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Bible Encyclopedias
Ptolemais
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Πτολεμαϊ v ς ), the name of two places in Scripture.
1. The same as Accho (q.v.). The name is, in fact, an interpolation in the history of the place. The city which was called Accho in the earliest Jewish annals, and which is again the Akka or St. Jean d'Acre of crusading and modern times, was named Ptolemais in the Macedonian and Roman periods. In the former of these periods it was the most important town upon the coast, and it is prominently mentioned in the first book of Maccabees (1 Maccabees 5:15; 1 Maccabees 5:55; 1 Maccabees 10:1; 1 Maccabees 10:58; 1 Maccabees 10:60; 1 Maccabees 12:48). In the latter its eminence was far outdone by Herod's new city of Caesarea. It is worthy of notice that Herod, on his return from Italy to Syria, landed at Ptolemais (Josephus, Ant. 14:15, 1). Still in the New Test. Ptolemais is a marked point in Paul's travels both by land and sea. He must have passed through it on all his journeys along the great coast road which connected Caesarea and Antioch (Acts 11:30; Acts 12:25; Acts 15:2; Acts 15:30; Acts 18:22); and the distances are given both in the Antonine and Jerusalem itineraries (Wesseling, Itin. p. 158, 584). But it is specifically mentioned in Acts 21:7 as containing a Christian community, visited for one dav by Paul. On this occasion he came to Ptolemais by sea. He was then on his return voyage from the third missionary journey. The last harbor at which he had touched was Tyre (Acts 21:3). From Ptolemais he proceeded, apparently by land, to Caesarea (Acts 21:8), and thence to Jerusalem (Acts 21:17). (See PAUL).
2. A place described as ροοοφορος , rose-producing (3 Maccabees 7:17), and supposed to be the ὅρμος Πτολεμαϊ v ς of Ptolemy (4:5, 57), in Central Egypt, in the Arsinoite nome, a district still abounding in roses (Mannert, Geogr. der Griechen u. Romanen, 10:1, p. 419; Ritter, Erdkunde, i, 795, 797).
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Ptolemais'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/p/ptolemais.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
