Cenchrea Acts 18:18; Romans 16:1
St. Paul and his companions visited Cenchrea after nearly
eighteen months of ministry in Corinth, during the his Second
Journey. The city was a small port located more than two miles sout
h
of Isthmia and about six miles east of Corinth . It was constructed
along the road from Isthmia that leads south to the "Baths of Helen"
of antiquity. Cenchrea functioned as the eastern harbor of the
Corinthians for shipping on the Saronic Gulf.
Corinth also had another port, Lechaeum, to the west of Corinth on
the Corinthian Gulf. Ships were safely guided between the two
harbors to avoid the danger of sailing around Cape Malea. As a town
frequented by seafarers, Cenchrea was also a sacred town to
Poseidon.
Excavations
were begun in 1963 by the American School, University of Chicago and
Indiana University under the auspices of Professors Scranton and
Ramage. The city had not been excavated because it had been a
military area until that time. Though extensive excavations still
need to be carried on at the site, the port was positively
identified by coinage. The coinage depicts the harbor as surrounded
by porticoes with a significant storage capacity. Above the site was
a Roman period Temple thought to be of Tyche (fortune).
On the wide pier that stretched about five hundred feet into the
sea, a Temple of Isis and a piscinae (fish tank) were located.
Further away, about half a mile from the harbor was the monument for
a "Tomb of Regulus", the chief patron of the city and first
president of the Isthmian games. The tomb was about 20 years old
when St. Paul visited here.
The port has some important New Testament connections, as it was the
site of St. Paul's completion of a vow, as well as the home of
Phoebe (Rom. 16:1,2). Since vows among Jews were often completed
with a shaving of the head, it appears that St. Paul had completed a
private vow. Some scholars believe the vow was to remain in Corinth
(despite the pagan and degraded surroundings) until God indicated
that he should leave.
Excavations also reveal a thriving Byzantine presence. A complex of
that period was located including at least two churches. The site
appears to have been completely destroyed by
two
devastating earthquakes, in 365 CE and 375 CE. A small dock and a
partially submerged Basilica are all that are easily seen today,
though other remains are exposed in bulks on the hill just north of
the harbor area.
PLACE
REFERENCE
Amphipolis
Acts 17:1
Apollonia
Acts 17:1
Athens
Acts 17:15-16, 22; 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:1
Berea
Acts 17:10, 13: 20:4
Cenchrea
Acts 18:18, Romans 16:1
Coos (Kos)
Acts 21:1
Corinth
Acts 18:1; 19:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1, 23; 2 Timothy
4:20
Cyprus
Acts 4:38; 11:19,20; 13:4; 15:39; 21:3,16; 27:4
Neapolis (Kavala) Acts 16:11
Patmos
Rev 1:9
Philippi Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27; Acts 16:12, 22;
20:6; Philippians 1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:2
Rhodes
Act 21:1
Thessalonica Acts
17:1. 11. 13; 27:2; Philippians 4:16: 1 and 2 Thessalonians; 2
Timothy 4:10