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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. |
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Vergina
There
is no picture of Vergina yet; but you really cannot see much
there...because Vergina is really underground, where photos are
not allowed!
Vergina is the burial place of Philip II, the father of
Alexander the Great. What
is fascinating here is that they actually buried him in a house
made just for his tomb. They filled it with household
possessions such as jewelry (really fine gold and ivory too!),
couches and his armor (things he would need in the next
life). After placing inside his and his wife's ashes, they
buried the entire house underground, leaving only a large
mound. (Some scholars think it does not belong to
Philip II, but his son, Alexander the Great's younger brother of
little notoriety.)
How is Vergina significant for
understanding the world of Paul?
In some ways, this burial is fairly unique. Although modeled
after ancient Greek ideas about an afterlife for warriors, the
practice was not widespread in Greece in the 4th century BC or
later. This suggests that ideas about the afterlife were
indeed on the minds of ancient Greeks; hope and speculation
existed long before Paul. Yet
there was no uniform understanding; nor was there the assurance
of the afterlife. As Paul writes,
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and
sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve
as others do who have no hope. (First letter to the
Thessalonians, chapter 4:13).
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