Rhegium
Rhegium is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Italy in modern-day Italy. Known today as Reggio Calabria. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Rhegium appears in the account of the apostle Paul's final voyage to Rome in Acts 28:13. After departing Syracuse in Sicily, Paul's ship sailed to Rhegium, a port city at the southwestern tip of the Italian peninsula. After waiting one day for a favorable south wind, they continued north to Puteoli, where they found Christian brethren and stayed seven days before completing the journey to Rome. Rhegium's mention is brief but significant within the larger narrative of Acts, which traces the gospel's movement from Jerusalem to the heart of the Roman Empire. Paul's arrival at Rhegium represented the penultimate stage of a journey that fulfilled Jesus's commission that Paul would testify before Caesar (Acts 23:11). The voyage, which had included shipwreck at Malta, demonstrated both the perils and the providential protection that accompanied the apostolic mission. Rhegium's position at the Strait of Messina, the narrow passage between Sicily and mainland Italy, made it a critical navigation point for ancient mariners, and its mention grounds Luke's narrative in precise geographic reality.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Rhegium is identified with modern Reggio Calabria, a city of approximately 180,000 inhabitants situated on the eastern shore of the Strait of Messina at the toe of the Italian boot. Founded as a Greek colony in the eighth century BC, it became an important port controlling traffic through the strait. Archaeological remains include sections of the Greek city walls, a Roman bath complex, and various tombs and artifacts housed in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia. The museum famously contains the Riace Bronzes, two fifth-century BC Greek warrior statues recovered from the sea nearby. The city has been repeatedly rebuilt after devastating earthquakes, including a catastrophic event in 1908. The ancient harbor area lies beneath the modern city center.
Verse Appearances (1)
Acts
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →