Puteoli
Puteoli is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Italy in modern-day Italy. Known today as Pozzuoli. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Puteoli appears in Acts 28:13-14 as the Italian port where Paul landed on his journey to Rome as a prisoner. After the dramatic shipwreck on Malta, Paul and his companions sailed to Syracuse, then to Rhegium, and finally arrived at Puteoli. Luke records that they found brothers and sisters there and were invited to stay with them for seven days before continuing overland to Rome. The presence of a Christian community in Puteoli by approximately AD 60 is remarkable, indicating that the gospel had reached this major commercial hub well before Paul's arrival. Puteoli was the principal port for the grain fleet from Alexandria and one of the most important harbors in the Roman Empire, making it a natural conduit for the spread of new ideas and religious movements. Paul's week-long stay suggests the believers there enjoyed sufficient standing to host a Roman prisoner and his guards. From Puteoli, Paul traveled the Appian Way to Rome, where Christians from the capital came to meet him at the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns (Acts 28:15).
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Puteoli is identified with modern Pozzuoli, located on the Bay of Naples in southern Italy. The city preserves remarkable Roman remains, including the Macellum (the so-called Temple of Serapis), a large marketplace whose columns show the effects of bradyseism, the volcanic rising and sinking of the land. The Flavian Amphitheater, the third largest in Italy, attests to the city's importance. Portions of the ancient harbor mole and breakwater are still visible beneath the water. The volcanic landscape of the Phlegraean Fields surrounds the city, and the nearby Solfatara crater continues to emit sulfurous gases. Archaeological excavations have revealed extensive warehousing facilities consistent with the city's role as a major commercial port. Early Christian catacombs and a tradition placing the martyrdom of Saint Januarius here reflect the city's early Christian heritage.
Verse Appearances (1)
Acts
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →