Bible Dictionaries
Illyricum

Holman Bible Dictionary

(ihl lehr' ih cuhm) Place name of uncertain meaning. A district in the Roman Empire between the Danube River and the Adriatic Sea. The Romans divided it into Dalmatia and Panhynonia. It includes modern Yugoslavia and Albania. Illyricum represented the northeastern limits of Paul's missionary work as he wrote the Romans (Romans 15:19 ), though the Bible nowhere mentions his work there. His work in Macedonia was only a few miles away, so he could easily have preached in or sent his associates to Illyricum. This does not mean he had covered all of Illyricum, only that he had introduced the gospel there in the dangerous limits of the empire. Paul had thus completed his missionary ministry of preaching the gospel and planting churches in the eastern end of the empire. Paul was now ready to preach in Rome and the western parts of the Roman Empire (Romans 15:20-24 ).