Troas
Troas is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Asia Minor in modern-day Turkey. Known today as Alexandria Troas. It appears across 6 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Troas was a pivotal waypoint in the expansion of early Christianity from Asia into Europe, appearing six times across the New Testament. The city's greatest significance comes in Acts 16:8-11, when Paul and his companions, prevented by the Holy Spirit from entering other regions, arrived at Troas. There Paul received a night vision of "a man of Macedonia" pleading, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." This Macedonian call led to the immediate crossing of the Aegean, bringing the gospel to Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth — the first significant European mission. Paul later returned to Troas on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:6-12), where the community gathered for worship on the first day of the week and the young man Eutychus fell from a window during Paul's extended sermon before being restored to life. Troas also appears in 2 Corinthians 2:12-13, where Paul found an open door for the gospel but departed due to anxiety over Titus. In 2 Timothy 4:13, Paul asks Timothy to bring his cloak and scrolls left at Troas — a poignant detail from the apostle's final imprisonment.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Troas, formally Alexandria Troas, was founded around 300 BCE by one of Alexander the Great's successors near the ancient site of Troy in northwestern Turkey. It became a prominent Roman colonia under Augustus, featuring a grid plan, harbor, aqueduct, and extensive public monuments. The ruined site near the modern village of Dalyan preserves substantial remains including a large bath-gymnasium complex, city walls, harbor infrastructure, and scattered architectural elements. Systematic excavations by a German team beginning in the 1980s have clarified the city's urban plan and Hellenistic-Roman development. The harbor basin where Paul would have embarked for Macedonia is partially identifiable in the landscape. The site is largely unexcavated relative to its size.
Verse Appearances (6)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →