Ports in biblical times were crucial hubs of commerce, travel, and cultural exchange. They served as gateways for the spread of goods, ideas, and even religious beliefs. The Bible references several significant ports that played vital roles in the narratives of both the Old and New Testaments.

1. Joppa (Jaffa):
Joppa, known today as Jaffa, is one of the oldest functioning harbors in the world. It is mentioned in the Old Testament as the port from which Jonah attempted to flee from God's command to go to Nineveh. "But Jonah ran away to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish" (Jonah 1:3). Joppa was also the port through which the cedars of Lebanon were imported for the construction of Solomon's Temple (2 Chronicles 2:16).

2. Tyre and Sidon:
These Phoenician cities were renowned for their maritime prowess and trade. Tyre, in particular, is frequently mentioned in the Bible for its wealth and influence. Ezekiel 27 provides a detailed lamentation over Tyre, describing its extensive trade network and the richness of its port. Jesus also visited the region of Tyre and Sidon, performing miracles and teaching (Mark 7:24-30).

3. Caesarea Maritima:
Built by Herod the Great, Caesarea Maritima was a major Roman port and the administrative center of the province of Judea. It is significant in the New Testament as the place where Cornelius, the Roman centurion, became the first Gentile convert to Christianity (Acts 10). The Apostle Paul also sailed from Caesarea on his missionary journeys and was later imprisoned there before being sent to Rome (Acts 23:23-24, Acts 25:1-12).

4. Ephesus:
While not a port city itself, Ephesus was closely connected to the nearby port of Miletus. Ephesus was a major center of early Christianity and the site of one of the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 2:1-7). The Apostle Paul spent considerable time in Ephesus, and it was from the port of Miletus that he delivered his farewell address to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:17-38).

5. Corinth:
Corinth was strategically located on the narrow isthmus connecting mainland Greece with the Peloponnese, with ports on both the Aegean and Ionian Seas. This made it a bustling center of trade and culture. The Apostle Paul established a church in Corinth and wrote at least two epistles to the Corinthians, addressing various issues within the church (1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians).

6. Alexandria:
Although not directly mentioned in the Bible, Alexandria in Egypt was a significant port city during the biblical era. It was a center of learning and home to a large Jewish community. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, was produced in Alexandria. The Apostle Paul sailed from Alexandria on his journey to Rome (Acts 27:6).

Ports in biblical times were not only centers of economic activity but also played a crucial role in the spread of the Gospel. They facilitated the movement of apostles and early Christians, enabling the message of Christ to reach diverse regions and peoples.

"There is Therefore Now no Condemnation to them which are in ...
... And therefore those souls that flee for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before
them in Jesus Christ, justice may pursue them to the ports of this city ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon ii there is therefore.htm

The World Compared to the Sea.
... Footnotes: [579] Literally, synagogues. [580] [The ports and happy havens beautifully
contrasted with rocks and shoals and barren or inhospitable isles.]. ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xiv the world compared to.htm

The End of the Quarrel
... spent the succeeding months in a tour through Southern France; and arrangements
were made for the start of the first expedition from the Italian ports at the ...
/.../medley/the church and the empire/chapter iii the end of.htm

The Saviour's Last Command.
... consuls, superintendents, officers of various kinds, and merchants in great numbers,
dwell in almost every port, and have erected in those ports stores, shops ...
/.../dibble/thoughts on missions/chapter iv the saviours last.htm

Christian Stewardship.
... ascertained the products of every clime and the treasures of the deep, stationed
agents in all the principal places, and in not a few ports, a hemisphere ...
/.../dibble/thoughts on missions/chapter ii christian stewardship.htm

Time Changes Nations' Dresses --And Fortunes.
... and God favoured the Romans, the sister State, indeed, of her own choice hastened
to effect a change; in order that when Scipio put in at her ports she might ...
/.../tertullian/on the pallium/chapter i time changes nations dressesand.htm

Disestablishment
... Napoleon sold licenses to British vessels to supply his famishing soldiers stationed
in continental ports, while forged American and British papers were openly ...
/.../chapter xv disestablishment.htm

Book xii. At Length, with the Holy Ghost Speeding Our Way...
... tossed about by sea and wind, to whom it very often happens, that while great
heaped-up waves delay them for a time around the coasts near the ports, at last ...
/.../the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/book xii at length with.htm

The Schoolboy of Madaura
... were encountered carrying provisions to soldiers garrisoned on the frontier, or
the State-distributed corn of the Roman people to the sea-ports; or again, from ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/v the schoolboy of madaura.htm

The African Rome
... The Forum was at the foot of the hill, probably in the neighbourhood of the
ports"a Forum built and arranged in the Roman way, with its shops of bankers and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/ii the african rome.htm

Ports (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Ports (2 Occurrences). Acts 27:2 and going on
board a ship of Adramyttium which was about to sail to the ...
/p/ports.htm - 7k

Forming (27 Occurrences)
... Acts 27:2 and going on board a ship of Adramyttium which was about to sail to the
ports of the province of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, the Macedonian ...
/f/forming.htm - 14k

Party (47 Occurrences)
... Acts 27:2 and going on board a ship of Adramyttium which was about to sail to the
ports of the province of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, the Macedonian ...
/p/party.htm - 20k

Board (47 Occurrences)
... Acts 27:2 and going on board a ship of Adramyttium which was about to sail to the
ports of the province of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, the Macedonian ...
/b/board.htm - 23k

Province (66 Occurrences)
... Acts 27:2 and going on board a ship of Adramyttium which was about to sail to the
ports of the province of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, the Macedonian ...
/p/province.htm - 38k

Tyre (59 Occurrences)
... It had two ports still existing, and was of commercial importance in all ages, with
colonies at Carthage (about BC 850) and all over the Mediterranean. ...
/t/tyre.htm - 45k

Exclude (4 Occurrences)
... of; to except; -- the opposite to admit; as, to exclude a crowd from a room or house;
to exclude the light; to exclude one nation from the ports of another; to ...
/e/exclude.htm - 8k

Delos
... The island became independent of Athens in 454. During the 2nd and 1st
centuries BC it became one of the chief ports of the Aegean. ...
/d/delos.htm - 10k

Portress (2 Occurrences)

/p/portress.htm - 7k

Poses (1 Occurrence)

/p/poses.htm - 6k

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