1800 John DeLancey-In the Footsteps of Paul in Greece, Turkey and Italy
John DeLancey
People are traveling again and we are once again offering our listeners “backgrounders on the Bible” through in-person visits to the archaeological sites we talk about on our radio program.
This October, we are teaming up with tour co-leader John DeLancey once again, offering a tour that follows the footsteps of Paul from Macedonia to Athens. This tour includes a 3-day Greek Isles cruise with a visit to Ephesus, on the western coast of Turkey. It also includes an optional extension to Pompeii and Rome, traveling along the Appian Way.
1762 Summer 2021 Discoveries and Developments
There’s too much going on right now! Even since recording this program there has been another big archaeological story out of Jerusalem.
On this program I briefly mention two other exciting recent discoveries: a monumental building next to Jerusalem’s Western Wall, and an inscription connected to the Old Testament’s Gideon.
Then there’s additional news. We have not just one but two biblical archaeology adventures planned for 2022. In March we’re going to Israel, a tour postponed from 2020. But we are also announcing a Footsteps of Paul tour to Greece, the Greek Isles, and Turkey, plus an extension to Rome. This will be in October 2022.
After that, some additional information to bring you up-to-date on all of our biblical archaeology adventures.
1543-1544 James Edwards – Paul’s Riot in Ephesus
Roman theater in Ephesus, where the silversmith’s riot took place.
Ephesus is mentioned more times in the New Testament than any other city, with the exception of Jerusalem. In these two programs with James Edwards, professor of Theology at Whitworth University, we review the city as Paul knew it and the archaeological evidence that is being uncovered in Ephesus today. And over the past 100+ years in fact, by an Austrian excavation.
The most prominent feature of the ruins of Ephesus is the Roman theater, which was able to seat 25,000 people. Missing is the temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which drew pagan worshipers to the city in Paul’s day and supplied a source of revenue for the city’s silversmiths. What happened when the silversmiths got upset at Paul and filled the theater with angry Ephesians is recounted in Acts 19.
Riot in Pompeii – Carl Rasmussen has shared photos from Pompeii where an amphitheater riot from 59 A.D. is depicted.
UPDATE – The Turkish government has apparently cancelled the Austrian excavation at Ephesus, after more than 100 years of digging up the city.
TB&TS 