Bible Dictionaries
Cohort

Holman Bible Dictionary

A Roman military unit with capacity of 1000 men; ten cohorts formed a legion. Cornelius (Acts 10:1 ) apparently belonged to a cohort of archers named the Cohors II Miliaria Italica Civium Romanorum Voluntariorum that had 1,000 members, Cornelius commanding 100 of them. Originally, the unit had been formed in Rome of freed slaves who received citizenship. It was transferred to Syria at least by 69 A.D. The Bible narrative places the cohort in Caesarea before 41 A.D. An infantry cohort was stationed in Jerusalem and protected Paul from zealous Jews ( Acts 21:31 ). They were stationed in the citadel Antonia on the northwest corner of the Temple. A centurion attached to the cohort Augusta had command of Paul and other prisoners, transporting them from Caesarea to Rome (Acts 27:1 ). KJV translates “cohort” as “band.”