Tuesday 28 April 2015

ABC Wednesday, P for Philippi

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt,  who created ABC, and Roger, who took over from her. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with P.





This is supposed to be the place where Lydia was baptized


Paul in Philippi
Philippi apparently had only a small number of Jewish inhabitants and no synagogue. Consequently Shabbat worship was held outside the city on the Gangitis River.  Here Paul met a group of women to whom he preached the gospel.  Lydia, a merchant trading purple cloth, believed Paul's message and was baptized with members of her household.  Subsequently Paul went and lived at her home.

Philippi is a mixure of many cultures : The Greek and the  Roman cultures are the most important

Founded in the 4th c. B.C. and renamed after King Philip of Macedon, Philippi was an important outpost on the Egnation Way.   


Excavations
Archaeological work
 has revealed a large
 and well-preserved 
forum, a theater,
 the alleged jail
 of Paul and several
 Byzantine churches,
 including one of the
 earliest churches
 known in Greece.  
The number of 
churches
 in the city in the 
Byzantine period
 indicate Philippi's
 importance to 
 Christians at this 
time.
 A series of 
earthquakes 
apparently destroyed
 many of the 
buildings
 and probably
 contributed to 
the city's decline.





Egnatian Way
The Via Egnatia was built beginning in 145 BC and at its greatest extent connected Byzantium with the Adriatic ports.  This route was Rome's primary artery to the east and Philippi was an important outpost along the road.  The Egnatian Way made it easier for Rome to move troops throughout the empire and it was the route that Paul traveled on from Neapolis to Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia and Thessalonica.
Via Egnatia next to Philippi forum from east

Philippi, alleged place of Paul's prison
Philippian Jail
This traditional place of
Paul and Silas's 
imprisonment is of
 dubious authenticity,
 but it remembers the 
attack on these men
 and their subsequent
 flogging and 
imprisonment.  In the
 course of the night,
 a violent earthquake
 shook the prison and 
the jailer feared that
 all might have escaped. 
 After learning that 
none had fled, 
the Philippian jailer put
 his faith in Christ and 
was baptized with his 
family.

Latrines
Public bathrooms were not uncommon in ancient Roman cities, but this one is a good illustration for Paul's reference to scubalon, or human waste. 
Roman latrines
Related Websites
Philippi (Hellenic Ministry of Culture) Highlights the site's history, excavations,
and important monuments. Hosted by the government of Greece.
Mission in Philippi (The Unbound Bible) Briefly recounts the history of Philippi
 and the biblical events that happened there in Acts 16.
Philippi (Christian Travel Study Programs) Summarizes the city's history,
 biblical significance, and excavations.

The Battle of Philippi: The Battle that Changed the Course of Western Civilization
 (Life and Land Seminars) Gordon Franz details the battle in which Mark Antony
 and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius.


 

23 comments:

Sylvia K said...

So much incredible, fascinating history, Wil!! I do so enjoy your posts and photos!! Thank you for sharing!! Hope your new week is off to a great start! Enjoy!!

Cloudia said...

This is a wonderful post




ALOHA from Honolulu,
ComfortSpiral
=^..^=

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Wow- super post and very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

K V V S MURTHY said...

Very interesting post.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely and interesting place.

Indrani said...

So much of history in these places!
I liked this peep into history!

Janice / Dancing with Sunflowers said...

Very interesting - thank you. But my attention was captivated from the start by your amazing header photo, which I've managed to track down online and locate to the Greek town of its location. What a wonderful shot you got of it!

mrsnesbitt said...

I agree with Janice about your header photo. Such an informative post - we learn so much each Wednesday.
Denise ABC Team

Roger Owen Green said...

Great Greek and biblical history!

ROG, ABCW

Trubes said...

This is most interesting Wil, I like to learn of St Paul's travels.
The ancient town of Ephesus in turkey that I recently wrote about bears many similarities to Philippi particularly the public bathrooms.
The Romans sure made their mark wherever they chose.
I wonder what happened to Paul's travelling companion, my favourite writer and apostle St Luke he seems to have been spirited away in Turkey or was he Martyred....I shall have to do some research and report back !
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.

Reader Wil said...

Dear Denise Nesbitt, I want to thank you for your kind comment and to read your blog post, but I Get this message: Profile Not Available! So I hope you'll understand how much I appreciate you initiative to create the ABC Wednesday! Thanks to this initiative we learn so much. We have to consult Wikipedia, dictionaries and other books. Thank you Denise!
Wil, ABCW Team.

Berowne said...

Remarkable, and most enjoyable, post...

Jane Hards Photography said...

Always a fascinating read here. Merging of influences in one place and a step back into history.

Anonymous said...

So much happened here. I've always enjoyed reading Philippians. Have a great week!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

It just seems so amazing to me to see Biblical historical places in real life. What an outstanding trip and photos.

Photo Cache said...

Fascinating post.

My ABC WEDNESDAY

Janet said...

Wow! A picture of the pool of Lydia's baptism. That is so cool!

Ann said...

Paul is one that I have studied about for years. What wonderful places to visit.
Ann

Vagabonde said...

Un billet des plus intéressant – les photos vont si bien avec le texte. Merci.

Lmkazmierczak said...

I'm just glad I'm living in this century♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/paths-taken/

Unknown said...

Mooie foto's weer Wil, zo te zien reis je heel wat af ;-)

Obsessivemom said...

I seem to have earthquakes on my mind. It's rather sad that they cause so much destruction including historical places.

A Colorful World said...

Oh, I love your share of this amazing place! Seeing the ruins and the photos of the are where things in the Bible took place, is always so moving!