Israel/Greece Day 15

Just as Paul did in Acts 18, we traveled from Athens to Corinth. Corinth lies on an isthmus that facilitates travel and trade between lands east and west of Greece. It was a highly strategic location in ancient times. Today a canal slices through the isthmus, but in ancient Corinth slaves would pull ships on land for 4 miles to save time and danger on the journey by sea. The Corinthians enjoyed taxing all the goods that passed through.

The Corinth of the New Testament was still known for its licentiousness and was home to many temples for many gods and goddesses. The temple of Aphrodite sat atop the fortress guarding Corinth, and sadly facilitated false worship and sexual immorality simultaneously.

On his second missionary journey Paul stayed at least 18 months in Corinth, helping with the newborn church there. At one point he was accused by part of the Jewish population of crimes against the city. He was brought before Gallio at the exact place pictured below in the Corinthian agora. It was here God provided protection for the fledgling church in the form of Gallio’s common sense.

So much in Corinth lends clarity to images in 1 and 2 Corinthians, including treasures held in jars of clay (note the Corinthian jewelry box pictured below on the right), our bodies being made of many members, and our bodies being a temple of the Holy Spirit. This site reminds us of the need for believes to follow Christ despite a pagan culture.

We ended our day with a visit to Mycenae, the seat of the Mycenaen kingdom from 1650-1200 BC. These early Greeks may have been ancestors of the Philistines, but this is far from certain. Their artistic skill was highly advanced for their time, and they enjoyed a tremendous view from their city.