Xanathos in Lycia

The photo I am sharing today was made at ancient Xanthos, a city of Lycia, now in southwestern Turkey. The city is situated in the Lycian mountains a few miles from the Mediterranean coast and the ancient city of Patara (Acts 21:1). The small town of Kinik lies in the valley below Xanthos.

Emperor Vespasian. BM. Photo by F. Jenkins

A road runs up the hill through the ancient ruins. One of the first monuments we come to is a Roman arch dedicated to the emperor Vespasian  (A.D. 69-79) by the Council and People of Xanthos. George E. Bean says,

The pavement which survives in part belongs to an ancient road which led up from Patara and the Letoum. – Lycian Turkey, 60.

Our view is made from above the arch. To the left you can see the narrow modern road leading to the parking lot at Xanthos.

Arch built by Vespasian partially below modern road level. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

This photo illustrates the build up of debris over the centuries.

Writers such as Bean tell of the time when the Persians conquered western Asia about 540 B.C. Rather than surrender, the fighting men of Xanathos placed their women, children, slaves, and property on the acropolis and set fire to it. These men then went forth and fought to the death.  This account reminds us of the one recorded by Josephus about the fall of Masada during the Jewish Wars against the Romans (The Jewish War 7.8.6).

For more information about Xanathos, and Lycia in general, see the nice Lycian Turkey website here.

Monument from Xanathos now in British Museum

The ancient Greek city of Xanthos (Xanthus) is mentioned in the Iliad as the greatest of the cities of Lycia. The site is located near Letoon, and a few miles north of Patara, the port where the Apostle Paul changed ships on the return from the Third Journey (Acts 21:1-2).

Our visit to Xanathos was limited due to the lateness of the day, but we took time to get a few photos of some significant ruins. Our first stop was what the Blue Guide Turkey calls “the few sad remains of the Nereid Monument.”

The site of the Nereid Monument at Xanathos. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Charles Fellows took statues and friezes from the Monument to the British Museum in 1841-42, where they have been reconstructed.

Nereid Monument in the British Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The sign at the original site (visible in the first photo) says,

This famous classical era monument was removed in its entirety to the British Museum in the last century [an old sign] and all that remains are a few rows of stones from the foundations and podium. This 4 by 6 columns Ionic temple style monument is embellished with reliefs and statues [sic]. The statues of twelve females between the columns are those of water spirits known as Nereids.

The Monument dates as early as 390 B.C.

The significance of Gaza

After my first tour to the Bible Lands, including Rome, Greece (Athens and Corinth), Egypt, Lebanon, Syria (Damascus), Jordan, and Israel, in April/May, 1967, I decided to make a second tour the following year. For many years, I always added some new places on each tour. In 1968 I added Beersheba and Gaza. The Gaza Strip (named such because of the long, narrow size of the small entity) had been under Egyptian control for several decades until June, 1967.

There was not much to see at Gaza. By the time we visited in 1968, Gaza was under Israeli control. We drove to the coast where there were only a few houses and some small fishing boats. This is one of the few slides that I have to illustrate the visit to Gaza.

Gaza on the Mediterranean Sea in May, 1968. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Gaza is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. Here is a summary of these references.

• Gaza was the southwestern boundary of the Canaanites in the table of Nations (Genesis 10:19).
• The original inhabitants of Gaza were replaced by the Caphtorim, likely the ancestors of the Philistines (Deuteronomy 2:23).
• Joshua defeated Canaanites “even as far as Gaza” (Joshua 10:41).
• Joshua eliminated the Anakites except in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:21-22). We recognized these cities as later belonging to the Philistines.
• Gaza is listed as belonging to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:47; Judges 1:18).
• The Midianites oppressed Israel, “as far as Gaza”, for seven years (Judges 6:4).
• Samson had contact with the inhabitants of Gaza (Judges 16).
• Gaza is listed as one of the five Philistine cities in the time of the Israelite Judges (1 Samuel 6:17).
• Solomon controlled territory as far southwest as Gaza (1 Kings 4:24).
• Hezekiah defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory (2 Kings 18:8).
• Jeremiah makes reference to Gaza being conquered by Pharaoh (Jeremiah 47:1).
• The prophets of Judah pronounced judgments upon Gaza (Amos 1:6-7; Zephaniah 2:4; Zechariah 9:5).

The only New Testament reference to Gaza is in Acts 8:26. Philip the evangelist was instructed to go south on the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. English translators struggle with the issue of whether the city was desert, or the road leading to the city ran through a desert area. (I will leave that for some other time.)

The first display one sees as he enters the archaeology wing of the Israel Museum is that of the anthropoid coffins from Deir el-Balah, a site south of Gaza city. The coffins, excavated by Trude Dothan in 1972, bear evidence of Egyptian influence. They date to the 13th century B.C.

Anthropoid Coffins from Deir el-Balah in the Israel Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Antikythera Shipwreck and “Danger at sea”

The following post appeared in part on this blog June 4, 2012. I am repeating some of it for the benefit of those who missed it, and because it provides some complementary information for the study of Acts 27. A few changes have been made to make it more useful in connection with the Acts study.

The Antikythera Shipwreck is a special exhibition at the Athens (Greece) National Museum which is scheduled to run from April 2012 to April 2013.

The Ship and the Treasures

The shipwreck off the eastern coast of Antikythera is dated to 60-50 BC, a period during which maritime trade and transportation of works of Greek art from the Eastern Mediterranean to Italy flourished. Its cargo dates from the 4th to the 1st century BC. The ship was a freighter of about 300 tons capacity and was sailing towards Italy.

Bronze and marble sculpture luxurious glass vessels and golden jewellery, a large amount of pottery and bronze couches formed part of its cargo. Amongst these the famous “Antikylhera Mechanism” still contributes an enormous amount to our knowledge of ancient Greek technology and astronomy. All the finds recovered from the shipwreck bear witness to the aesthetic preferences of their orderers or potential purchasers but, above all, they reflect the new phenomenon of art trade, the first in the history of the West civilization.

The Mechanism

Constructed in the second half of the second century BC, the Mechanism comprises gears, scales, axles, and dials. The inscriptions on the surface of the Mechanism refer to astronomical and calendar calculations, while the inscriptions on its metal protective plates contain instructions for its use. The Antikythera Mechanism is the earliest preserved portable astronomical calculator. It displayed the positions of the Sun, the Moon and most probably the five planets known in antiquity. It was used to predict solar and lunar eclipses, it kept an accurate calendar of many years, and displayed the date of Pan-Hellenic games (Olympia, Nemea, Isthmia, Delphi and Dodona.

We had visited Thera (aka Santorini) during our Aegean cruise. Antikythera (“opposite Kythera”) is a Greek island between Crete and the Peloponnese (where Corinth is located). This area is north of where Paul’s ship encountered the storm that drove it off course (Acts 27:8-16).

In the earlier post I included two of the sculptures being transported on the ship. Go here to see those photos. I will share some different photos today.

One display case deals with the “Self-Sufficient Microcosm.” In addition to cargo, there were a few human skeletal remains on the ship. Those who traveled by sea often had to take their own food supplies on board with them. It is thought that olives and snails were part of the daily diet. There were stones “for grinding seeds, liquefying vegetables and herbs, and stirring liquids.”

A manually operated quern was used for grinding grain.

Manually operated quern for grinding grain. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Salted meat and fish, as well as olives, and wine could be stored for transport in amphorae and other containers. This display shows some of the amphorae as they might have been scattered on the sea bed.

Amphorae used for transporting goods. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Many of the sculptures found with the ship wreckage are encrusted with sea organisms. Be sure to see the previous post. There was one marble statue of a boy. The sign accompanying the sculpture says,

The boy is depicted nude and half bent-over with his head raised. The upper part of his torso leans sharply forward.

Some believe that this young man was preparing for wrestling. Others think he was a pancratiast (one who participated in both wrestling and boxing). Notice that the left side of the statue (our view on the right) is covered with sea organisms. The right side seems to have been buried in sediment on the sea bed, and thus protected.

Statue of a boy from the Antikythera shipwreck. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Numerous bronze pieces are displayed. I especially like the one known as “The Antikythera Philosopher.” See the previous article.

We typically think of ships from the Roman period, and earlier, staying near the shore (coasters). This was certainly true of many of the sea journeys of the Apostle Paul (Acts 20:5, 13-16; 27:5-7).

Greek archaeologists announce here the discovery of two Roman-era shipwrecks in water nearly a mile deep. Sailing to Italy required leaving the safety of the nearby shore for deep waters. Such was true of Paul’s journey to Rome after leaving Crete (Acts 27).

Paul spoke of the dangers at sea in his second letter to the Corinthians (11:24-29) about A.D. 55.

• Three times I was shipwrecked.
• A night and a day I was adrift at sea.
• He mentioned “Danger at sea.”

The Malta shipwreck is the only one recorded in Acts, and it occurred after the writing of 2 Corinthians. Hughes mentions at least nine voyages between Acts 9 and 18. Paul says three of these ended in shipwreck. Hughes says there were at least another nine voyages between the writing of 2 Corinthians and the Malta shipwreck (The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT, 410-411).

At least some of the ships used by Paul were grain ships (Acts 27:38), but there may have been other cargo on some of them.

If you visit Athens between now and April 2013, be sure to take some time for The Antikythera Shipwreck.

Turkey wants British Museum to return sculptures from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

According to an article in The Guardian (here), the town of Bodrum in Southwest Turkey wants the British Museum to return several priceless sculptures once associated with the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in the 4th century B.C.

Human rights legislation that has overturned the convictions of terrorists and rapists could now rob the British Museum of sculptures created for one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

A Turkish challenge in the European court of human rights will be a test case for the repatriation of art from one nation to another, a potential disaster for the world’s museums.

Halicarnassus is where Mausolus built a gigantic tomb in honor of himself. Leon Mauldin and I visited the site earlier in the year. You may read about our visit (with photos) here. It became known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Two of the sculptures that the town of Bodrum wants returned are through to be of Mausolus and Artemisia, his wife. Here is a photo of the marble statue thought to be Mausolus.

Statue of Mausolus in British Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The next statue is usually identified as Artemisia, wife of Mausolus.

Statue from Halicarnassus, usually identified as Artemisia, the wife of Mausolos. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Another reason to visit the British Museum soon, or Turkey later.

HT: Jack Sasson

Acts 20–21 — Paul’s Travel Itinerary with Photo Illustrations

The precision and chronological exactitude with which this journey is recounted is amazing. F. F. Bruce says,

The description of this critical journey of Paul and his disciples to Jerusalem is given in considerable detail; some have compared the detailed description in the Third Gospel of Jesus’ critical journey to Jerusalem with His disciples. But the kind of details is different; the chronological exactitude of this second “we” narrative of acts is due mainly to the fact that Luke was one of the party and kept a log-book. (The Book of Acts in the NICNT, 407).

Acts 20:6    —    Paul left Philippi “after the days of Unleavened Bread”(Passover). He was hurrying to be in Jerusalem “on the day of Pentecost” (20:16). This would be 50 days after Passover. He had been in Ephesus on Pentecost one year earlier (1 Cor. 16:8).
Acts 20:6    —    Paul came to Troas within 5 days. Tarried 7 days. A “door” had been opened for Paul at Troas less than a year earlier, but he was not able to enter it (2 Cor. 2:12).
Acts 20:7    —    On the first day of week — gathered together with the disciples to break bread.
Acts 20:11    —    Monday (or ? Sunday) — Paul departed. This depends on whether they followed the Jewish practice of sundown beginning the new day, or the Roman practice of mid-night to mid-night.
Acts 20:13-14    —    Assos. Paul’s companions went by boat from Troas to Assos. Paul traveled overland.
Acts 20:14    —    Mitylene (on the island of Lesbos).
Acts 20:15    —    Following day — opposite Chios.
Acts 20:15    —    Next day — Samos.

The photo below was made from a ship after it passed from north to south through the narrow strait between Samos (on the left) and the Turkish coast (on the right).  The ancient site of Trogyllium is located on the small peninsula extending into the Aegean Sea.

View north of the Samos-Turkey Strait. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Acts 20:15    —    Tarried at Trogyllium. (Appears in Western and Byzantine texts and in the KJV and NKJV.) The omission of the name in most manuscripts is explained by Bruce M. Metzger:

“Chiefly because of superior external attestation, a majority of the Committee preferred the shorter text” (A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 478).

Ramsay points out that the information is,

“in itself highly probable, for the promontory of Trogyllian or Trogylia projects far out between Samos and Miletus, and the little coasting vessel would naturally touch there, perhaps becalmed, or for some other reason” (The Church in the Roman Empire, 155).

Acts 20:15    —    The day following — Miletus.

This photo shows some standing water in the Lion Harbor of Miletus.

Ruins of the Lion Harbor at Miletus. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Acts 20:16    —    Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus — to be in Jerusalem on Pentecost (fifty days after leaving Philippi).

From Miletus Paul sent for the Ephesian elders. Consider the distance. How long would it take the courier to go to them and for them to come to him at Miletus? The distance was 63 miles by land or 38 if they went across the gulf of Latmos. This gulf is now silted up, leaving only a small inland lake.

The photo shows the site of the Gulf of Latmos which is now silted up. Turkish farmers grow rice in the area. The Meander River flows to the left of this photograph.

Site of the Gulf of Latmos, now silted up, within 2 miles of Miletus. Photo: F. Jenkins.

Acts 21:1    —    Set sail on a straight course to Cos.

•  Next day to Rhodes. Tradition identifies this stop at St. Paul’s Bay at Lindos.
• Patara.
• Patara to Tyre. According to Chrysostom this trip took five days (Homily XLV.2; cf. Bruce, The Book of Acts in NICNT  421). They were always at the mercy of the wind. When they came within sight of Cyprus they sailed past to the south of the island as they headed to Syria (21:3).

Acts 21:4    —    Tyre — Paul tarried 7 days (note 20:6-7).
Acts 21:7    —    Ptolemais [modern Acre in Israel] — stayed one day.
Acts 21:8    —    Caesarea. They arrived the next day. The text does not say whether they went by boat or land. At Caesarea they stayed with Philip for “many days” (21:10).

Acts 21:15-17    —    Up to Jerusalem of Judea (cf. 21:10).

Acts 21:18    —    The following day Paul and the others visited James and the elders.

If our study of the Book or Acts, or any book of the Bible, is only a cursory one without attention to details, we miss much of what was intended for us.

Note: Use the Search Box to locate posts about Philippi, Assos and Mitylene, Ephesus, Miletus, Rhodes, Tyre, Ptolemais, and Caesarea.

Acts 17 — Photo Illustrations

Paul came to Thessalonica on his second journey (A.D. 50-53; Acts 17).

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. (Acts 17:1 ESV)

Thessalonica (called Thessaloniki now) is in biblical Macedonia. The area is still known as Macedonia, but is not to be confused with the modern country by that name. It is marked on maps of Greece as FYROM (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). I know too little about the dispute to make any comments.

Paul wrote two letters to the church at Thessalonica while he was at Corinth. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica accompanied Paul on the voyage to Rome (Acts 27:2). When Demas forsook Paul he went to Thessalonica (2 Timothy 4:10).

The photo below shows excavated ruins of the 2nd-3rd century A.D. Roman Forum in the center of the modern city of Thessalonica. Fant and Reddish comment on the Forum:

Extensive, ongoing excavations are being conducted in this area. Likely the same site was the location for the Hellenistic agora as well. The forum originally covered two extensive terraces. The forum originally covered two extensive terraces. The one to the north contained a large courtyard surrounded on four sides by two-story stoas; to the rear of the stoa on the east side stood the odeion, originally a theater for music and performances, later converted into an arena for gladiatorial contests. (A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey, 137).

Roman Forum in the center of Thessalonica. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

I think if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will see the odeion to the right of the image.

There are several posts about Thessalonica on this blog. Just put the word Thessalonica in the Search Box. You will also find posts about Amphipolis, Berea, and Athens.

Acts 16 — Photo Illustrations (corrected)

What is the best way to correct a blunder? Shall I totally delete the post and start anew, or shall I edit the existing one? I decided to leave the existing one for the time being and post the correction here.

Forum/Agora. One reader suggests that I have incorrectly identified the forum at Philippi as the agora. Some sources indicate that the forum was primarily used for civic or judicial matters while the agora was considered the commercial center or market place.

My intention was to use both words because they are often used interchangeably. At Philippi, Corinth, and other places, these activities are not far removed from each other. In fact, the Forum at Philippi, and the Agora at Corinth contain a Bema (judgment seat) as well as numerous commercial shops.

I am not at home and do not have access to some of the sources I might normally use to check these things, but I have access to some dictionaries online.

The American Heritage Dictionary gives this definition for forum:

The public square or marketplace of an ancient Roman city that was the assembly place for judicial activity and public business.

The Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines the forum…

(in an ancient Roman city) a public square or marketplace used for judicial and other business.

The Wrong Photo. But my serious blunder was in the photo I labeled as the forum/agora. After publishing it I began to think I had uploaded the wrong photo. A friend has written privately to remind me that I have posted a photo of one of the basilicas at Philippi rather than the forum. I plead guilty. My oversight.

Here is a photo of a portion of the Via Egnatia (the Egnatian Way) in the forum at Philippi. Much of it is covered by several feet of earth. The modern road runs above the ancient one.

A portion of the Via Egnatia in the Forum at Philippi. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The next photo shows a sign that once sat on the road.

Identifying the Via Egnatia in the Forum at Philippi. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Perhaps later I will post a photo of some of the shops in the forum.

Acts 16 — Photo Illustrations

The Apostle Paul came to Philippi on his second preaching journey. Luke accurately describes the city with these words:

So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. (Act 16:11-12 NAU)

The photo below shows ruins of the forum (or agora) of the city where much of the activity took place. Portions of the famous Egnatian Way may be seen at the edge of the forum, but partially buried under the earth and modern road on the right. [See correction here.]

The Forum (Agora) of Philippi. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

At Philippi, Paul preached to and baptized Lydia and her household, and the jailer.

Another PLBL Giveaway

Todd Bolen, over at the Bible Places Blog, is giving away another five volumes of the Pictorial Library of the Bible Lands. Any five you choose. The entry period ends Friday. Check details here.