarch of Abilene, a region located in the Anti-Lebanon mountains, during the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (Luk.3.1). He is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke as one of the rulers in power when John the Baptist began his ministry. The title "tetrarch" indicates that Lysanias governed a portion of a divided territory. Historical records suggest that he may have been a descendant of an earlier Lysanias who ruled Chalcis and was executed by Mark Antony in 36 BC. Apart from this brief mention in Luke's Gospel, no further details about Lysanias' life or rule are provided in the Bible. His inclusion in the list of rulers helps to establish the historical and political context of John the Baptist's ministry and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Luke (1 verse)