1Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Since Manaen was brought up with Herod, the tetrarch, he would have belonged to a noble and wealthy family that had connections in Herod’s court.1 Herod the tetrarch reigned over Jerusalem as a Roman puppet during the ministry of Jesus (see Luke 3:1).2
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.