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Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

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(σπεῖρα, always ‘cohort’ in Revised Version margin)

As a province of the second rank, governed by procurators, Judaea was not garrisoned by legionaries, who were Roman citizens, but by auxiliaries, who were levied from subject races. Each cohort, varying from 500 to 1000 infantry, usually strengthened by an ala of cavalry, was named after the Greek city from which it was recruited-‘cohors Sebastenorum, Ascalonitarum,’ etc. The Jews themselves were exempted from military service. Various data supplied by Josephus (see the references in Schürer, History of the Jewish People (Eng. tr. of GJV).] i. ii. 51f.) indicate that the Judaea n forces were originally the troops of Herod the Great, which were taken over by the Romans after the deposition of Archelaus in a.d. 6. At ordinary times Jerusalem was garrisoned by one cohort-called by Josephus a τάγμα (Bellum Judaicum (Josephus) v. 8)-which was stationed at the tower of Antonia, on the north side of the Temple, under the command of a chiliarch (Acts 21:31). Part of this cohort-200 infantry, 70 horsemen, and 200 δεξιολάβοι, an obscure term translated ‘spearmen’ (see Schürer, op. cit. 56)-formed St. Paul’s protecting convoy when he was transmitted by Claudius Lysias to the governor Felix in Caesarea.

James Strahan.