Paul was called to Macedonia in a vision. Acts 16 tells us a “man of Macedonia” pleaded with him to come over and help them. Paul and his companions immediately headed for Philippi. Macedonia (or Macedon) was an ancient kingdom located in the north of the Greek peninsula. The kingdom was first inhabited by the Mackedoni tribe, named after the …
The Worst Kind of Sale
The sale of slaves in the ancient world was conducted just as sales of other goods and wares–in a market, in public. Captives to be sold would be displayed on stands, sometimes revolving. Usually, they were naked so potential buyers could see exactly what they were purchasing. If captives were not already nude, buyers could demand that they be stripped …
15 Facts About Slavery
The Roman Empire depended on slaves. It simply couldn’t function without them. As many as 33% of the population across the Empire were slaves. Inequality was an accepted part of life and freedom was not a right. Romans believed the freedom of some was possible only because of the slavery of others. The fact that slaves most often came from …
The Mountains Quake Before Him
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. ~Acts 16.26 I grew up in southern California. I remember several earthquakes, but none that were really serious. In college in Tulsa, I experienced my first tornado warning. I was terrified, but …
Familia Ante Omnia
The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ~Acts 16.14-15 At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. ~Acts 16:33 Familia Ante Omnia: Family Before All I …
Bad Blood in the Body
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ~Acts 16:13 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ~Philippians 4:2 When Paul …
Rage of the Dog Star
Malaria is one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases. In 2017, 219 million cases of malaria claimed 435,000 lives. Malaria was no less brutal in the Roman Empire, where it was known as Roman Fever. Millions died in the first five or so centuries AD, and children, pregnant women, and the elderly were especially susceptible. In 2016, a British …
Think You Know Claudius?
His full name was Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. He ruled from 41 to 54 AD. He had the pedigree to rule. He was the nephew of both Mark Antony and Tiberius, the uncle of Caligula, great-nephew of Augustus, and the great-great-grandnephew of Julius Caesar. He suffered from many physical ailments, possibly cerebral palsy, and was ridiculed by his own …
A Funny Thing Happened …
You find the strangest things while researching. I swear I am only trying to find out if they have peaches in the summer or some such innocuous question, but I end up on these sites that proclaim the most ridiculous theories. The Greenland Theory I ran across this mind-bending bit of illogic the other day. It’s the brainchild of David Chase Taylor, …
Friends, Romans Countrymen … I Already Have Your Ears
You’re more Roman than you know. There are so many Latin words and phrases that have survived the last 2,000 years that it would be almost impossible for a day to go by without your using at least one. Some of our modern measurement concepts were originally Roman. Mile: from the Latin mille passum, which literally translated into “a thousand paces.” Each …