New Testament History

The second visit to Jerusalem

After prophets from Jerusalem had reached Antioch in January 39 AD, Agabus foretold a severe famine, which would take place during Claudius’s rule (Acts 11:27-28). Famine struck Rome in 41 AD and 42 AD, and Egypt in 42 AD.[1] Sowing had been neglected in Palestine in the autumn of 40 AD,[2] which had caused a poor harvest in the pre-Sabbatical year Tishri 40 AD/Elul 41 AD.[3] People in Antioch probably began a collection in the miserable year of 41 AD and sent it to Jerusalem through Paul and Barnabas in 42 AD (Acts 11:29-30), i.e. at the time that the famine was still ongoing and within the Sabbatical year Tishri 41 AD/Elul 42 AD (when Judea was depending on the poor harvest of the pre-Sabbatical year).[4] Paul and Barnabas had stayed for 1 year in Antioch (Acts 11:26), 41-42 AD.

Paul and Barnabas only met “the elders” in Jerusalem (Acts 11:30, the Greek word presbuterous), not “the Apostles” (the Greek apostolous): Peter was in Antioch (since 22 February 37 AD), John in Ephesus (since 5 or 6 January 39 AD), and James in Spain (since 20 August 40 AD).