About St. Paul Journey to Rome
St. Paul's Journey to Rome
Caesarea - Sidon - Myra - Cnidus - Lasea - Malta - Syracuse -
Rhegium - Puteoli - Forum Appi - Three Taverns - Rome (Acts
27:17)
Agabus and others had prophesied to St. Paul along the way that
trouble awaited him in Jerusalem (Acts 21:414). His arrest in
Jerusalem was provoked when some Jews from the province of Asia
accused St. Paul of bringing his coworker, the Ephesian gentile
Trophimus, into the temple area (21:2729). Stones in Greek warned
Gentiles that entrance beyond the Court of the Gentiles was
prohibited.
Today one such stone is on
display at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum; it reads: No
intruder is allowed in the courtyard and within the wall surrounding
the temple. Those who enter will invite death for themselves. St.
Paul languished in Roman custody for two years at Caesarea until he
appealed to Caesar (24:126:32).
The Roman governor Festus then decided to send St. Paul to Rome for
trial. In a touch of divine irony St. Paul is placed under guard on
a ship from Adramyttium, bound for ports along the coast of Asia.
His companions for this voyage that dates to the year 59 were Luke
and Aristarchus.
The northwest prevailing winds that blew across the Mediterranean
forced ships sailing westward to hug the Anatolian coast of Cilicia
and Pamphylia. At Myra in Lycia the Roman centurion transferred his
prisoners to an Alexandrian ship returning to Rome (27:47).
Such vessels were the most comfortable to sail on but would be
heavily laden with grain to make bread for the Roman populace. The
ship plodded slowly along Turkeys Carian coast until at Cnidus St.
Paul glimpsed Anatolia for the last time on this trip. What followed
was a harrowing shipwreck that cast St. Paul and his companions
barely alive on the shores of Malta.
The book of Acts closes with St. Paul arriving safely in Rome where
was placed under house arrest.
Journeys of St. Paul
About St. Paul
Traveling in St. Pauls Time
City of St. Paul
Antioch on the Orontes
Seleucia Pieria
First Journey
Ministry in Antioch - Orontes
Second Journey
Third Journey
Arrest and Imprisonment
Journey to Rome
Story of Paul and Thecla
St. Paul's Letters