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We woke up early and got on our Mercedes Benz bus and headed out at 8:00 am on our two-day trip to Corinth and Mycenae.� After a two hour bus ride, we reached the Corinth Canal.� The canal, built in the 19th century, is 275 feet deep, 75 feet wide and over 4 miles long and cuts out a waterway that connects the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf.� While it is a huge drop to the water's surface, the canal is only 25 feet deep, allowing only small freighters to make the trip through the gorge.� Upon crossing the canal, we had left Attica Greece and entered the Peloponnese, the southwest section of the country.� From here we headed to Lechaion, a port town near Corinth.� There we visited a 5th century basilica, which was one of twelve in the Corinth area at the time, boasting 5,000 members.� These Corinthian churches were the direct result of Paul's teachings centuries before.� While not much remained of the church, we were able to see the extremely large baptistry area, proving that at that time, baptism by immersion was still practiced.� We also noted special seats of power and authority in which the elders of the church would sit.� This indicated that the church had already begun to move in the direction of giving certain men more clout, which ultimately led to bishops and the pope in the church's western counterparts.� Still, it was a wonderful experience to walk on the very ground that early Christians worshipped their God, the same God that we continue to worship today.� From here, we loaded back onto the bus and headed for the ruins of ancient Corinth.� Corinth was destroyed in the second century B.C by the Romans, who later rebuilt the city around 44 B.C.� The city, which now lies in ruins, was the largest Roman township in all of Greece.� We saw evidence of the Roman influence in a bust of Nero, the emperor who murdered countless Christians, including Peter and Paul.� The first site we visited was a Roman theatre, which was modified in the 3rd century AD, allowing water to be pumped in for the staging of sea battles.� There we saw a section of stone with the name Erastus engraved into it (the "E" is no longer visible).� Erastus was the town's treasurer, and he is the same man mentioned in Romans 16:23.� The discovery of this only fortifies the truth that the Bible is a book of fact, based on actual events and people.� We toured the ruins of the ancient city and discovered that Corinth was an original "sin city".� Prostitution was very prevalent, as the goddess Aphrodite was very important to ancient Corinthians.� That temple no longer exists, but on the site the striking temple of Apollo still remains in part.� As we walked through what is left of the Corinthian Agora, we came to the "Bema", or platform where Paul was brought before Gallio, the Proconsul of Achaia.� As is described in Acts 18, the Jews brought Paul before Gallio (where he was chained to the pillar that still remains), who subsequently threw the case out (Yet another confirmation of our faith, and the amazing life of Paul).� Continuing through the remains of the marketplace, we came to the Lechaion Way, the main street which ended at the Peirene fountain.� This fountain, fed by underground springs, provided water to the inhabitants of the ancient city, and is still used by the modern village.� We saw many indications that the city was very well planned, including public restrooms and gutters along the sides of the road.� The many many instances of idol worship and prostitution prove just how difficult Paul's 18 months in Corinth must have been.� The Corinthians practiced "imitative magic", meaning that the heavy prostitution was not solely for money, but rather was an act of sacrifice for the goddess Aphrodite.� Sexually transmitted diseases were rampant through the streets of the ancient "sin city."� However, through Paul, God made a difference, as the 12 churches from the 5th century attest.� The most incredible aspect of the trip came next, as we hiked up to the Acrocorinth, which looms 1,800 feet above the ancient site.� The fortress, now in ruins, has an incredible view for 30 miles in every direction, and was key to the area's defense.� The castle walls are the product of the many different nations who held the position over the years.� The possession of the Acrocorinth was originally held by the Normans, who were defeated by the Franks, who lost it to the Byzantines, at which point it fell to the Turks, Venetians, and finally the Greeks.� When we arrived, the top of the structure was shrouded in clouds, which made for an ominous, almost fairy tale setting.� The climb to the top took roughly 20 minutes and provided a great vantage of the Corinthian Bay and the mountain ranges which surround the area.� At 5:00, the site was closing, so we left the Acrocorinth ending our tours for the day. |
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We spent the night in a very well furnished hotel in the coastal town of Talo.� Our room looked out on the ocean and the beach was a mere 5 minute walk from where we stayed.� Mark, Bolls, Daniel, Nathaniel and I ran out for a swim, with the temperature sitting at a balmy 40 F.� The experience was well worth the numbness, though.� After breakfast on the 7th, we loaded up and Yannis, our driver, led us to Epidaurus.� The weather was less than beautiful, as we were confronted with a mixture of rain and snow for most of the day.� At Epidaurus, we visited a famous Roman theatre which is one of the few remaining from ancient times that was built in the shape of a perfect circle.� The extremely well preserved theatre was built to hold 14,000 people and is still used today for modern plays.� It was amazing to see the level of the ancient civilization's understanding of acoustics.� The structure is built perfectly and allows the dropping of coins and the tearing of paper to be heard throughout the massive theatre.� We saw indications that there were special seats at the front of the stage, which offered seatbacks and more legroom to the more distinguished audience members.� It was impressive to see how similar the design was compared with modern theatres of today and it was interesting to note how much of an impact entertainment had on their culture (Almost as much as it does today).� Well, we got out of the harsh cold and headed to Tiryns, a 13th century B.C. stronghold of the ancient warriors who first inhabited the Peloponnese.� The weather was still against us, so we spent little time here too.� This led up to our trip to Mycenae, where we toured Agamemnon's Palace.� The ruins date from the Mycenaean Period, which lasted from 1600-1100 B.C.� Agamemnon was the king who led the Mycenaen Greeks to victory over the Trojans in the Trojan War.� Looking out at the mountain range adjacent to the palace, the shape of a man lying on his back appears.� Legend has it that it is the figure of Agamemnon, who upon his victorious return from battle was murdered by his wife.� As we entered the citadel, we passed under the Lion Gate, a famous lintel that sits above the doorway.� Inside, we saw the remains of buildings and roads, but the most interesting part was a hidden tunnel that delved deep into the mountain.� The 99 stairs twist down into pitch-blackness to a natural spring, which provided water for the citadel when the city was laid siege.� Nearby was the Treasury of Atrius, sometimes referred to Agamemnon's Tomb, although he was most likely not buried there.� The giant dome is built into the side of a hill and the massive stones were very impressive.� The Lintel above the doorway was a single solid stone weighing 120 tons!� It is still a mystery as to how the Mycenaeans were able to place the stone in its current position.� From here we broke for lunch of lamb at a very nice restaurant, which boasted dozens of pictures of US Senators who have visited the area.� Finally, we made one more stop before heading back to Porto Rafti.� We visited the ruins of a small church on the beach at Cenchrea, where Paul stayed before leaving Corinth.� In Acts 18:18, Paul stopped there to shave his head as he finished a Nazarite vow he had made.� We sang some songs and the sun finally emerged from the clouds as we were departing from our trip to the Peloponnese. |
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The trip was amazing.� We saw the ancient strongholds of a warrior people, the ruins of a modernized and sophisticated Corinth and the remains of churches where early Christians worshipped the Lord together.� I was struck by the diversity of the cultures that have historically inhabited the area.� The sinful nature of the town of Corinth is in stark contrast to the life that Paul preached as he spread God's word throughout the city.� It continues to amaze me to see the ruins of civilizations from thousands of years ago.� As Americans, we have no such history, and it is crazy to see the modern roads, cars and city life built only feet from the ancient rocks, walls and temples of old.� Walking where he walked really makes Paul's stories come to life.� To think that he was just a man, like me, is mind boggling.� His strength cannot have come from within, no man could have the courage on his own to directly oppose the cultures of Corinth or Delphi or Athens.� It must have been God that strengthened him, and that is a very encouraging thought.� And, while it was incredible to see more and more evidence proving the bible's accuracy, it really doesn't change things much. �Our faith is built not on the historical findings of men but on our faith in Jesus Christ.� Even if we had no physical evidence of the stories in the Bible, we would know in our hearts that what we believe is true.�� |
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