Biblical Illustrator Article, Thessalonica in the First Century

110595_062-084.indd 65 2/21/05 11:27:03 AM 66 B I F a l l 2 0 0 5 the city considered high taxation. This caused Tiberius toTiberius caused taxation.This considered high city the of leadership the what protestagainst a caused of region the prosperity increasing The years. few a for 15 A.D. in transliterateweterm the “politarchs.” used actually Luke NASB), 17:6, (Acts authorities” “city the of writing Inpolitarchs. called magistrates by guided affairs own her administer to allowed was Thessalonica B.C.) and thus received athe free status of city. As a result, and Octavius in their conflict against the Triumvirs (ca. 42 west and Neapolis on the east. the onthe Egnatia, AdriaticSea Thessalonicalinkingwith Via the roadway, a constructed Rome when B.C. 130 in the province.“motherthe city” of Macedonia,” Metropolisof as “The known literally,was it ILLUSTRATORPHOTO However, the city’s privileged status was interrupted was status privileged city’s However,the solidified was city the of strength economic The /KEN TOUCHTON(4-4-11) 2 The city supported Antony range and the Greek peninsula. It was near the Axius and Axiusthe near was peninsula.ItGreek the and range mountain Balkan the between Macedonia of Was City located on the eastern thecoast province of the of Strategic— Location The senatorialprovinceagain. a Macedonia making by 44 A.D. in action this reversed Claudius Rome. to access intimate immediate city and the gave this for positive, be to proved ultimately Caesar. of control direct the under one is, that province, imperial an provincetoconsular pro a from Macedonia change Ancient Thessalonica was was Thessalonica Ancient 3 Yet this 4 - Way. Egnatian old the overlay may street this Greece), Salonica, (modern Thessalonica right: Lower (below). Zeus god, logical mytho the to home be to ered consid was (right) Olympus Mount Athens. with Thessalonica ing link Highway Left: At - - - ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ BOB SCHATZ/ ISTANBUL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM (12-23-5) winds that blew in from central Europe.fromcentralin blew that winds surrounding the city provided shelter from the north north the fromshelter provided city the surrounding h rgo sronig hsaoia a rc in rich was Thessalonica surrounding region The the dangerous southeast winds. In addition, the hills on the Thermaic Gulf, it offered protection from protection offered it Gulf, Thermaic the on of several favorable geographic features. Situatedfeatures. geographic favorable several of waterways. major both Rivers, Haliacmon the ra, asne slce Teslnc because Thessalonica selected Cassander Great, hsn y hlp I fte o Aeadr the Alexander of father capital II, Philip the by been chosen had Pella nearby Although 5

ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO (123-1-66) epioals ht fimd i dvnt. Inscriptions divinity. his affirmed that Delphi—oracles came at oracles the receivedat revelations honorssupposed of because These honors. Great divine the accorded Alexander been period had Roman the to prior Even abundant. is rulers, of worship is, that cult, imperial the city.the of lifereligious the of part gods. two Demeter,alsowere Athene, Dioskuri theSerapis, Isis,and the identified Heracles,Apollo,Zeus, Asclepius,Aphrodite, essentially of Devotees and cult Osiris the Egyptian absorbed the of Dionysus element dismemberment/reconstitution of worship Thessalonian that be Thessalonica.mayItin popularquite was Cabirus god first century A.D. the worship of Dionysus and the mystery the City The Religious ClimateWas of Apparent— important two these of junction thoroughfares. the at situated was city the means which Thessalonica, through passed Sea well, the main route from the Danube down to the Aegean city.the As of outskirts northern previously the alongprovinces, ran As eastern Macedonia.its to road majorRome’s of Egnatia, Via the noted, base naval and seaport copper,surroundingiron,area.dottedthe lead and silver,gold,producing Minesrivers. and lakes nearby the filled Fish olives. and dates likecrops Mediterranean not but fruit, and grain grow to people the enabled climate mild The boats. and houses for wood providing timber, rainfall. The mountains around the city were covered with Macedonia, plainof the area hadsoil fertile and abundant resources.natural greatthecentral Located edgeof theon Further, evidence of Thessalonian involvement with with involvement Thessalonian of evidence Further, main the was ThessalonicaA.D., century first the In ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO / BOBSCHATZ (11-15-14) 6 In the 7

67 B I F a l l 2 0 0 5 68 B I F a l l 2 0 0 5 bu te hrh n hsaoia Or ny ore o sources only Our more Thessalonica. knew in church we the wish about us makes city Established— the Was about much City so the in Church The original inhabitants.” Thracian-Phrygian the ecstatic of religion an the of in roots heat with the Dionysus-cult from but springs hot the from condition. “notcame Therma,city, the this of name to earlier the Possibly contributed gods gods, mythological Egyptian Greco-Roman the and namely the city, of the worship of the com- heritage religious were The sins monplace. related and Prostitution, homosexuality, adultery, virtue. unknown an was purity personal IntheGreco-Roman thefirst Christiancentury, of society letters. his of many so in and here sins sexual with dealt Paul why wonder Wemay(NASB). readershis to “abstainfrom sexual immorality” urging 3 versepurity, sexualin of question the as Caesar Julius designated years following and B.C. 27 inscriptions on period. the fromcoins on and are god” of “son and “god”“ as such Titles Caesar. Augustus and CaesarC Juliusworshiped CitizensThessalonica. ini cult his served that priesthood a of and tell him to status divine ascribe A.D. even into the second and third centuries n g a

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• Knowing Knowing Neapolis egea the south as far as far as south the into Thrace and to and Thrace into Perseus enlarged Perseus ROGERS/UNIVERSITY MUSEUM/ UNIVERSITY OFPENNSYLVANIA Macedon’sinflu- Above: As king As Above: (179-168 B.C.), (179-168 ence eastward ence ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO Delphi. n f f (293-35A) As Se Faith and senior professor of biblical studies, Dallas Dallas studies, biblical of University, Baptist Dallas,Texas. professor senior and Faith Timothy Trammell is associate dean of College of Christian Company,338. Publishing Eerdmans1998), B. William Rapids: (Grand trans. Scott, Riesner, Rainer 10. 9. (1999), Mission,” “Paul’sThessalonian Still, Todd D. 9. 39-40. Green, 8. entitled article his in in “Thessalonica” possibility this of discussion incisive an has Hendrix L. Holland 7. 6. Ibid., 6. 2. Green, 5. Cassius, Dio 4. 1.76. 1969), Press, University Harvard (Cambridge: Tacitus, 3. 114. 1997), Murphy-O’Conner, Jerome 2. Commentary Green, L. Gene 181; 1999), Polhill, B. John 1. king /DAVID a (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,2. Publishing Eerdmans2002), B. William Rapids: (Grand h Anl o Tcts Te ob lsia Library Classical Loeb The Tacitus, of Annals The • T n fihuns sre a qie testimony. a May we likewise be quite found faithful. as serves faithfulness and vigor, devotion, believers’ these acknowledge to Paul traditions—for pagan in enmeshed so history,beauty,suchinyet rich and one of city a In (1:7). church model a be to Thessalonica at believers gathered the considered Paul thatt however, know, do We leaders. church the of o History h The Anchor Bible Dictionary,Bible Anchor The r f oa

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