Paul (Saul) was brought up in a Jewish household in Tarsus (TTP, 20). Paul was born in the city of Tarsus, capital of the province of Cilicia. There is some suspicion that Paul’s parents or ancestors were taken to Tarsus as prisoners of war. The Apostle Paul’s Birth & Educationc. It was well-known for its culture of Greek philosophy, literature and wealth. Alexander almost met his demise in the city after he had taken a bath in Cydnus. Saul of Tarsus was born in approximately AD 5 in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia (in modern-day Turkey). Stoic philosophers like Athenodorus, Zeno, Antipater, and Nestor lived in the city in the first century AD. A lengthier article tracing the city’s history. Why did Barnabas think that Saul would be in Tarsus? Acts 11:26 The believers are called ‘Christians’ for the first time at Antioch. St.Paul's Church, Tarsus: See 69 reviews, articles, and 114 photos of St.Paul's Church, ranked No.10 on Tripadvisor among 22 attractions in Tarsus. Purchasers of the Photo Companion to the Bible and the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands are granted liberal usage rights for the images for personal and educational purposes. Acts mentions St. Paul's Tarsus citizenship only twice (Acts 21: 39; Heb 22: 3) and does not give any information about it. . The Life and Epistles of Paul by Conybeare and Howson states the following regarding the apostle's place of birth. The city became the capital of the Cilicia region when it was under Roman occupation, and was briefly renamed "Juliopolis" in … Best nearby. The Life and Epistles of Paul by Conybeare and Howson states the following regarding the apostle's place of birth. Paul's reference to the place of his birth and the Roman citizenship it made possible helped him avoid being whipped by the Romans (Acts 22:22 - 29). Harper and Brothers. B. Built " in one and the same day with Anchiale," by Sardanapalus. During Paul’s time, this was a city which enjoyed no taxation. It soon became the capital city of Cilicia (the province in which the city existed) and the place where the province's governor lived. Little of Tarsus during the time of Paul has been excavated due to the location of the modern city of Cumhuriyet Alani atop the ruins. The Roman City of Tarsus in Cilicia and its Terracotta Figurines (Les Carnets de l’ ACoSt). A prosperous city in the first century, St. Pauls pride in his home is evident when he says I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city' (Acts 21: 39). 673, 674), with Athens and Alexandria. Little of Tarsus during the time of Paul has been excavated due to the location of the modern city of Cumhuriyet Alani atop the ruins. The undefeated Grecian military leader Alexander the Great traveled through Tarsus with his massive army in 333 B.C. Excavations have turned up a paved city street of Tarsus along with a colonnaded podium, which may date to the 2nd century BC. The pictures on this website are copyrighted and may be used only with permission. Its schools of learning rivaled and excelled even those found in Athens and Alexandria. The road from Jerusalem to Damascus owes its fame to an event occurring along it about the year A.D. 34. Tarsus (NET Bible). When Cyrus came with his army from the Western Coast, and still later, when Alexander penetrated into Cilicia, they found the inhabitants "Barbarians." Weymouth New Testament "I am a Jew, born at Tarsus … Tarsus, Mersin (Wikipedia). Reading Paul's letters and Acts of the Apostles we learn that Paul was born in Tarsus, in modern day Eastern Turkey, he was a tent maker by trade, was … Grab this full day trip Green Busra and observed the classic antiquity. Located in Tekke, east of the medieval wall in Tarsus, this is actually a Roman temple dating to the second century A.D. Tarsus was the hometown of the apostle Paul (Acts 9:11), a city of great importance (21:39) as a learning center of the ancient world, alongside Alexandria and Athens. In addition, remains have been found from the Bronze Age, baths, a Hellenistic portico, a Roman theater, and many terracotta figurines of deities, animals, people, and various mythological creatures. The city was given the status of being "free" by Roman Emperor Augustus as a thanks for its efforts during Rome's civil wars. During this time of Pompey (67 BC), Tarsus was made capital over the Roman province of Cilicia, and Jews began to receive Roman citizenship. Paul’s trade, tentmaking, fits well with Tarsus, a city well-known for making a certain type of felt cloth from the wool of shaggy black goats. Legend says that St. Paul often drank from this well, said to have special curative properties. Tarsus is situated on the South coast of Turkey on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and is still a commercial centre today, as it was in Paul's day. Tarsus continued to receive special privileges under Augustus, who exempted the city from imperial taxation because Athenodorus, his teacher and friend, was a Tarsian. The Predication of Saint Paul, in Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Unlike Jesus, Paul grew up in a big city called Tarsus, which is located in modern day Turkey. "Strabo says that, in all that relates to philosophy and general education, it (the city) was even more illustrious than Athens and Alexandria. Includes a photo of Cleopatra’s Gate (apparently called St. Paul’s Gate at the time) and the Roman temple. We certainly don’t know his name. But what we know for sure is that Paul, who used to be called by his Jewish name Saul of Tarsus before converting to Christianity, spent about 30 … Around 171 B.C. Saul, the future Saint Paul, was born in Tarsus a Roman Citizen and a devout Jew (Acts 22:28, Philippians 3:4-5). A series of old photographs taken during the Near East Expedition of Francis W. Kelsey in 1920. Gallery of photographs of Nemrut Dag. He also used his rights of citizenship, given to him in Tarsus, when he appealed to have a case against him (started by Jews) be heard in Rome by Caesar himself (Acts 25:10 - 12). "Situated near the western border of the Cilician plain, where the river Cydnus flows in a cold and rapid stream, from the snows of Taurus to the sea, was the city of Tarsus, the capital of the whole province, and "no mean city" (Acts 21:39) in the history of the ancient world. Agrippa’s father was King Agrippa I, who beheaded the apostle James and arrested Peter in an attempt to kill him also. the city's library held 200,000 books, including a huge collection of scientific works. Printable Acts of Spiritual Communion. Encyclopedia article on Tarsus from a Catholic perspective. (chapter 1, section "Tarsus and Cicero"). Those born in such free cities (like the Apostle Paul) were deemed to be citizens of the Roman Empire and could therefore exercise the privileges and rights granted to those with a Rome-based citizenship. While Roman citizenship did indeed confer legal status on the bearer, citizenship’s largest impact was social. Contrary t… Tarsus was also the place where Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony met for the first time and where they held celebrated feasts during the construction of their fleet (41 B.C.). (Masses will continue to be available on our Archive Page.) A compilation of entries on Tarsus from several Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias. Tarsus was about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Antioch. The Roman City of Tarsus in Cilicia and its Terracotta Figurines. The New Testament references the apostle Paul in relation to his hometown of Tarsus several times (Acts 9:11, 30, 11:25, 21:39, 22:3). New York. Tarsus (Livius). Tarsus has a history going back over 2,000 years. Tarsus, Biblical Sites in Turkey, Biblical Tour Guide is a web site where we share with you our knowledge and offer you our top services. Are there any principles which will be a sufficient guide to them in the choice of a profession or calling? Church members bring Paul down to Caesarea by the sea, and from Caesarea they sent him to Tarsus (Acts 9:30). $138.00 per adult. Nave's Topical Index We pick up Paul's life during his early travels before conducting his first missionary journey. They stay here teaching the new believers for a year. The New Testament references the apostle Paul in relation to his hometown of Tarsus several times (Acts 9:11, 30, 11:25, 21:39, 22:3). I am truly a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day. Tarsus grew into a cultural and intellectual center. Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Tarsus pictures – Turkey (Dick Osseman). ... St. Paul of Tarsus Catholic Parish. . While it is not impossible that Paul, a Jew from Tarsus, could have had Roman citizenship bestowed on him, it is unlikely that citizenship would have had the influence described in the book of Acts. - Harry Thurston Peck. Paul, a name he may have had thanks to his Roman citizenship, was born early in the first century CE or late in the last century BCE in a Greek-speaking area of the Roman Empire . Apostle to the Gentiles, Martyr; Born: c. 5 AD Tarsus, Cilicia, Roman Empire (Modern-day Turkey) : Died: c. 64/67 AD (aged 61–62 or 64–65) Rome, Roman Empire: Venerated in Tarsus, Capital of Cilicia, on Cydmus fl., at one time near its mouth, but now 13 m. inland. We know almost nothing about the father of the Apostle Paul. Kervan Humus (138) 4 min $$ - $$$ Mediterranean. Such free cities like Tarsus were also not subject to having Roman guards stationed within its gates. The apostle Paul’s charge to Titus is “to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town” (1:5). Tarsus was the headquarters of a Persian satrapy (a Persian governor who rules over a particular jurisdiction or province) for a period of time starting from around 400 B.C. 612 BC. As a child, Paul was raised in Jerusalem and properly educated under the tutelage of Gamaliel, a member of the Sanhedrin. The Hittites first dominated the city, followed by the powerful Assyrian Empire and then the massive empire of Persia. pp. Tarsus (Ancient History Encyclopedia). Paul was a Roman citizen by birth, and Tarsus, where Paul was born, was a free city (see Acts 21:39). "Its (Tarsus') coins reveal to us its greatness through a long series of years:- alike in the period which intervened between Xerxes and Alexander, - and under the Roman sway, when it exulted in the name of Metropolis, - and long after Hadrian had rebuilt it, and issued his new coinage with the old mythological types . It was a free city, and a place of culture and learning. It was believed that Cleopatra sailed up the Cydnus disguised as Aphrodite and came through this gate in 41 BC on her way to meet Mark Antony. The Emperor Pompey made Cilicia a Roman province in 64 BC, and its capital, Tarsus, was a free city from the time of Augustus. Cleopatra’s Gate in Tarsus (Turkish Archaeological News). 69 Reviews 1 Q&A. In about AD 10, Saul’s family moved to Jerusalem. He was forced to return to his hometown due to his … Images of Tarsus, Turkey (University of Michigan). Reading Paul’s letters and Acts of the Apostles we learn that Paul was born in Tarsus, in modern day Eastern Turkey; he was a tent maker by trade, was an avid student under the top Jewish teacher in Jerusalem and was also a Roman citizen. No:14 Caminur, Tarsus Turkey. His birth name was no doubt Saul while Paul (Paulus) was his Roman name which he naturally would have used more in his missionary work among the Gentiles. Free cities in the Roman empire were allowed to govern themselves by their own laws and customs, and given the privelage of selecting their own magistrates. “Strabo, speaking of the time of Sulla, says (about 85 B. Mass Saturday beginning at 4:00 pm and all day Sunday. Antony, who controlled the eastern provinces, declared the city free in 42 BC. How did Paul's family arrive in Tarsus? ... Acts 21:39 - But Paul said, I am a man [which am] a Jew of Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. Feast of the Epiphany. Parish Office: 586-228-1210 Religious Ed: 586-228-6651 Food Pantry: 586-228-1094 41300 Romeo Plank Road, Clinton Township, Michigan 48038 Encyclopedia entry on Tarsus. Paul of Tarsus (a city in Cilicia, in what is now Turkey), was also known by the Jewish name of Saul. From his description it is evident that its main character was that of a Greek city, where the Greek language was spoken, and Greek literature studiously cultivated. Paul wrote some of the most beautiful and important passages in the whole of the Bible. V. Longlois, a traveler during the Middle Ages, identified this structure as the tomb of Sardanapalus, an Assyrian who was killed during the siege of Nineveh ca. A second part can be found here. King Agrippa II was the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who had attempted to kill infant Jesus and who did kill many baby boys in Judea. He was born to Jewish parents who possessed Roman citizenship, a coveted privilege that their son would also possess. Tarsus (Catholic Encyclopedia). Describes the city’s famous gate. Everything known about him comes from the biblical book of Acts, the epistles which make up most of the Christian New Testament, and other narratives (such as The Acts of Paul and Thecla) not included in the Bible. Stream Our Stations of the Cross. Acts 11:25-26 Barnabas goes to Tarsus in 43AD and brings Paul back to Antioch (see 3 & 4 on Map 20). Paul was a follower of the Law and he became “both a Pharisee and a persecutor of Jesus-followers” (TTP, 20). The Tarsus gate of Cleopatra, also called the “Sea Gate,” still stands today, though it has been significantly restored. Understanding Paul’s Jewish background does influence how we, as modern-day Christians, read Paul’s letters. Tarsus in Cilicia, on the banks of the river Cydnus, by which it maintained an extensive commerce, was a distinguished seat of Greek philosophy and literature, and, from the number of its schools and learned men, is ranked by Strabo (xiv. Mary's Way of the Cross. By the first century A.D., Jews had settled in almost every country of the civilized world. Pompey, the great Roman military general, placed Tarsus under the control of Rome. Tarsus / ˈ t ɑːr s ə s / (Hittite: Tarsa; Greek: Ταρσός Tarsós; Armenian: Տարսոն Tarson; Arabic: طَرَسُوس ‎ Ṭarsūs) is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km (12 miles) inland from the Mediterranean.It is part of the Adana-Mersin metropolitan area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 3 million people. In the case of Saul of Tarsus, it was determined by the declared purpose of the Redeemer (Acts xxvi. More info. A.D. 6 Born a Roman citizen to Jewish parents in Tarsus (in modern eastern Turkey)c. 20–30 Studies Torah in Jerusalem with Gamaliel; becomes a … I am verily a man who am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, being zealous towards God, as ye all are this day. Tarsus was the birthplace of many distinguished men, among them the Apostle Paul. "But we should be wrong in supposing that the general population of the province was of Greek origin, or spoke the Greek tongue. Website +90 324 613 18 65. For more details, see copyright information. While Jesus spent his whole life in the Jewish homeland, Judea, Paul … 7 Other Attractions within 0.75 miles. The Early Years Of Saul Of Tarsus Introduction I. A more technical discussion of certain finds from the site. 29 Restaurants within 0.75 miles. Notably, Jewish citizens of Tarsus were granted Roman citizenship. Excavations have turned up a paved city street of Tarsus along with a colonnaded podium, which may date to the 2nd century BC. Here you can find information about the history of ancient Turkey, about biblical sites to visit in Turkey and Greece, major Christian Saints, missionary journeys of St. Paul and Seven Churches of St. John. Students may use the material on this site for school projects without permission. "And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. Young men now cannot hope for any such direct and infallible guidance. Provides a historical summary of Tarsus. A. 16 —18). On the great day of Pentecost, Jews from throughout the Greco-Roman world traveled to Jerusalem to worship God (Acts 2:5–12). 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