02.36. Looking west

Looking west

Rome’s Empire completely encircled the Mediterranean Sea. From its centre in Italy, it spread west over France and Spain, east over Greece and Asia Minor, south over Syria and Palestine into Egypt, and then west again along the north African coast. Paul had an ambition not just to reach the heart of the empire in Rome, but to keep moving west till he reached Spain.¹

Tarshish is believed to have been in Spain, near Gibraltar. It was rich in minerals and was one of the great traders of the ancient world. It became famous for the large ships it built to carry its goods far and wide, and in time such ships were called by its name. A ‘ship of Tarshish’ was the common name for any large ocean-going cargo ship, especially an ore-carrier. The name did not indicate where the ship was built or where it was sailing.²

Other large ships were those which, in Greek and Roman times, were associated with Alexandria. These mostly carried grain from Egypt to Greece and Rome, and on occasions provided Paul with transport.³ It was on one of these ships that Paul first arrived in Italy. He and his party came ashore at Puteoli,⁴ which is adjacent to Naples and near Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed Pompeii in AD 79.

Though a prisoner, Paul was allowed a degree of freedom till his case came before the Emperor. A number of Roman Christians therefore went south to meet him and walk with him on the last sixty or so kilometres to Rome. This route took them along the impressive Appian Way⁵ and past huge underground burial areas that Jewish migrants had carved out of the soft limestone. These burial places, known as catacombs, were used also by the early Christians as burial places.

1. Acts 19:21; Romans 15:24; Romans 15:28 2. 1 Kings 22:48; Ezekiel 27:12; Ezekiel 27:25; Jonah 1:3 3. Acts 27:6; Acts 28:11

4. Acts 28:13 5. Acts 28:14-15

The Appian Way