Biblical Thessalonica

THESSALONICA

THESSALONICA (thes-a-lo-ni'ka). Called anciently Therma. It was named after the wife of Cassander, who rebuilt the city. Under the Romans it was one of four divisions of Macedonia. Paul and Silas organized a church there (Acts 17:1-4; 1 Thess 1:9). In Acts 20:1-3, Paul's visit is named; see also Phil 4:16; 2 Tim 4:10. In Acts 17:6,8, the rulers of the city are called, in the original, politarchai. This title of a political magistrate is otherwise unknown in extant Gk. literature. At the western entrance to the city there remained standing until 1876 a Roman arch. This contained an inscription on its gate mentioning certain city officials called "politarchs." Other inscriptions also contained the same word. The politarchs were elected by "the people," which refers to the assembly of the demos. Thus one of the assertions of historical inaccuracy in Scripture has been answered. The modern city Salonika is a strategic Balkan metropolis having a population of more than 400,000. Because of its position it played a vital role in the First and Second World Wars. Located on the great road (Via Egnatia) that connected Rome with the whole region N of the Aegean Sea, Thessalonica was an invaluable center for the spread of the gospel. In fact it was nearly, if not quite, on a level with Corinth and Ephesus in its share of the commerce of the Levant. The circumstance noted in 17:1, that here was the synagogue of the Jews in this part of Macedonia, evidently had much to do with the apostle's plans and also doubtless with his success. The first scene of the apostle's work at Thessalonica was the synagogue (17:2-3). As a result of German occupation during World War II, the city lost about all its Jewish population. Because the modern city covers the site of the ancient city, little can be seen of NT Thessalonica. Remains of the ancient agora are visible in the center of modern Thessalonica, however. The apostle Paul's ministry in Thessalonica fit his urban strategy-his effort to reach the empire through its cities.

(From The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (c) 1988.)

THESSALONICA

A town of Macedonia on the Thermaic gulf, now the gulf of Saloniki. Therma was its original name, which Cossander changed into Thessalonica in honour of his wife, Philip's daughter. It rises from the end of the basin at the head of the gulf up the declivity behind, presenting a striking appearance from the sea. After the battle of Pydna Thessalonica fell under Rome and was made capital of the second region of Macedonia. Afterward, when the four regions or governments were united in one province, Thessalonica became virtually the metropolis. Situated on the Via Ignatia which traversed the S. coast of Macedonia and Thrace, connecting thereby those regions with Rome, Thessalonica, with its harbour on the other hand connecting it commercially with Asia Minor, naturally took the leading place among the cities in that quarter. Paul was on the Via Ignatia at Neapolis and Philippi, Amphipolis and Apollonia (Acts 16:11-40; 17:1), as well as at Thessalonica.

The population of Saloniki is even now 60,000, of whom 10,000 are Jews. Trade in all ages attracted the latter to Thessalonica, and their synagogue here was the starting point of Paul's evangelizing. Octavius Augustus rewarded its adhesion to his cause in the second civil war by making it "a free city" with a popular assembly ("the people") and "rulers of the city" (politarchs: Acts 17:1,5,8); this political term is to be read still on an arch spanning the main street, from it we learn there were seven politarchs. Its commercial intercourse with the inland plains of Macedonia on the N., and on the S. with Greece by sea, adapted it admirably as a center from whence the gospel word "sounded out not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place" (1 Thess 1:8). Paul visited T. on his second missionary tour. (See PAUL and JASON on this visit). Other Thessalonian Christians were Demas perhaps, Gaius (Acts 19:29), Secundus, and Aristarchus (Acts 20:4; 27:2; 19:29). On the same night that the Jewish assault on Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas his guests took place, the latter two set out for Berea. Again Paul visited Thessalonica (Acts 20:1-3), probably also after his first imprisonment at Rome (1 Tim 1:3, in accordance with his hope, Phil 1:25-26; 2:24). Thessalonica was the mainstay of Eastern Christianity in the Gothic invasion in the third century. To Thessalonica the Sclaves and the Bulgarians owed their conversion; from whence it was called "the orthodox city." It was taken by the Saracens in 904 A.D., by the Crusaders in 1185 A.D.,