Who was Theophilus to whom Luke addressed both his gospel and Acts? There is a fascinating video here that sheds possible light on this question. The evidence is quite convincing.

1. Josephus tells us that Theophilus became high priest in 37 AD.
2. He was the son of Caiphas and grandson of Annas, and would have been present at the trial and execution of Jesus.
3. Josephus also tells us that he had a grandaughter named Joanna.
4. There are only two sources in the ancient world that name both Theophilus and Joanna: Josephus and Luke.
5. In the mid-1980s an ossuary was discovered in Jerusalem with an inscription that it was the bone-box for Joanna, granddaughter of Theophilus.
6. Luke refers to Theophilus as “most excellent”, the equivalent of saying “your excellency.” Luke uses the same word addressing the Roman governors later in Acts. Jewish High Priests were treated like royalty explaining why Luke addressed him thus.
7. Joanna’s ossuary was not found in the family tomb of Theophilus. It also was not ornately inscribed like the other ossuarys in the family tomb, leading to speculation that it was because she was a Christian and ostracized.
8. Theophilus was not a common Jewish name in the 1st century.
9. Luke mentions Joanna to Theophilus and uses a chiasm to put her name in a place of honor in Luke 24:10. This makes seense because she was his granddaughter but also occupied a place of honor being married to Chuza in Herod’s palace (Luke 8:3).
10. Luke would have written to Theophilus who had witnessed the trial and execution of Jesus, wanting him to thoroughly understand everything that had happened.