human experience. Dr. George G. Goodwin, Associate Curator of Mammals, The American Museum of Natural History, says: “Normally, a leopard will not attack a man. If provoked or wounded, however, the animal will turn on human beings and fight.” Raymond L. Ditmars says in Snakes of the World that, if given the opportunity, poisonous snakes known for aggressiveness, such as the mamba and king cobra prefer, as a rule, cautiously to glide away from the presence of man rather than attack. Though man has mistreated and turned some animals into vicious creatures, it is generally true that this restraining fear still applies. This is in harmony with God’s statement at Genesis 1:26-28, that the animal creation was to be subject to man from the time of his creation.

The proper fear of Jehovah God is essential to those who would serve him. This profound reverential fear of Jehovah is “the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10), “the start of wisdom.” (Prov. 9:10) It is not a morbid fear that tears down; “the fear of Jehovah is pure.” (Ps. 19:9) This fear is defined thus at Proverbs 8:13: “The fear of Jehovah means the hating of bad.” It will prevent one from following a bad course, for “in the fear of Jehovah one turns away from bad.”—Prov. 16:6.

At Hebrews 12:28 Christians are instructed to have godly fear: “Let us continue to have undeserved kindness, through which we may acceptably render God sacred service with godly fear and awe.” An angel in midheaven having everlasting good news to declare opened his declaration with the words: “Fear God and give him glory.” (Rev. 14:6, 7) Jesus contrasted the wholesome fear of God with fear of man, saying, as recorded at Matthew 10:28: “Do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be in fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” At Revelation 2:10 he also counsels Christians: “Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer.” Real love for Jehovah expels the cowardly fear of man that leads to compromise.

Jesus predicted that at “the conclusion of the system of things” a climate of fear would cover the earth. He said “there will be fearful sights” and that men would “become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth.” (Luke 21:11, 26) While people in general would be affected in this way, servants of God should follow the principle expressed at Isaiah 8:12: “The object of their fear you men must not fear.” The apostle Paul explains: “For God gave us not a spirit of cowardice, but that of power and of love and of soundness of mind.”—2 Tim. 1:7.

The wise man, after making a careful study of mankind and man’s occupations and calamitous experiences, said: “The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole obligation of man.”—Eccl. 12:13.

FELIX

(Feʹlix) [happy].

The procurator of the Roman province of Judea who held Paul prisoner for two years after Paul’s last visit to Jerusalem in 56 C.E. It is believed that Felix served jointly with Cumanus in the office of procurator from 48 to 52, and alone from 52 to 58. Hence, on the basis of eight years of service Paul could say to Felix in 56, “This nation has had you as judge for many years.”—Acts 24:10.

Secular historians say Felix was once a slave, that his given name was Antonius, that Emperor Claudius granted him and his brother Pallas their freedom, and that he was a cruel and immoral official. Tacitus described him as one who “thought that he could do any evil act with impunity,” one who, “indulging in every kind of barbarity and lust, exercised the power of a king in the spirit of a slave.” He is reported to have engineered the killing of High Priest Jonathan. Suetonius says he was married three times, at least one of which marriages, to Drusilla the daughter of King Agrippa I, was adulterous, since she was the wife of King Azizus of Emesa. Such description agrees with what we learn of Felix in the Bible.

Following Paul’s arrest, Claudius Lysias, the Roman military commander, fearing for the safety of his prisoner if allowed to remain in Jerusalem, hustled the apostle down to Caesarea under heavy guard, “commanding the accusers to speak against him” before Felix. (Acts 23:23-30) Five days later High Priest Ananias, a certain Tertullus and others came down from Jerusalem with preposterous charges against Paul. Felix presided at the trial, deferring judgment. He ordered that Paul be kept but with some relaxation of custody, and that none of Paul’s people be forbidden to wait upon him.

Felix later “sent for Paul and listened to him on the belief in Christ Jesus.” It was on this occasion, with Felix’s wife Drusilla present, that Paul “talked about righteousness and self-control and the judgment to come.” On hearing these things “Felix became frightened” and told the apostle: “For the present go your way, but when I get an opportune time I shall send for you again.” Frequently, during a two-year period, Felix sent for and conversed with Paul, futilely hoping that the apostle would give him money as a bribe for his release.—Acts 24:24-27.

Felix’s administration was highly resented by the Jews. It was “a prime example of colonial mismanagement.” (The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 2, p. 264) Perhaps in 58 C.E. “Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and because Felix desired to gain favor with the Jews, he left Paul bound.” (Acts 24:27) However, this gesture on the part of Felix did not soothe the wounds he had inflicted on the Jews; nor did it prevent them from sending a delegation to Rome to press their case against him. His escaping punishment after recall to Rome is accredited only to the favored position and influence his brother Pallas had with Nero.

FERMENT

See LEAVEN.

FERTILE CRESCENT

A geographical term introduced by James H. Breasted to describe the narrow strip of fertile land that stretches like a semicircle from the Persian Gulf up through Mesopotamia, arches westward to Syria and Lebanon, and then swings southwestward down through Phoenicia and Palestine. This cultivable corridor of land thus forms an agricultural and economic highway that curves around the entire northern end of the vast Arabian Desert, while chains of mountain ranges border the “crescent” on the other side, until the Mediterranean Sea finally becomes its western border. Some place the SW tip of the Fertile Crescent at Gaza in Philistia, below which the desert begins; others would have it