Amphipolis
Amphipolis is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Greece in modern-day Greece. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Amphipolis is mentioned in the New Testament in Acts 17:1, where Paul and Silas passed through the city during the second missionary journey on their way from Philippi to Thessalonica. The brevity of the reference, Luke notes simply that they 'passed through', suggests no church was established there at that time, though Paul and Silas likely paused briefly. Amphipolis was a significant city on the Via Egnatia, the major Roman road connecting the Adriatic coast to Byzantium through Macedonia. Its position on this road made it a natural waypoint for travelers moving east to west across northern Greece. The city lay at the mouth of the Strymon River and had been an important settlement since the fifth century BCE. Though Paul did not stop long enough to preach at Amphipolis, its location on the apostolic itinerary reflects the strategic use of Roman infrastructure in the spread of the gospel. The gospel's westward advance through Macedonia followed the major arteries of the empire, and Amphipolis stands as one of the cities through which the good news passed en route to Europe.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Amphipolis is modern Amfipoli in northeastern Greece, near the mouth of the Strymon (modern Struma) River in the region of Macedonia. The site retains its ancient name and has been excavated by Greek archaeologists since the mid-twentieth century. Significant finds include the famous Lion of Amphipolis monument, a large marble lion from the fourth century BCE, and a remarkable late-fourth-century BCE tomb complex discovered in 2012 containing multiple burial chambers with mosaic floors and sculpted caryatids. The ancient city walls, foundations of public buildings, and a Byzantine basilica have also been uncovered. The Via Egnatia roadbed passes through the area, confirming the city's importance as a transit hub in the Roman period.
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]