By the Jewish law, it was a crime punishable with death for an uncircumcised person to enter the inner courts of the sacred edifice. As Paul had been seen in the city in company with Trophimus, an Ephesian, it was conjectured that he had brought him into the temple. This he had not done, and being himself a Jew, his act in entering the temple was no violation of the law. But though the charge was wholly false, it served to stir up the popular prejudice. As the cry was taken up and borne through the temple courts, the vast throngs gathered there were thrown into the wildest excitement. The news quickly spread through Jerusalem, “and all the city was moved, and the people ran together.”{LP 216.2}

Ved Jødisk lov, var det en forbundet med dødsstraf at en uomskåren person kom ind i de indre bygnings hellige sale. Da Paulus var blevet set i byen sammen med Trofimus fra Efesus, blev det formodet at han havde bragt ham ind i templet. Dette havde han ikke gjort, og da han selv var jøde, og gik ind i templet var loven ikke blevet brudt. Men selv om anklagen var helt falsk, tjente det til at oprøre den populære fordom. Idet råbet blev taget op og frembåret igennem templets sale, samledes den umådelige røst der i den vildeste ophidselse. Nyhederne spredtes hurtigt gennem Jerusalem, og "hele staden kom i bevægelse, og folket stimlede sammen."