Neapolis
Neapolis is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Greece in modern-day Greece. Known today as Kavala. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Neapolis appears in the New Testament in Acts 16:11 as the port city where the apostle Paul first set foot on European soil during his second missionary journey, around AD 49-50. After receiving the Macedonian vision at Troas, in which a man pleaded, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9), Paul sailed with his companions Silas, Timothy, and Luke across the Aegean Sea. They made landfall at the island of Samothrace and then continued to Neapolis, the seaport of the inland city of Philippi. From Neapolis, Paul traveled the short distance to Philippi, where he established the first Christian church on European soil. Neapolis thus holds the distinction of being the gateway through which the gospel entered Europe, a moment of immense historical and theological significance. The city's name, meaning "new city" in Greek, was common among Hellenistic and Roman settlements. Though Paul's stay at Neapolis itself appears to have been brief, the city's role as the entry point for European Christianity gives it a unique place in the history of redemption.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Neapolis is identified with modern Kavala, a thriving port city in northeastern Greece on the coast of Macedonia. The ancient harbor, which Paul would have used, lies beneath the modern waterfront. Archaeological findings in the area include sections of the Via Egnatia, the major Roman highway that connected Neapolis to Philippi and beyond. Remains of Roman-era structures, an acropolis, and a Byzantine fortress (rebuilt on earlier foundations) are visible. A baptistery shrine near the river outside Philippi commemorates Lydia's baptism, the first European convert. Kavala today is a city of approximately 55,000 people, and its archaeological museum houses artifacts spanning from the Neolithic through the Roman period.
Verse Appearances (1)
Acts
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →