Video Tour of "The Footsteps of St. Paul" Excursion

In 2014, I went on a glorious tour of Turkey and Greece 

as we followed the footsteps of St. Paul's three 

Missionary Journeys.  Below are 14 videos of the 

18 ancient ruins we visited.

(A photo journal with captions is here.)

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ANCIENT ASSOS and THYATIRA

     

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ANCIENT ALEXANDRIA-TROAS AND TROY

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ANCIENT SMYRNA AND SARDIS

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ANCIENT ATHENS ACROPOLIS

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ANCIENT PERGAMUM (INCLUDING ASCLEPEION)

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ANCIENT MILETUS AND DIDYMA

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ANCIENT PISIDIAN ANTIOCH

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ANCIENT HIEROPOLIS

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ANCIENT LAODICEA

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ANCIENT THESSALONICA

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ANCIENT PHILIPPI

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ANCIENT CORINTH

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ANCIENT PERGE

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ANCIENT EPHESUS

2014 - Turkey: Following the Footsteps of Paul: Part 3

THYATIRA

Thyatira, now the modern city of Akhisar, was one of the seven cities named in Revelation (2:18-29), praising it for its "love, faith, service, and patient endurance."  However, it was criticized for tolerating false teachers and prophets symbolized by Jezebel.

In Acts 16, Paul, Silas, and Timothy traveled to Philippi and met and baptized Lydia "from the city of Thyatira."

Few archeological remains of the ancient city have been uncovered, though the area was inhabited as early as 3000 B.C.  Only one block of downtown Akhisar has been excavated, revealing this basilica-type building with an apse (click to enlarge photos)...

...as well as the foundations seen here...

We also walked a block to the museum which had this artist's rendition of the site...

...and also artifacts from the area dating as far back as 6000 B.C. seen below...

Here's the video of Thyatira which includes Assos (below):

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PERGAMUM

Pergamum, one of Turkey's most impressive archeological sites, is located around the modern town of Bergama. Evidence indicates the area was settled as early as 8th century B.C.  A Jewish presence existed as early as 1st century A.D., and by the end of that century, a Christian community also existed as evidenced by Revelation (1:11; 2:12-17) when John praised it for its Christian faithfulness in the face of persecution and martyrdom, but criticized it for tolerating a group John considered heretical.

The road to the Acropolis of Pergamum does not allow buses, so the cable car ride was our way up and down.

The Acropolis of Athens is the best known of the many Acropolis sites, but akros means "highest" and polis means "city," and many ancient cities were built atop precipitous hillsides for defensive purposes.  Thus many cities had a section called "the acropolis."  The acropolis of Pergamum is the oldest section of Pergamum.  This photo shows how imposing the defensive walls were...

The theatre was an experience! Built in the 3rd century B.C., the 10,000 spectators had breathtaking views of the city below as they enjoyed the theatrical presentation.

This photo gives an idea of the steepness of the theatre.

One of the many temples at the site...

Here's a video of my trip to Pergamum and it includes Asclepeion found below:

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ASCLEPEION

Asclepius was the most famous god of healing in the Greco-Roman world, and the Asclepeion at Pergamum was a popular healing center (there were others at Athens, Corinth, Rome, and elsewhere.) It began in 4th century B.C. and reached the height of its popularity in 2nd century A.D.  It had a temple, a well or spring for purification, fountains, sleeping rooms, a theatre, baths, a gymnasium, and a library.  Patients would spend weeks here for healing, much like at a spa today.  Offerings and gifts were given after healing.

Revelation describes Pergamum as the place "where Satan's throne is" (2:13), a possible reference to the Asclepeion with its supposed healing by and offerings to false gods.

The Sacred Way pictured below was the colonnaded, paved street that ran the half-mile from the foot of the Pergamum Acropolis to the center of Asclepeion.

The Roman Theatre had a seating capacity of 3500 and was used for plays, orations, poetry readings, and musical performances for the enjoyment of the patients and visitors.

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ASSOS

The city of Assos was founded during the 7th century B.C. and is now the village of Behramkale. As with other towns, its acropolis is high atop a steep hill, but this one overlooks the adjacent Aegean Sea.  The first settlers came from the nearby island of Lesbos, seven miles off the shore.

 

A 4th century ruler of Assos was Hermias, who along with Aristotle, had been a student of the philosopher Plato.  And Aristotle, at the invitation of Hermias, lived here for three years and married Hermias' niece.

Paul, at the end of his third missionary journey, traveled overland 20 miles on this Roman Highway...

...from Troas to Assos and boarded a ship carrying his traveling companions.  They then all to sailed to Mitylene on the island of Lesbos, then to Miletus, eventually to Caesarea, and then they traveled  down to Jerusalem.  His visit to Assos is found in Acts 20:13-14, but there is no mention of how long he stayed or whether he preached or made any converts here.

The ruins at the acropolis of Assos are reached by hiking up the long, narrow main street of the town...

The Temple of Athena is the main structure.  It was built around 530 B.C. and had 13 columns on the long sides and six on the two ends.  The temple dimensions are 100 feet by 46 feet. Below are the remains and then a photo of an artist's conception of the temple.

(the video of Assos is included above with the video of Thyatira)

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ALEXANDRIA-TROAS

This site is referred to as Alexandria-Troas to distinguish it from other cities named Alexandria (Troas refers to it being close to Troy.)  It is generally simply called Troas.  Troas, founded around 310 B.C., was a major trading center due to its location, but now it is merely a few ruins overgrown by vegetation, and few sightseers stop here. 

Paul traveled to Troas on his second and third missionary journeys.  In Troas (Acts 16:6-8) he had a vision of a man of Macedonia imploring him to come, and Paul and his companions set sail for Macedonia. When returning from Greece on his third journey, Paul again visited Troas for seven days (Acts 20:5-12.)  And in 2 Corinthians 2:12-13, Paul mentions a visit to Troas.  In 2 Timothy 1:16-17, Paul asks Timothy to bring him his cloak, books, and parchments which he had left in Troas with a friend, Carpus.

Here I am walking on the road Paul and his companions walked nearly 2000 years ago.

The site is supposedly over 1000 acres in size, but most is unexcavated and rife with underbrush and buried beneath sand dunes.  It is said that the city walls were over 5 miles in length!

These arches from the bath-gymnasium complex are among the few ruins excavated and available for viewing... 

Here's the video of Alexandria-Troas and Troy:

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TROY

Troy is actually in Turkey, not Greece.  There is a local saying that "The wind brought wealth to Troy," which refers to Troy's strategic geographic location.  The currents of the Dardanelles and the prevailing north winds forced ships bound for the Black Sea into Troy's bay to wait for the rare south wind, thus bringing commerce to Troy.

The Trojan War is one of the most famous stories from antiquity.  Though probably not historical, it may well be based on an actual conquest of Troy by the Greeks in the 13th or 12th century B.C.  Troy has been occupied from around 3000 B.C. and nine different cities have been built on this site, each one atop the previous one.

The storied incident with the Greek soldiers hidden inside the huge wooden horse is celebrated in Troy today with this replica, which visitors can climb into to peer through the open windows on the two upper stories...

Since nine cities are buried here, they try to show how the different layers are differentiated (click to enlarge photos)...

This partially restored ramp is from the Troy II citadel, which had been built on top of the remains of Troy I...

(The video of Troy is above in the video of Troas)

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(Information taken from A Guide to the Biblical Sites of Greece and Turkey by Clyde Fant 

and Mitchell Reddish, a book I heartily recommend to anyone traveling to these sites.  

All photos are my own.)

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Part 1 covered Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Laodicea, Hieropolis of Phyrgia, Disyma, and Miletus

Part 2 covers Turkey: Ephesus, St. John Basilica, Smyrna, and Sardis

Part 4, covers Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, the Corinth Canal, and the Acropolis of Athens

2014 - Turkey: Following the Footsteps of Paul: Part 2

EPHESUS

Ephesus (present day Selcuk) is perhaps the most impressive archeological site in Turkey, and once surged with crowds passing its statues, fountains, columns, monuments, temples, residences, grand library, agora (market), and theaters.  It used to be a major port on the Aegean Sea, but river silting now has it about 5 miles from the ocean.  Here's a photo of the entrance road (click to enlarge photos)...

Paul visited Ephesus on his second and third missionary journeys.  On the third journey, Paul spent a lengthy time here, teaching and preaching. Acts 20:13 says he was here for three years and while here wrote his letter, 1 Corinthians, and perhaps portions of 2 Corinthians.  In 1 Timothy 1:3, Paul urges Timothy to continue helping the Ephesian Christians deal with false teachings, and twice in 2 Timothy (1:16-18 and 4:12), Paul mentions Ephesus.  John also mentions Ephesus in Revelation 2: 1-7, listing it first of the seven churches cited, and praising the Christians here for their works, their labors, and their endurance.

The Great Theatre (below) was built in the first century B.C. by the Greeks.  The Romans then rebuilt it from 81 to 117 A.D., ultimately with a three story facade bringing its capacity to nearly 25,000 spectators!

A free public toilet served the citizens and visitors.  The seats were arranged around three sides of an open colonnaded courtyard.  Fresh water flowed beneath the seats for flushing, and also in the channel in front of the seats for cleaning.

 My favorite building on this entire trip to the ruins of Turkey and Greece was the facade of the Library of Celsus which was built in the 2nd century A.D. as a monument and grave for the proconsul of the Roman province of Asia by his son.  The sarcophagus of Celsus is in a burial chamber beneath the floor.  The interior was three stories, the upper two of which contained about 12,000 scrolls making it one of the largest libraries in the ancient world!  

Four statues are found in niches in the lower story of the facade representing the virtues of wisdom, moral excellence, thought, and knowledge.  The original statues are in the Ephesus Museum in Vienna, with copies in the niches now. Two are pictured here...

Here's a video of my visit:

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 ST. JOHN BASILICA

John the Apostle was in Asia from 67 A.D. onward, and tradition says he brought Mary, the mother of Jesus, with him to Ephesus. He was exiled to the Island of Patmos from 84 to 95 A.D. after which he returned to Ephesus, wrote, and around the age of 100 died and was buried here.  As early as the 4th or 5th century, a Christian church was built over his simple grave, and in the 6th century, Emperor Justinian had an impressive domed basilica, the Church of St. John the Theologian, built to replace the earlier church.  (Click to enlarge all photos.)

The hillside and church were protected by defensive walls built in the 8th and 9th centuries A.D. against Arab raids. This is the main entrance through the arched gateway, flanked by square guard towers on each side.

The church is now being partially restored...

John's supposed grave is found at the transept of the church, marked by this marble slab and four columns. The nave originally was roofed with six large domes, the largest of which was over the grave.

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SMYRNA

Izmer, located on the Aegean Sea, is the modern name for Smyrna and is the third largest city in Turkey. Excavations make it clear that Izmer's past goes back 8500 years! Situated by a harbor, it grew and prospered.

It sits about 35 miles north of Ephesus. It is known as the birthplace of Homer, author of the epics Iliad and Odyssey, two of the basic sources of western culture.

John mentioned Smyrna in Revelation (2:8-11) as one of two churches that received only praise and no criticism, and though the Christians here were in poverty, John said they were spiritually rich (Revelation 2:9).

Below is the West Portico, one of the columned galleries that surrounded the courtyard of the agora. The agora was first constructed at the end of the 4th century B.C., and stage by stage, as additions and renovations were made, it took its present form by the end of the 2nd century A.D.

The agora or marketplace is the area that has been excavated, and it is surrounded by the modern city on all sides. More ruins are beneath the current city but cannot be excavated. This photo below is from the current street level, showing the agora below, and the next two were taken from below the arches, at the level of the shops.

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SARDIS

Sardis (present day Sart) came to prominence in the first millennium B.C., and the ancient storyteller Aesop  (c. 620-564) is reputed to have spent time here.  The earliest biblical reference may be found in Obadiah 20, written in 6th or 5th century B.C., and if correct, would show a large Jewish population here at that time. In Revelation, the church at Sardis is one of the seven churches to which John sent a written message (1:11 and 3:1-6) warning them to be alert lest Christ come in judgement "like a thief."

Here we are walking along the outside wall of the synagogue which was lined with shops and residences built in the 4th century A.D., many of which have been determined by inscriptions and artifacts to have been owned by Jews and Christians. Examples include restaurants, a hardware store, a business for dying cloth, and a glassware store.

The bath-gymnasium complex dominates the skyline...

...and its interior is very impressive. 

The Temple of Artemis  was the fourth largest Ionic temple in the world at 300 feet long and 160 feet wide.  It was begun around 300 B.C.  Two complete columns still stand as seen here...

The entrance to the synagogue (which was the largest non-Palestinian synagogue ever discovered) has this forecourt entrance with fountain and columns in the center...

Three doors from the forecourt bring you into the main hall which has two large shrines between the doors (click to enlarge photo.) One shrine likely held the Torah scrolls.  The entire main room was a massive 197 feet long and 59 feet wide.

In this main hall, marble wall mosaic decorations were added in the 4th century A.D. with plaques denoting the donor. Many held the honorary title "Citizen of Sardis" and at least eight of the donors were identified as city council members or holders of other governmental offices, showing that the Jewish citizens held numerous government positions.

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(Information taken from A Guide to the Biblical Sites of Greece and Turkey by Clyde Fant and Mitchell Reddish, a book I heartily recommend to anyone traveling to these sites.  All photos are my own.)

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Part 1 covered Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Laodicea, Hieropolis of Phyrgia, Disyma, and Miletus

Part 3 covers the sites in Thyatira, Pergamum, Asclepion, Assos, Troas, and Troy

Part 4, covers Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, the Corinth Canal, and the Acropolis of Athens

2014 - Turkey: Following the Footsteps of Paul: Part 1

PERGA

Archeologists believe the city of Perga had been established in the early Bronze Age (4000 to 3000 B.C.).  Greek colonization began in 7th century B.C., and by the 2nd century A.D, it was a beautiful city of the Roman Empire.  The road in the photo below (click to enlarge photos) was flanked by shops in the bustling commercial district...

Paul walked the road in 46 A.D. and preached to the people (Acts 14:25).  In fact, he twice visited Perga with Barnabas on the first missionary journey, also accompanied by Mark, who then returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13.)

Here's a brief video I made of my visit

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PISIDIAN ANTIOCH

Pisidian Antioch dates back to third century B. C. The theatre is shown below.  Paul made three visits to Pisidian Antioch between 46 and 62 A.D., stopping on each of his three missionary journeys, and he preached in the synagogue.  He gave his first sermon to Gentiles here (Acts 13:13-52) and helped make Antioch a center of early Christianity.  In 2 Timothy 3:11, Paul mentions the unpleasant experience that occurred here.

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LAODICEA

Laodicea in Anatolia was founded in the mid-3rd century B.C. by Seleucid King Antiochus II, who named the city for his wife Laodice.  The city suffered nine earthquakes between 27 B.C. and 600 A.D.   Located at the junction of two commercial roads, the town prospered so greatly from trade and as a banking center, that after the quake of 60 A.D. devastated the area, Laodicea  declined the offers of assistance from Rome, rebuilding using their own resources. After the last of these catastrophic quakes, the people moved six kilometers north to the present site of Denizli, Turkey.  Excavations of Laodicea began as early as 1833.  One of the main thoroughfares is in the photo below...

...and the ruts evident in the stone road (to the right of the feet) were left by countless cart wheels...

Laodicea is mentioned by Paul in his epistle to the Colossians 4:15 and is one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned by John in Revelation 1:11 and 3: 14-22, where he condemns them as "wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked."  Some Greek manuscripts have 1 Timothy ending with "Written at Laodicea, metropolis of Phrygia...."

The next two photos show the Laodicea Temple which featured 54 columns...

Here's a video!

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HIEROPOLIS OF PHYRGIA

This ancient city was located on hot springs in classical Phrygia in southwestern Anatolia, adjacent to modern Pamukkale, Turkey.  It is an archeological site designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its hot springs have been used as a spa since the 2nd Century B.C.

A Christian church was founded here through the influence of Paul while he was at Ephesus, and the apostle Philip spent the last years of his life here, where he was crucified in A.D. 80.

The hot springs flow down and create these travertine dams (calcified cliffs formed by mineral deposits), similar to those found at the USA's Grand Canyon - Havasu Falls area.  The hot springs are in the upper left of this photo where the people are gathered (click to enlarge.)

In this panoramic photo, you get an idea of the hot springs/travertine area of the old city as it sits high above the modern city of Pamukkale far below...

...and in this photo you see some of the excavated ruins with the hot springs barely visible in the upper left beyond and far below the ruins...

The Theatre of Hieropolis of Phyrgia was the most dramatic we visited, at over 300 feet wide.  It was begun in the first century A.D. and finished around 200 A.D.  Talk about nosebleed seating!  This photo was taken from the very top.

Hierapolis is mentioned once in the Bible, in Colossians 4:12-13, when Epaphras, a Christian from Colossae, is praised for his faithfulness and hard work as the person responsible for spreading Christianity in this area.



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DIDYMA 

The Shrine to Apollo in Didyma was a notable rival for the temple at Delphi. Construction began in 313 B.C. and continued through the 2nd century B.C., though more construction occurred during the Roman period. Had this temple been completed, it is believed the structure would have been one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Its 122 columns stood 60 feet tall and had a diameter of six feet.  For perspective, compare Len and Marlene in the photo below to the size of the columns, and recall that each column would have then been as tall as a six story building.

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MILETUS

Paul visited Miletus at the end of his third missionary journey but was hurrying to reach Jerusalem in time for Pentecost (Acts 20:16).  He spoke to the elders from Ephesus while here and gave his farewell speech to them (Acts 20:17-35), finishing it with "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

In the center of this photo stands the Ionic Stoa, built in 58 A.D.  It used to have 35 columns in front of its 19 shops. (Click to enlarge.)

The theatre was begun in at the end of the 4th century B.C. and seated 5300, but after being enlarged and completed by the Romans, it could seat over 15,000.  The ruins stand 90 feet tall (9 story building), but it once stood another 30 feet taller.

The ten mile long Sacred Way road linked Miletus to Didyma.  Though Didyma is not mentioned in the Bible, the city no doubt had contact with the Christians of Miletus.

(The video of Miletus is combined above in the Didyma video)

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(Information taken from A Guide to the Biblical Sites of Greece and Turkey by Clyde Fant and Mitchell Reddish, a book I heartily recommend to anyone traveling to these sites.  All photos are my own.)

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Part 2 covers Ephesus, St. John Basilica, Smyrna, and Sardis

Part 3 covers the sites in Thyatira, Pergamum, Asclepion, Assos, Troas, and Troy

Part 4, covers Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, the Corinth Canal, and the Acropolis of Athens