Three Taverns
Three Taverns is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Italy in modern-day Italy. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Three Taverns appears in a single but emotionally resonant passage in the Acts of the Apostles. As Paul made his long-anticipated journey to Rome as a prisoner appealing to Caesar, believers from the Roman Christian community traveled out to meet him on the Appian Way. Acts 28:15 records that some came as far as the Forum of Appius, about 69 kilometers from Rome, while others met Paul at Three Taverns, approximately 51 kilometers from the city. When Paul saw these brothers and sisters, he 'thanked God and was encouraged.' This brief but moving detail reveals the depth of Paul's emotional and spiritual exhaustion after years of imprisonment, shipwreck, and uncertainty, and it highlights the importance of Christian fellowship and solidarity. Three Taverns, Latin Tres Tabernae, meaning 'three shops' or 'three inns', was a well-known rest stop on the Via Appia, frequently mentioned by Roman writers including Cicero. The encounter at Three Taverns marks the transition from Paul's long journey to the final chapter of his ministry, as he prepared to make his defense before Caesar.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Three Taverns (Latin: Tres Tabernae) was a Roman road station on the Via Appia approximately 51 kilometers southeast of Rome, near the modern town of Cisterna di Latina in the Lazio region of Italy. The site was commonly known in antiquity as a waypoint along one of Rome's most traveled highways, mentioned by Cicero in his correspondence as a place where he received and sent letters. Archaeological traces of the ancient road station are minimal, as the area has been heavily cultivated and built over. The Via Appia itself has been extensively studied, with sections of the ancient road still visible in the Roman Campagna, and the general route through this area is well established by both literary and cartographic sources.
Verse Appearances (1)
Acts
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
- Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]