Cyprus
Cyprus is a body of water mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, located in modern-day Cyprus. It appears across 12 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Cyprus, the large Mediterranean island lying off the coasts of Syria and Cilicia, holds a prominent place in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament it is associated with Kittim, a name connected in the table of nations with the descendants of Javan (Genesis 10:4) and appearing in references to distant maritime peoples (Numbers 24:24; Isaiah 23:1; Jeremiah 2:10; Ezekiel 27:6; Daniel 11:30). In the New Testament Cyprus takes on far greater significance as a center of early Christian mission. Barnabas, Paul's early companion, was a native of Cyprus (Acts 4:36). After the persecution following Stephen's martyrdom, believers scattered to Cyprus and began preaching to Greeks (Acts 11:19-20). On Paul's first missionary journey, he and Barnabas traveled the length of Cyprus from Salamis to Paphos, where Paul confronted the sorcerer Elymas before the proconsul Sergius Paulus, who believed (Acts 13:4-12). Barnabas and Mark later returned to Cyprus on a separate mission (Acts 15:39). The island thus served as a crucial early launching point for the gentile mission.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Cyprus, situated at the crossroads of the eastern Mediterranean, has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. Its rich copper deposits — from which the metal takes its name (Kypros) — made it a major Bronze Age trading hub. Extensive excavations at sites including Enkomi, Kition, Paphos, and Salamis have revealed Mycenaean, Phoenician, Greek, and Roman occupation layers. The ancient city of Paphos, where Paul encountered Sergius Paulus (Acts 13), has been excavated to reveal Roman villas with remarkable mosaics, public buildings, and evidence of the cult of Aphrodite. Cyprus became a Roman senatorial province in 22 BC, consistent with the Acts reference to a proconsul rather than a legate.
Verse Appearances (12)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →