Neapolis
Neapolis was the port city where Paul first set foot in Europe, arriving by ship from Troas after his vision of the man of Macedonia pleading for help. From this harbor, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke traveled inland to Philippi, a leading city of the district, where the gospel would soon take root through Lydia's conversion and the conversion of the Philippian jailer. Though Neapolis itself receives only a single mention in Acts, its role as the literal gateway through which Christianity first entered the European continent gives it a quiet but historically significant place in the spread of the gospel.
Details
- Region
- Macedonia
- Modern Location
- Kavala, Greece
Key Passages
Paul Lands in Europe
Acts 16:11-12
This brief travel note marks the literal first step of the gospel's arrival in Europe, following Paul's vision of the man of Macedonia.
11herefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
Did You Know?
Neapolis means 'new city' - the same name that became Naples in Italy; the ancient Mediterranean had several.
The Egnatian Way, Rome's great east-west highway, began its Macedonian stretch at Neapolis - Paul stepped off a boat onto one of the empire's main arteries.
Europe's first church service traces to a riverside outside Philippi - but Europe's first Christian footprints landed at Neapolis's harbor.