| June 30, 2002 - Sunday
Depart USA (Minneapolis, MN) afternoon. KLM/NW
July 1 - Monday
Arrive in Istanbul p.m. Transfer to hotel, maybe an evening walk in the
city.
July 2- Tuesday
ISTANBUL (Constantinople)
Visit and view the rich collection of the Archaeology Museum, the
St. Sophia Church, one of the most famous churches of early
Christianity (now a museum), and the magnificent Blue Mosque.
Late afternoon flight to Antalya, located on the southern coast of Turkey
on the Mediterranean Sea. Dinner and possible evening swim.
July 3 - Wednesday
PERGA
(Asku)
Perga was the capital of Pamphylia and is extensively excavated. On
the "First Missionary Journey," Paul and Barnabas arrived in Perga where
John Mark left them (Acts 13:13); they preached in Perga on their return
visit (Acts 14:25); later it was an important center of Christianity with
its own bishop.
ASPENDOS
(Serik)
At this site we will see the best preserved
Roman theater in the world. This breathtaking theater provides
insights about the Roman use of entertainment as state propaganda, which
was of concern to the early Church.
ATTALIA (Antalya)
Paul departed from Attalia at the end of his first journey (Acts 14:25).
It is probable that Paul and Barnabas had arrived from Cyprus at this
port on the way to Perga at the beginning of the journey.
Antalya Museum This beautiful museum displays exhibits from
the Paleolithic Age to the Ottoman Period.
Second night in Antalya.
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July 4 - Thursday
After our early morning departure from Attalia we will follow in the
general footsteps of Paul and Barnabas as they traveled north northeast
to Pisidian Antioch.
PISIDIAN ANTIOCH (Yalvaç)
Paul and Barnabas preached in Pisidian Antioch on the "First Missionary
Journey" (Acts 13:14-50); they made a return visit (Acts 14:21-24); Paul
probably revisited Pisidian Antioch on the "Second Missionary Journey"
(Acts 16:4-6) and on also on the "Third Missionary Journey" (Acts 18:23);
St. Thecla allegedly followed Paul to Pisidian Antioch and faced wild
beasts and torture in the Roman
theater there. We will visit the extensive remains of the Roman
city, including the Augustus
Temple, aqueduct
and the St. Paul Church, possibly built on the site of a large synagogue.
This is one of the most picturesque areas of Turkey, also not frequently
visited.
Yalvaç Museum This museum contains the finds from the
archaeological investigation of Antioch, including statues, coins, and
numerous inscriptions - one mentioning Sergius
Paulus (Paul's first covert on Cyprus; Acts 13:7)
Accommodation in Pamukkale. Evening free for swimming in the thermal and
cold pools.
July 5- Friday
HIERAPOLIS
(Pamukkale)
This city is located near the famous, extensive Travertine
Rock Formations that can be seen for miles. The city is mentioned
in Col 4:13 as having been evangelized by Epaphras, a Pauline colleague
who also worked in Laodicea; the traditional site of the martyrdom of
the apostle Philip who settled there with his daughters after leaving
Palestine at the beginning of the Jewish-Roman War (A.D. 66-70); a church
here was dedicated to Philip; this is also the city where Papias served
as bishop in A.D. 125, author of the Expositions of the Sayings of Jesus,
a now-lost work with materials from the Apostle John that influenced Irenaeus,
Hippolytus, and Eusebius; a later bishop of Hierapolis, Claudius Apollinaris,
also wrote a work defending the faith, which is now lost; the bishops
of Hierapolis attended the Councils of Nicea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon.
We will view the extensive necropolis,
the Roman
baths, several large Christian churches, and the nearly intact
Roman theater.
LAODICEA (Denizli)
The city is addressed in the Book of Revelation 3:14-22; the struggles
of the church are mentioned in Col 2:1, and the Colossian letter was sent
to the Laodicean church as well (Col 4:13-16); the Colossians are instructed
to read the "Letter from Laodicea," which some have suggested may be the
Epistle to the Hebrews; Epaphras is identified as the Pauline colleague
who evangelized in Laodicea (Col 4:13); sometime in the fourth century
there was a church Council at Laodicea that issued sixty canons of church
law which have survived, although the date is uncertain.
COLOSSAE
(Honaz)
The recipients of the letter of the Colossians (Col 1:2) and the likely
location of Philemon, Aphia, and Archippus to whom the letter to Philemon
was sent, concerning the slave Onesimus (Philemon 10) who may be the same
person as the later Bishop Onesimus in Ephesus; a major center of Jewish
population from the period of the first century B.C., it was destroyed
by earthquake in A.D. 60 or 64 and apparently never reoccupied.
Second night in Pamukkale. Evening free for swimming in the thermal and
cold pools.
July 6 - Saturday
APHRODISIAS (Geyre)
This is one of the largest archaeological sites in Turkey, though infrequently
visited. Aphrodisias was an important educational and administrative center,
and there are spectacular remains of temples, baths, theater, churches,
streets, marble statues and public squares. Important inscriptions and
artifacts from the excavation are visible in the museum, including the
famous "God-fearer" inscription.
First of two night’s accommodation in Kusadasi near the sea . Enjoy swimming
in the evening.
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July 7 - Sunday
PRIENE (Gullubahce)
The city of Priene is the best preserved model of urban planning from
the Greco-Roman period. Alexander the Great visited the city, and the
house where he stayed was converted into a worship center. Remains of
a synagogue have been found there, and from the site there is a good view
of the meander valley [see Miletus below]. The elders from Ephesus, whom
Paul had summoned, would have passed though Priene on their way to visit
with Paul in Miletus (Acts 20:17).
MILETUS (Balat)
Paul and his colleagues came to Miletus on the way to Jerusalem during
the "Third Missionary Journey," where a farewell sermon was delivered
to the elders of the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:15-38); 2 Tim 4:20 refers
to the early Christian missionary Trophimus residing in Miletus during
illness. Miletus was an important ancient city, the home of mathematician
Thales and Hippodamos, the architect who developed the grid plan for Hellenistic
cities; Miletus later became an important center of early Christianity,
the birthplace of the famous architect primarily responsible for designing
Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, Isidorus.
DIDYMA
(Altinkum)
The Temple of Apollo
at Didyma began as an oracular shrine in the 8th
century BCE and the Hellenistic temple built on this site is one of the
largest in the ancient world; its gigantic columns and underground passageways
give a sense of the power and sophistication of Greek religion, and the
"Sacred Way" to the sanctuary is something of an antecedent to later pilgrim
paths developed by Christians.
Second overnight in Kusadasi. Enjoy shopping and swimming in the evening.
July 8 - Monday
EPHESUS (Selçuk)
Tour of Ephesus, the magnificent city paved with marble that
served as the capital of the province of Asia during the period of the
rise of Christianity.
Paul visited Ephesus on his "Second Missionary Journey" (Acts 18:19-21)
and settled there for several years on his "Third Missionary Journey"
(Acts 19:1-20:1). The book of Ephesians was addressed to the church
of Ephesus; the reference to fighting with "wild beasts in Ephesus"
(1 Cor 15:32) probably marked the conclusion of his ministry there;
Paul apparently avoided revisiting Ephesus on the final trip to Jerusalem
(Acts 20:16). Several later letters (1 Tim 1:3, 2:Tim 1:18, 4:12) refer
to activities in Ephesus. A church in Ephesus was also addressed by
John in the Book of Revelation 2:1-7. Ephesus is the traditional site
of the refuge for the Apostle John and Mary the mother of Jesus, as
they fled Palestine at the time of the Jewish-Roman War. The tomb of
the Apostle John in Ephesus became a great pilgrimage shrine. The Byzantine
inscription about Mary as "God-bearer" found at Ephesus leads some to
think it became a center of the adoration of Mary; it was the Councils
of Ephesus in 431 and 449, the first of which authorized "God-bearer"
language for Mary. Several later bishops in Ephesus were involved in
the Arian controversy. We visit the remains of the ancient Greek city
of Ephesus, one of the most impressive classical sites in the world.
In addition to seeing the Upper Agora, the Temple of Domitian, the Street
of Curetes, the Nymphaeum, Library of Celcus, and the Great Theater,
we hope to make arrangements to visit the newly excavated patrician
homes.
Basilica of St. John The Basilica of St. John ranked as one
of the largest Byzantine churches. According to tradition, the grave
of St. John the Divine is under the church. This site affords a fine
view of Ephesus and its surroundings.
Ephesus Museum This museum is one of the most extensive and
important in Turkey, with many famous artifacts from the site of ancient
Ephesus, including several statues of Artemis.
Overnight in Izmir.
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July 9 - Tuesday
SMYRNA (Izmir)
This large ancient city was the birthplace of Homer and an important
administrative center during the Roman period. The modern city of several
million covers most of the sites, except for the ancient marketplace,
which we will view. John addressed the Church of Smyrna in the book of
Revelation (Rev 2:8-11); Ignatius of Antioch lived in the house of Tavia
in Smyrna and wrote several letters there; Bishop Polycarp served in Smyrna
and Bishop Thraeseas was martyred there in the second century; later martyrdoms
are reported in the Acts of Pionius around A.D. 250 A minor church council
met in Smyrna in A.D. 366.
SARDIS (Salihli)
John wrote a critical letter to Sardis (Rev 3:1-6), but the church
there seems to have prospered, because Bishop Mileto wrote a prominent
work there in the second century attacking the Jews. Their huge synagogue,
the largest in the ancient world, is still extant; large Byzantine churches
indicate the strength of Christianity in Sardis, with a list of bishops
that continues to the fourteenth century. We visit the huge temple of
Artemis, later churches and the large gymnasium complex where the synagogue
is located .
PHILADELPHIA (Alasehir)
THYATIRA (Akhisar)
A brief stop in Akhisar to visit the limited archaeological remains
of Thyatira. Lydia was a purple seller from this city (Acts 16:14) and
John addresses the city in the book of Revelation (2:1829).
Overnight in the seaside town of Dikili.
July 10 - Wednesday
PERGAMUM (Bergama)
Pergamum was addressed in the Revelation of John (Rev 2:12-17) which
referred to "Satan’s throne" as being there. The foundation of the Great
Altar of Zeus is still visible but the magnificent friezes are in the
Pergamum Museum in Berlin. Although a Christian community remained in
Pergamum, it continued as a significant center of traditional Greco-Roman
religion, and was influential in Julian’s effort to restore pagan worship
in the fourth century A.D.
We visit the spectacular site of Pergamum, with its acropolis crowning
the top of a mountain, its unusual theater, its library, the Trajaneum,
the site of the great altar of Zeus and its temple of Athena. We will
also visit the "Red Basilica," the site of a temple to the goddess Serapis
as well as the extensive remains of the ancient healing center of Pergamum
dedicated to Asclepius.
Overnight accommodation in the charming seaside town of Behramkale. Enjoy
dinner overlooking the Aegean Sea.
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July 11 - Thursday
ASSOS (Behramkale)
Paul walked from Troas to the seaport city of Assos on his "Third Missionary
Journey" (Acts 20:13-14), meeting his ship there and then traveling on
to Lesbos the next day. We visit Assos, the magnificent city overlooking
the sea where Aristotle and other famous scholars lived and studied: view
the acropolis, the temple of Athena, remains of a theater, the city walls,
and the recent excavations outside the city gate. The island of Lesbos,
whose port of Mitylene was visited by Paul on the final journey to Jerusalem
(Acts 20:14), is visible across the bay.
TROAS (Dalyan)
Troas was a crucial communications center for the development of early
Christianity, with Paul "coming down" into the city along a hitherto undiscovered
route from North Galatia on the "Second Missionary Journey" (Acts 16:8).
Paul apparently evangelized there for some time, establishing a church;
then after the vision of the "man from Macedonia," Paul sailed to the
west and founded the churches on Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:9); during
the later crisis with the church in Corinth, Paul traveled to Troas to
meet Titus (2 Cor 2:12); on the "Third Missionary Journey," Troas was
the rendezvous point with the church representatives bringing the Jerusalem
offering; Paul met them and then preached on the third floor of an apartment
building in Troas where Eutychus fell from the window (Acts 20:5-12);
2 Tim 4:13 refers to a cloak and parchments that Paul had "left with Carpus
at Troas," indicating that Troas continued as a hub for missionary travels.
Ignatius of Antioch resided in Troas for a period on his way to martyrdom
in Rome, writing three epistles there.
TROY (Tevfikiye)
We visit the ancient site of Troy, viewing the excavations of the famous
city with its many levels of occupation from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 400.
We will briefly explore the recent excavation of the New Testament Troy,
including an impressive stretch of Roman road, and spend time in the museum.
Overnight in Çannakkale near the Dardanelles.
July 12 - Friday
Cross the Dardanelles and motor on to the Turkey/Greek border. A coach
meets our group at the border and from there we drive to the seaside town
of Kavala (Neapolis) (Acts 16:11).
Overnight in Kavala.
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July 13 - Saturday
Today we will visit Philippi, the site where the apostle
Paul came and worked, establishing a strong church. To this congregation,
later he sent his Philippian letter. Of all the churches Paul founded,
probably none was so near and dear to him as the church at Philippi (Acts
16:9-33). We see the river where Lydia is thought to have been baptized,
the ruins of a Prison where Paul and Sylas may have been kept,
the Agora, 5th and 6th century Basilica and the Theater.
Philippi was built by Philip II of Macedonia on the Via Egnatia, the Roman
road which ran from Rome to Byzantium. After the visit, we drive by the
Lion statue of Amphipolis (short stop for photos).
From ancient Amphipolis (Acts 17:1) we can see the ruins of the
Agora, a Macedonian Tomb and the Water Cistern.
Late that afternoon we arrive at Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.
July 14 - Sunday
From Pella we drive to Vergina the site of one of the most important
tombs ever discovered; that of the father of Philip II of Macedonia,
the grandfather of Alexander the Great; this tends to conform to the
hypothesis that Vergina is the ancient Aigai, the first
capital of Macedonia.
Our final visit today will be Berea where the Apostle
Paul arrived, and according to his custom went to the synagogue where,
to his pleasant surprise, he discovered that these Jews were "more noble-minded
than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so."
We see the Byzantine mosaic in the monument commemorating his preaching.
According to the local tradition, it was at this place where he stood
and delivered his sermons (Acts 17:10-11).
In the afternoon, we will have a city tour of Thessaloniki (1 &
2 Thessalonians).
After our visit to Berea we drive to the airport in Thessaloniki to fly
to Athens. Overnight in Athens.
July 15 - Monday
Our morning excursion out of Athens takes us by the Saronic Gulf, where
in 480 B.C. history’s course was changed! The small Grecian fleet managed
to defeat the enormously powerful armada of the Persians. We stop at
the historic Corinthian Canal where we take pictures. We arrive at ancient
Corinth (Acts 18:1-18). It was to this megalopolis where
the apostle Paul came and worked, established a thriving church, subsequently
sending two of his epistles now part of the New Testament. Here, we
see all of the sites associated with his ministry: the Agora,
the Temple of Apollo, the Roman Odeon, the Bema
and Gallio’s Seat. The small archaeological museum here
is an absolute must! Then we proceed to Mycenae to visit
the remains of the prehistoric citadel fortified with the Cyclopean
Walls, the Lionesses' Gate, the remains of the Mycenaean
Palace and the Tomb of King Agamemnon in which we will actually
enter.
Dinner and overnight in Athens.
July 16 - Tuesday
This morning we enjoy our half-day sightseeing tour of Athens.
We climb up to the marble-capped Acropolis and visit among
the other buildings the famous Parthenon and the Erechtheum.
We now have become time travelers! Then, we go to nearby Mars'
Hill (Areopagus) (Acts 17:22) where the Apostle Paul
delivered his soul-stirring sermon to the giants of philosophy, logic
and learning. Our tour continues with the highlights of modern Athens:
we pass by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Parliament House,
Presidential Palace, Panathenian Stadium, Temple of Olympian
Zeus, the Academy, the University and the National
Library.
In the afternoon we will visit the National Archaeological museum in
Athens.
Dinner and overnight in Athens.
July 17 - Wednesday
We start our day traveling to Delphi, the center of the
Ancient world, the "omphalos" (navel) of the earth - whose prestige
extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic world. On the slopes
of Mt. Parnassos, in a landscape of unparalleled natural beauty and
majesty, lies the archaeological site of Delphi. We visit the Sanctuary
of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians and the Archaeological
Museum containing such masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture
as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias.
We return to Athens passing through the towns of Livadia and
Arachova, famous for their colorful woolen rugs and carpets,
continue through the fertile plain of Boeotia, crossing the town of
Thebes connected with the tragedy of king Oedipus.
Return to the hotel in Athens. Dinner and Overnight.
July 18 - Thursday
Depart Athens 6:00 a.m. return to USA (Minneapolis, MN) afternoon.
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