Expeditions
052
Paphos, Cyprus
Paul in The Diaspora
On his first missionary journey (c. 47–49 A.D.), Paul hoped to spread the word of Jesus among his fellow Jews; ironically, his most stunning convert turned out to be a gentile—the Roman pro-consul, or governor, of Cyprus! According to the Bible, Paul and Barnabas, a Cypriot Jew, departed from Antioch, where followers of Jesus were just beginning to call themselves “Christians.” They traveled overland to Seleucia, then sailed to Salamis, Cyprus, where they “proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews” (Acts 13:5). After crossing the island, Paul and Barnabas arrived in Paphos, which the Romans had made the capital of Cyprus. Here they were received by a Jewish magician named Bar-Jesus, who summoned them to meet with the Roman governor, Sergius Paulus. During the meeting, the magician denied that Paul knew the word of God; Paul responded, “The hand of the Lord is against you; you will be blind…unable to see the sun” (Acts: 13:11). On realizing that his magician had gone blind, Sergius Paulus “believed.”
A Mediterranean Port of Call
Trade relations between Cyprus and other Mediterranean nations stretch back at least 2,000 years before Paul’s arrival—largely because of the island’s copper resources. Cypriot pottery from the Middle Bronze Age (2000–1650 B.C.) and later has been found in Megiddo, Ugarit and along the Levantine coast. In 17th-century B.C. cuneiform texts from Mari, in Syria, and in correspondence of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (1379–1362 B.C.), Cyprus is called Alashia; hence the name “Elishah,” which, along with “Kittim,” is used to refer to Cyprus in the Hebrew Bible (see Genesis 10:4; Ezekiel 27:7).
Hellenization
Beginning in the 14th century B.C., successive waves of Greek immigrants established Cyprus’s Hellenic character. First came the Mycenaeans—one of the Sea Peoples, who, like the Philistines, also settled along the Syro-Palestinian coast. In the ensuing centuries came the Achaeans, who brought with them Greek pottery, language, culture and 053religion, and who built a number of city-states—including one in Old Paphos (now called Kouklia), where, in legend, the goddess Aphrodite (below) was born of the sea foam (the traditional birthplace of Aphrodite is shown in the large photo below). Phoenician colonists from Sidon and Tyre, in the 9th century B.C., also envisioned Cyprus as a land of love goddesses, building one of the world’s largest temples to Astarte in Citium (present-day Larnaca).
Cyprus in Late Antiquity
After periods of subjugation by Assyrians (seventh century B.C.), Egyptians (sixth century B.C.) and Persians (fifth and fourth centuries B.C.), Alexander the Great reintegrated Cyprus into the Hellenic world. Today, Cyprus boasts numerous remains from the Hellenistic period and from the time of the Romans, who established the island as a province in 67 B.C. Just outside Paphos, haunting ruins, known as the Tombs of the Kings (below), were carved into rock as early as the third century B.C. The city contains, along with much else, a Hellenistic theater and Asklepeion (a healing center dedicated to the god Asklepios). Among the Roman remains are beautifully preserved mosaics (such as that of the god Dionysus shown below), depicting mythological scenes, from second- and third-century A.D. houses belonging to Paphos’s aristocrats; these houses were destroyed by an earthquake in the fourth century.
How to Get There
By air, international flights to Larnaca and Paphos; by sea, numerous ports of embarkation. Regular bus service between cities. Car rentals and private taxis available. For information on a 14-day Biblical Archaeology Society study tour of Cyprus, Crete and Santorini in late October, led by archaeologist Avner Goren, call 1-800-221-4644.
Accommodations
Numerous hotels and pensions in lower, middle and upper ranges; reduced rates offered during off-peak season (November–March). Contact the Cyprus Tourism Organization, 13 East 40th St., New York, NY 10016; Tel: 212-683-5280; fax: 212-683-5282;
e-mail: gocyprus@aol.com.
Other Essentials
No visa required for American citizens. No vaccinations required. A buffer zone separates Turkish-controlled Northern Cypress from independent Cyprus; holders of passports with stamps issued in Turkey or Northern Cyprus may be barred access into the southern part of Cyprus.
Paphos, Cyprus
Paul in The Diaspora
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