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26 January 2003
Byzantine Church (c. AD 1000) and the reconstructed Stoa of Atalos
The church we visited most definitely wasn’t around during New Testament times, but there were still things to be learned from visiting it. The architecture fascinated me. Not necessarily that they placed a dome on a square building, but more the symbolism which was woven into the design. The steps in the building represented getting closer to God. Although I do not totally agree with their thinking, it was still interesting. But the part that really caught my attention was the navel. The navel was in the center of the building, directly under the dome. The important events of a person’s life all took place in the church on the navel at that time. This is where you were presented 40 days after birth, were baptized, were married, and were given last respects. Everything took place there. Why, because no matter where life takes you, the important thing is God in the center of your life. God in the navel. They used this as a reminder of the fact that God watched over them throughout their lives.
The Stoa of Atalos was reconstructed between 1950-56 and is the only building to have been completely reconstructed. This place contained stores and was a place where people gathered to study. Today it is used as a museum and displays many things original to its predecessor. I especially enjoyed the court equipment. Maybe we should take one more thing from the Greeks…a time limit on how long lawyers can speak in court! J
9 February 2003
Ancient Agora of Athens
The agora was the place to be back in the high days of Athens. Studying, business, government, idol worship, etc. all took place here. We were able to walk through the agora and see the best-preserved temple in all of Greece. This is the Temple of Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths. The temple is unique because it has two entrances. It has the normal entrance in the east, which is the case for all pagan temples, but it also has a western entrance from when the Christians decided to make use of the building. This is the only reason that the building is in the condition it is today. Once Christianity became dominant in the culture, the old buildings were either used for new things or completely neglected.
Another point of interest was the bema (raised platform) where anyone that wanted to speak could express his or her views. Paul likely spoke here during his visit to Athens before speaking to the Areopagus.
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