the Week of Proper 27 / Ordinary 32
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Bible Encyclopedias
Mitylene
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
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1. Importance and History:
In antiquity the most important city of the Asiatic Aeolians and of the island of Lesbos. It had 2 harbors and strong fortresses. The city was noted for its high culture and for its zeal for art and science from the earliest times. The island, under the leadership of Mitylene, revolted in 428
In the Middle Ages, the name Mitylene was applied to the whole island. The present capital, often called simply Castro, has a large castle built on the site of the ancient acropolis (in 1373). The city was conquered by the Turks in 1462. It contains 14 mosques, 7 churches, and has a population of about 15,000.
2. Paul's Visit:
On his third missionary journey, Paul traveled to the Hellespont from Philippi, thence through the Troad by land to Assos on the southern side - where extensive excavations were carried on in 1881 by an American archaeological expedition - thence by ship to Mitylene (Acts 20:14 ), where he spent the night. Leaving Lesbos, he sailed southward to a point opposite the island of Chios (Acts 20:15 ). There is no record that a Christian church had been established in Mitylene at this time.
Literature.
Tozer, Islands of the Aegean , 121,134 f, 136; Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler , 291 ff.
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Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Mitylene'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/m/mitylene.html. 1915.
