Mark Wilson: Background
Mark Wilson, the Director of the Asia Minor Research Center, has been living in Turkey for 10 years. He spent 6 years in Izmir, 1 year in Istanbul and 3 years in Atalya. Once a year the Mediterranean Civilization Research Center convenes all the excavation directors. Each director provides a report of all their work. Most of the reports are written in Turkish, of course. There is a book that provides an English translation of their results. Mark is the English editor and he just finished editing 50 reports for the 2014 edition.
From 2009-2011, Mark worked on a dig at the Jewish synagogue in Priene. The results have just been published.
Sardis
In the time of Paul, there were 800,000 to 1M Jews in the Diaspora (Jews who didn't live in Canaan). Sardis had the largest synagogue in Asia Minor (I saw this 2 years ago). The currently excavated synagogue, was initially built in the 1st century as a meeting hall, or basilica. The next building stage added an apse. Then in the late 3rd or early 4th century it became a synagogue. The water basin was in a common area so the people of the city could draw water. Haven't found evidence that this basin was designated for ritual purification for the Jews. The Jews did lay the mosaic. Last year, Austrians working in the East Gate area found panels with menorahs.
Paul's Routes
Many Bible atlases draw Paul's routes incorrectly because the cartographer/artist/scholar didn't know the Roman road system. Note: the British Institute website has a map for download of the Roman roads. Mitchell and French had advocated that Pamphylia and Antioch were linked by the Via Sebaste. A year ago, Mark Wilson found an inscription that substantiated their claims. The inscription was found 1 Roman mile beyond the milestone. The limestone block weighed 1,000 pounds. It had Latin and 2 lines translated Greek. The inscription is from 70 AD when Vespasian reorganized the provinces. Vespasian authorized the creation of the province of Pamphylia/Lycia Galatica. In Acts, Luke refers to Phyrigio/Galatica region. Luke used the precise (and correct) geographical titles of his day.
"Localized projected route of Paul's second journey"
Mark's project for this year has been to develop this poster. It will be presented soon.
Paul's pattern was to visit:
- Large urban centers
- Large Jewish populations
- Religious centers
- Commercial centers
Proposed route
On the poster, Mark proposes the following route that would have required walking 1000 miles but also adheres to Luke's record of the trip found in Acts:
Leg 1: Antuoca to Pisidia Antioch
Leg 2: Pisidia Antioch to Apamea
(1st prohibition)
Leg 3: Apamea to Dorylaeum
Leg 4: Dorylaeum to Alexandria Troas
(vision of the Macedonian man)
Legs 1-2 ~ 600 miles
Legs 3-4 ~ 400 miles
Question & Answer Session
At what age did Paul go to Jerusalem?
He was a Roman citizen. He had to have the financial ability to maintain this status. His family probably had a house in Jerusalem for business purposes. He goes back and forth between Tarsus and Jerusalem during his youth. He was acclimated to the Diaspora. Mark Wilson believes Paul never met Jesus in the flesh although Paul had clearly heard about Jesus.
How could Paul be born a Roman citizen?
Paul came from a wealthy family of tent makers. It was a prestigious job, Mark believes that is probably the way Paul's family attained Roman citizenship.
1) Antiochus IV (of abomination of desolation infamy) re-founded cities in 171 BC. When he did this he brought in Jews to colonize. Perhaps that is when Paul's family moves to Tarsus. Male citizens over 20 years old are members of tribes. Typically Jews were allowed to be their own tribe. They would participate in civic duties as much as their religious beliefs would allow.
2) From 40-30 BC, Antony and Octavian fought. There is an inscription by Seluecus of Phocus (south of Alexandria), that is a series of letters from Octavian. Seleucus gave Octavian aid and therefore Seleucus was awarded Roman citizenship. These inscriptions were set up in Antioch and Tarsus. Why an inscription? The message to others is that if you render aid, you may be awarded citizenship as well. This may have been another way that Paul could have been born a Roman citizen.
How would Paul have proven his Roman citizenship?
- Perhaps he produced a primitive passport
- Only Roman citizens were allowed to own/wear togas with purple on them. It was illegal to wear it if you weren't.
- Registered in the city of your citizenship
Where did Paul land on his 1st missionary journey?
- Mark believes that he landed at Magydus, which was Perga's seaport. From there he walked to Perga. They have found drainage channels, sidewalks and a long ramp.
- Attalia has just been discovered. It is a river portal that is 5km to the east.
- Hydrologists have been looking at the ancient ports (Pergamum, Miletus). Channels were used as tow paths for barges. This would have been how marble was imported from quarries outside of Istanbul and Ankara.
Why do we find differences in the city name?
Greek endings -os versus Latin endings -us. This is why sometimes the city is referred to as Perga versus Perge. Same city. Just depends on who is writing about it. Someone who is using Greek (for example, the writers of the Septuagint) or writers who are using Latin (Rome's language).
Where does the Roman Road in Tarsus go?
The Roman road in Tarsus heads east and then north through the Cilician Gates.
Titus Tunnel
There is still an inscription at it start and another at its terminus.
How long is an Augustan milestone
0.92 statute mile
How far would someone walk each day on a Roman road?
Assuming a level grade, Paul could reasonably walk 20 miles per day. Mansios were inns that were spaced a days travel apart. Once Paul was at the base of the pass, he would have had a single days journey to Perga. Reference the Putinger Map created during the Byzantine period. Identifies the Roman roads and mansios.
Why did Paul go to Derbe rather than Laronda?
Someone in Lystra probably took Paul to Derbe. He can't go to Iconium. Derbe is off the main road even in Paul's day. It wasn't a Roman colony. They probably used water from the nearby mountain or from springs.
How much does it cost to excavate a new site?
The first 1-2 years costs ~ $200,000. This allows you to build the necessary infrastructures before you begin the dig itself.
Mark Wilson, the Director of the Asia Minor Research Center, has been living in Turkey for 10 years. He spent 6 years in Izmir, 1 year in Istanbul and 3 years in Atalya. Once a year the Mediterranean Civilization Research Center convenes all the excavation directors. Each director provides a report of all their work. Most of the reports are written in Turkish, of course. There is a book that provides an English translation of their results. Mark is the English editor and he just finished editing 50 reports for the 2014 edition.
From 2009-2011, Mark worked on a dig at the Jewish synagogue in Priene. The results have just been published.
Sardis
In the time of Paul, there were 800,000 to 1M Jews in the Diaspora (Jews who didn't live in Canaan). Sardis had the largest synagogue in Asia Minor (I saw this 2 years ago). The currently excavated synagogue, was initially built in the 1st century as a meeting hall, or basilica. The next building stage added an apse. Then in the late 3rd or early 4th century it became a synagogue. The water basin was in a common area so the people of the city could draw water. Haven't found evidence that this basin was designated for ritual purification for the Jews. The Jews did lay the mosaic. Last year, Austrians working in the East Gate area found panels with menorahs.
Paul's Routes
Many Bible atlases draw Paul's routes incorrectly because the cartographer/artist/scholar didn't know the Roman road system. Note: the British Institute website has a map for download of the Roman roads. Mitchell and French had advocated that Pamphylia and Antioch were linked by the Via Sebaste. A year ago, Mark Wilson found an inscription that substantiated their claims. The inscription was found 1 Roman mile beyond the milestone. The limestone block weighed 1,000 pounds. It had Latin and 2 lines translated Greek. The inscription is from 70 AD when Vespasian reorganized the provinces. Vespasian authorized the creation of the province of Pamphylia/Lycia Galatica. In Acts, Luke refers to Phyrigio/Galatica region. Luke used the precise (and correct) geographical titles of his day.
"Localized projected route of Paul's second journey"
Mark's project for this year has been to develop this poster. It will be presented soon.
Paul's pattern was to visit:
- Large urban centers
- Large Jewish populations
- Religious centers
- Commercial centers
Proposed route
On the poster, Mark proposes the following route that would have required walking 1000 miles but also adheres to Luke's record of the trip found in Acts:
Leg 1: Antuoca to Pisidia Antioch
Leg 2: Pisidia Antioch to Apamea
(1st prohibition)
Leg 3: Apamea to Dorylaeum
Leg 4: Dorylaeum to Alexandria Troas
(vision of the Macedonian man)
Legs 1-2 ~ 600 miles
Legs 3-4 ~ 400 miles
Question & Answer Session
At what age did Paul go to Jerusalem?
He was a Roman citizen. He had to have the financial ability to maintain this status. His family probably had a house in Jerusalem for business purposes. He goes back and forth between Tarsus and Jerusalem during his youth. He was acclimated to the Diaspora. Mark Wilson believes Paul never met Jesus in the flesh although Paul had clearly heard about Jesus.
How could Paul be born a Roman citizen?
Paul came from a wealthy family of tent makers. It was a prestigious job, Mark believes that is probably the way Paul's family attained Roman citizenship.
1) Antiochus IV (of abomination of desolation infamy) re-founded cities in 171 BC. When he did this he brought in Jews to colonize. Perhaps that is when Paul's family moves to Tarsus. Male citizens over 20 years old are members of tribes. Typically Jews were allowed to be their own tribe. They would participate in civic duties as much as their religious beliefs would allow.
2) From 40-30 BC, Antony and Octavian fought. There is an inscription by Seluecus of Phocus (south of Alexandria), that is a series of letters from Octavian. Seleucus gave Octavian aid and therefore Seleucus was awarded Roman citizenship. These inscriptions were set up in Antioch and Tarsus. Why an inscription? The message to others is that if you render aid, you may be awarded citizenship as well. This may have been another way that Paul could have been born a Roman citizen.
How would Paul have proven his Roman citizenship?
- Perhaps he produced a primitive passport
- Only Roman citizens were allowed to own/wear togas with purple on them. It was illegal to wear it if you weren't.
- Registered in the city of your citizenship
Where did Paul land on his 1st missionary journey?
- Mark believes that he landed at Magydus, which was Perga's seaport. From there he walked to Perga. They have found drainage channels, sidewalks and a long ramp.
- Attalia has just been discovered. It is a river portal that is 5km to the east.
- Hydrologists have been looking at the ancient ports (Pergamum, Miletus). Channels were used as tow paths for barges. This would have been how marble was imported from quarries outside of Istanbul and Ankara.
Why do we find differences in the city name?
Greek endings -os versus Latin endings -us. This is why sometimes the city is referred to as Perga versus Perge. Same city. Just depends on who is writing about it. Someone who is using Greek (for example, the writers of the Septuagint) or writers who are using Latin (Rome's language).
Where does the Roman Road in Tarsus go?
The Roman road in Tarsus heads east and then north through the Cilician Gates.
Titus Tunnel
There is still an inscription at it start and another at its terminus.
How long is an Augustan milestone
0.92 statute mile
How far would someone walk each day on a Roman road?
Assuming a level grade, Paul could reasonably walk 20 miles per day. Mansios were inns that were spaced a days travel apart. Once Paul was at the base of the pass, he would have had a single days journey to Perga. Reference the Putinger Map created during the Byzantine period. Identifies the Roman roads and mansios.
Why did Paul go to Derbe rather than Laronda?
Someone in Lystra probably took Paul to Derbe. He can't go to Iconium. Derbe is off the main road even in Paul's day. It wasn't a Roman colony. They probably used water from the nearby mountain or from springs.
How much does it cost to excavate a new site?
The first 1-2 years costs ~ $200,000. This allows you to build the necessary infrastructures before you begin the dig itself.
What did we see in the newly excavated section of Perga?
In Paul's time, there was nothing to the East of the Hellenistic Gate. The agora was a later addition. The new area we saw was there when Paul lived. As you walked down the stoa street you passed under an arch, which is an aqueduct. On your right was a gymnasium. Further there is a bath built during the days of Claudius. Later on a fountain was added to the front. Beyond that is the western necropolis, an aqueduct and eventually the Via Sebaste.
In Paul's time, there was nothing to the East of the Hellenistic Gate. The agora was a later addition. The new area we saw was there when Paul lived. As you walked down the stoa street you passed under an arch, which is an aqueduct. On your right was a gymnasium. Further there is a bath built during the days of Claudius. Later on a fountain was added to the front. Beyond that is the western necropolis, an aqueduct and eventually the Via Sebaste.
M. Wilson must have been such an interesting speaker. Good that Orhan asked him to speak. Seren was precious and so good about being out to eat. Short but sweet.
ReplyDeleteI am glad y'all got to see them. What did you make for Seren? Love y'all
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