Today was our visit to Thessalonica – 328 miles north of Athens and built near the sea. We saw the ancient forum – dated to the late 2nd or early 3rd century, the palace complex of Galerius Maximianus, the hippodrome, temples and other monuments. The Rotunda – a 4th century building – was later converted […]
Today was our visit to Philippi – a city known for its gold mines. Thus, the city was a very prosperous one. It was founded by Philip II in 356 BCE. Following the assassination of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian confronted the murderers, Brutus and Cassius, at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE. […]
Today we crossed the Greece border into Turkey and visited Troy and Alexandria Troas – where Paul raised Eutychus from the dead. Troy is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. It is the setting for Homer’s Iliad in which he describes the final year of the Trojan War. Special insights: This […]
Today was our visit to Pergamos – one of the seven churches mentioned in chapter 2 of Revelation. It is about 15 miles from the Aegean Sea. We saw a theater, the temple of Trajan, and the Serapeum. One of the most impressive altars was built here. Now it is located n the Museum in […]
Today was our visit to Thyatira – a town noted for its trade guilds. There was not much to see, but much to learn about the letter to the church found in Revelation, chapter 2. Special insights: We learned from this letter to be aware of what attempts to influence its members to act contrary […]
In Sardis we saw ruins of the temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We also viewed the gymnasium-bathhouse – a large 2nd century complex over 5 acres in size. The synagogue here is one of the largest ancient synagogues excavated. Special insights: This church had come to terms with […]
Miletus was one of the first in the ancient world to mint coins. A Roman theater was built here and considered one of the best preserved and most impressive structure in Turkey. Special insights: Miletus is one of the most memorable places in the entire career of Paul. His farewell speech to the elders of […]
Today we visited the important site of Patmos – the location where John received the book of Revelation. Special insights: The letters to the churches in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation give us much inspiration: we learned what church must do to survive and grow, what needs to be healed, and what happens to […]
Ephesus had the magnificent Temple of Artemis or Diana – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. See model below. It was 4 times larger than the Parthenon. Mary, Jesus’ mother, may have retired her, and Paul spent much time in the city. The site is vast, but only about 15% of the […]
