Amphipolis
Berea
Mycenae
Pella
Vergina

The content on this website is maintained by Robert Myallis, pastor at Zion's Lutheran Church, of Jonestown, PA. 

The photos were taken by Emily Myallis, a diaconal minister in the ELCA who also serves at Zion's Lutheran.

This website and travel to Greece was made possible by a grant from the Fund for Theological Education, which provides grants to assist the education and formation of Christian  leaders from numerous denominations.

Bible quotes are taken from the New Revised Standard Version, unless cites otherwise.

The above photo of Greece comes from NASA; The icon of Saint Paul comes from George Mitrevski's website. 

 

 

Pella

Pella, the capital of Macedonia (an area in Northern Greece) during the time of Philip and Alexander, will be an amazing archeological site one day. The agora there is 70,000 square meters (roughly 10 football fields).

At present, there are some beautiful mosaics to be seen and lots of archeologists.

The museum gives insight into the daily life of people there, including their religious practices (which as in Dion and elsewhere, included Dioynsis, Aphrodite, Asklepius, and Demeter worship).

One interesting point is that the museum indicated that people often had household gods, ie, idols, around the house for protection.  A few of these are shown in this photo.

How is Pella significant for understanding the world of Paul?

The belief that a god could be held in an idol was widespread in ancient Greece, especially around 300 BC.  It was not only the belief that the temple or idol served as a reminder of the god but that the idol represented the god; the god dwelt in the idol.  Thus, people believed that statues of Zeus or other gods in their house served to protect the house not simply by earning favor from the god, but by actually having the presence of the god. 

Paul attacks this way of thinking while speaking at the footsteps of the Acropolis.

source:
info on household gods:  placards at museum, July 2006.