That's a Good Question

  • Tyre first Lebanese town to adopt Christianity

    Where is the city of Tyre where St. Paul prayed on the beach?
    St. Paul was in Patara, an important city in southern ancient Asia Minor (modern Turkey) on his way to Jerusalem. At Patara he found a ship bound for Phoenicia (modern Lebanon). He boarded the ship and it stopped at Tyre, an important city of Phoenicia, where the ship had to unload cargo. Paul stayed with the Christian disciples in Tyre for a week. The Tyrians did not want Paul to go to Jerusalem, but Paul went anyway. Everybody came out of the city to see Paul’s departure. They knelt down on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea and prayed, said goodbye and Paul boarded the ship.

    Tyre is mentioned in the Old Testament. Hiram, the king of Tyre, allied himself with Solomon, the king of Jerusalem in Israel. In Phoenicia were the famous cedars of Lebanon, good for building ships and temples.
    S. Jenkins says later on Tyre became one of the first Lebanese towns to adopt Christianity and was the seat of an archbishopric with 14 bishoprics under its control. By the 4th century, a basilica was built on the site of the former Temple of Melkart. In the 12th century, the Catholic Crusaders captured the city of Tyre and the surrounding fertile land. Tyre remained in Crusader hands for 167 years.

    A. Jousiffe mentions some of the sites of Tyre. There is the ancient marketplace, a colonnaded road, marble Roman pavement, a rectangular arena with five rows of terraced seating cut into limestone, and an extensive Roman bathhouse. Nearby are the ruins of the Crusader Cathedral. Foundations and granite columns are all that remain. The king of Jerusalem was once crowned within the walls of this cathedral. The remains of the German king Frederick Barbarossa are reputed to be buried here. Further away is a Roman cemetery with decorated marble and stone tombs. In this area is a huge triumphal arch, an aqueduct, the largest and best-preserved Roman stadium in the world, seating 20,000 spectators. It was used for chariot races. In the Christian quarter of the city there are six churches reflecting Lebanon’s multitude of Christian denominations.

    L. Keen says the Tyre cathedral was built by a bishop called Paulinus. This Christian church was laid out in the same pattern as the temples to Astarte and Baal. In the cathedral was supposed to have been a large marble stone on which Jesus sat during his visit to Tyre when He cured the daughter of the Phoenician woman. The body of the theologian-martyr Origen, who died in 253, is said to be buried behind the altar in the cathedral. 

    Posted on February 23, 2011, to:

  • That’s a good question

    Where is Syracuse where St. Paul stayed for three days?
    St. Paul had spent the winter on the island of Malta. When the weather improved, he set sail on a ship from Alexandria in Egypt and he was trying to go to Rome in Italy. On this journey, Paul first stopped at the city of Syracuse (or Siracusa), where he spent three days with the Christian community there.

    Syracuse is a seaport city in southern Sicily separated from the mainland by a narrow canal. Syracuse is on the island of Ortygia. Syracuse was the birthplace of Archimedes, a mathematician and physicist. Syracuse was founded in the 8th century B.C. by settlers from Corinth in Greece, so Syracuse shows a lot of Greek influence. Some of Greece’s greatest poets, like Aeschylus and Pindar, lived in Syracuse. The philosopher Plato visited Syracuse three times.

    Baedeker mentions the sites of Syracuse. There is the Temple of Apollo from the 6th century B.C., which was dedicated to the goddess Artemis (or Diana). The cathedral was built in the 7th century on the site of a temple of Athena. Near the cathedral is the National Archaeological Museum. Here you can see a sarcophagus with carvings of scenes from the Bible, as well as a beautiful statue of Venus with a dolphin by her side. South of the cathedral is the Fountain of Arethusa with its papyrus plants. North of the fountain is a nice sea front promenade with a view of the harbor and the volcanic Mt. Etna.

    You can visit the Bellomo Palace from the 15th century and the Maniace Castle built in 1239. Ancient sites include the forum, the marketplace, the Roman gymnasium, the Augustan amphitheater, the gigantic altar used to sacrifice 450 oxen annually, the prison and the large Greek theater with a semicircular auditorium hewn from the rock where the playwright Aeschylus (d. 456 B.C.) directed the performance of one of his plays. This ancient theater is still used today.

    Above this theater is a cave that was the end point of an ancient aqueduct. Near this cave are the Streets of Tombs from the Roman period. There is also the little church of St. John of the Catacombs. Here is the Crypt of St. Marcian, from the 4th century A.D. with frescoes to view. The adjoining catacombs are larger than those in Rome.

    Other churches include St. Peter’s, dating from 400 A.D., St. Phillip’s (Greek for “lover of horses,”), St. Lucy’s, St. Mary of Jesus, St. Madonna of the Tears and the Capuchin monastery. Beside the monastery is an ancient quarry where 7,000 Athenians were imprisoned in 414 B.C. Syracuse’s patron saint is St. Lucy who died in the persecution of the Roman emperor Diocletian in A.D. 305. Bishop Chrestus of Syracuse represented Sicily at the Church Council of Arles in A.D. 314. St. Agatha (Greek for “good woman”) was born in Sicily and is the patron of nurses.

    Posted on February 15, 2011, to:

  • Syracuse has rich history

    Where is Syracuse where St. Paul stayed for three days?
    St. Paul had spent the winter on the island of Malta. When the weather improved, he set sail on a ship from Alexandria in Egypt and he was trying to go to Rome in Italy. On this journey, Paul first stopped at the city of Syracuse (or Siracusa), where he spent three days with the Christian community there.

    Syracuse is a seaport city in southern Sicily separated from the mainland by a narrow canal. Syracuse is on the island of Ortygia. Syracuse was the birthplace of Archimedes, a mathematician and physicist. Syracuse was founded in the 8th century B.C. by settlers from Corinth in Greece, so Syracuse shows a lot of Greek influence. Some of Greece’s greatest poets, like Aeschylus and Pindar, lived in Syracuse. The philosopher Plato visited Syracuse three times.

    Baedeker mentions the sites of Syracuse. There is the Temple of Apollo from the 6th century B.C., which was dedicated to the goddess Artemis (or Diana). The cathedral was built in the 7th century on the site of a temple of Athena. Near the cathedral is the National Archaeological Museum. Here you can see a sarcophagus with carvings of scenes from the Bible, as well as a beautiful statue of Venus with a dolphin by her side. South of the cathedral is the Fountain of Arethusa with its papyrus plants. North of the fountain is a nice sea front promenade with a view of the harbor and the volcanic Mt. Etna.

    You can visit the Bellomo Palace from the 15th century and the Maniace Castle built in 1239. Ancient sites include the forum, the marketplace, the Roman gymnasium, the Augustan amphitheater, the gigantic altar used to sacrifice 450 oxen annually, the prison and the large Greek theater with a semicircular auditorium hewn from the rock where the playwright Aeschylus (d. 456 B.C.) directed the performance of one of his plays. This ancient theater is still used today.

    Above this theater is a cave that was the end point of an ancient aqueduct. Near this cave are the Streets of Tombs from the Roman period. There is also the little church of St. John of the Catacombs. Here is the Crypt of St. Marcian, from the 4th century A.D. with frescoes to view. The adjoining catacombs are larger than those in Rome.

    Other churches include St. Peter’s, dating from 400 A.D., St. Phillip’s (Greek for “lover of horses,”), St. Lucy’s, St. Mary of Jesus, St. Madonna of the Tears and the Capuchin monastery. Beside the monastery is an ancient quarry where 7,000 Athenians were imprisoned in 414 B.C. Syracuse’s patron saint is St. Lucy who died in the persecution of the Roman emperor Diocletian in A.D. 305. Bishop Chrestus of Syracuse represented Sicily at the Church Council of Arles in A.D. 314. St. Agatha (Greek for “good woman”) was born in Sicily and is the patron of nurses.

    Posted on February 15, 2011, to:

  • Sidon on the sea

    Where is Sidon where St. Paul visited some friends? 
    St. Paul was in Caesarea in Israel where he was departing for Rome in Italy to see the emperor. At Caesarea, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius. They boarded the ship and set sail. The following day they landed at Sidon in Phoenicia (modern Lebanon) where Julius kindly allowed Paul to visit some friends who cared for his needs.

    Sidon or Saida is the largest city in southern Lebanon and lies 45 km south of Beirut. L. Keen says the name Sidon comes from a Canaanite root meaning “fish,” so the first settlers were possibly fishermen. Sidon first developed on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and then the city spread inland. People wanted to move away from the stench emanating from the dye works that produced Phoenician purple dye. The ancient Sidonians even developed dentistry. In the museum you can see a skull with teeth held in place with gold wire.

    L Keen says one of the prettiest sites to see in Sidon is the bay. Sidon was known as the “Queen of the Seas,” and had four ports. Near the beach is Murex Hill. A “murex” is a shellfish from whose extracted substance the famous dye was made. Some ancient mosaics on top of the mound show that the Romans built there.

    The Catholic crusaders also came to Sidon. You can see the ruined Castle of St. Louis constructed in A.D. 1253. The castle lies on top of some Phoenician temples and an ancient theater.

    Another Crusader castle, called the Sea Castle, is set off the coast literally in the sea. This castle was built in the 13th century on the site of a pagan temple to the god Baal. There is a grand mosque also built in the 13th century as a Church of the Hospitallers of St. John. There are also khans or inns in Sidon. These included a market and a stable for camels or other pack animals. The khans usually have two stories. The first floor is for the shops, courtyard, fountain and stables. The second floor holds the rooms for sleeping. The inn at Bethlehem when Jesus was born was possibly of a similar pattern. At Sidon, there is also an old Arab market, a Greek Catholic Church and an ancient royal cemetery. S. Jenkins adds that Sidon has five old Turkish baths and a museum for soap making.

    Posted on January 19, 2011, to:

  • St. Paul visits Derbe on his missionary journey

    Where is Derbe where St. Paul made many disciples?
    After St. Paul left the town of Lystra where some people tried to kill him, he fled to the town of Derbe in central Turkey. Here he preached the Gospel and made numerous disciples. Then St. Paul started to head for home, namely, the great city of Antioch in Syria. So he retraced his steps to dangerous Lystra, Iconium and Antioch in Pisidia.

    In these three towns, St. Paul encouraged his new disciples to persevere in the faith and to endure the sufferings that may occur. In each town St. Paul established priests to say Mass and celebrate the sacraments. The New American Bible says these communities received priests only after a period of testing. St. Paul and St. Barnabas then went back to Perga to preach the Gospel and then continued to the seaport of Attalia (modern Antalya) on the Mediterranean coast and sailed back to Antioch in Syria. This ended St. Paul’s first missionary journey.

    Scholars are not sure of the exact location of the town of Derbe in central Turkey. A. Edmonds mentions there are four possibilities: 1) Kerti Hoyuk where an altar stone has been found with an inscription of the names of Derbe and Bishop Michael carved on it. But this does not definitively establish the original site, because such stones are often moved. This particular stone is now in the museum at Konya in Turkey.
    Either 2) Una Hoyuk or 3) Asiran Hoyuk, both tumuli (ancient burial mounds) near Karaman, may be the actual site of Derbe. Karaman is a green oasis on a plateau. Here there is a Seljuk citadel, a former monastery of dervishes and a mosque. Many Turkish-speaking Orthodox Greeks lived here.

    4) Degli near Binbir Kilise and Madensehir also may be the site of Derbe. D. Darke says Binbir Kilise is a region of a “thousand and one churches,” an important monastic center from the 9th- 11th centuries A.D. Near the hamlet of Degli (or Degler) is the most impressive group of ruined Christian Byzantine churches and monasteries.

    E. Blake says Derbe was the royal seat of the tyrant Antipater the Pirate. A hundred years before St. Paul was at Derbe, Antipater had entertained the famous Roman orator Cicero while he was governor of the neighboring province of Cilicia. Derbe was the last Roman city on the road to the East, so it was the point at which customs were collected.

    A year or so later St. Paul, now accompanied by Silas, began his second missionary journey, and visited Derbe once again to give the church there renewed assurance and support. This shows St. Paul’s serious ties with Derbe. Later on, when St. Paul was traveling from Greece to Macedonia, he was accompanied by a number of helpers. One of these was Gaius from Derbe, again showing St. Paul’s influence in Derbe.

    Posted on January 4, 2011, to: