When I realized that I was not going to o be able to get to Israel this trip (ironically they may open to independent travelers in November) I spent more time with Paul, listening to Acts and all the letters (since Titus supposedly came from Crete, I wanted to read the dieters-Pauline letters as well as the genuine Pauline letters.
Yesterday, looking fora way to fill the long day in Piraeus, after the long day sitting at the ferry station in Patmos, I chanced upon a solo tour, via taxi, of Corinth. I jumped on it, even though it was kind of expensive. I am so glad I did.
The driver, Andreas, psi a lot of attention to me.. He gave me water and postcards and a little book about Greece, but most importantly, he ha information. He had a couple of lectures queued up on his iPad, including one tracing the biblical connections between Acts1 and 18, and Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, that I could watch during the long trip, and even found a lecture on the archaeology of Crete and the palace of Knossos for me to watch on the way back. He got me to all the places I wanted to go,gave me enough time at them, then brought me back to the ship, helped me get my ticket (help I probably didn’t actually need) and get to the right ferry dock (help that actually saved me a whole lot of bother.)
His kindness and care were remarkable. I was deeply grateful for it.
The most exciting thing about Corinth is it’s connection to Paul is very specific, coming in both Acts 18 and the letters to the Corinthians. Down to specific, verified site. The Bema in the middle of the site, pictured above, was where in Acts 18, Paul was brought before the Roman governor. This WAS the Bema in those days, the function of the spot was exactly what is described in scripture. There is no tradition or guesses or supposition. Paul stood here, the Roman Governor sat there, this is where things happened.
Also fascinating and moving was the areas of the Agora, where shops would have been set up, and where a tent maker, and his buddies, would have had a shop. Maybe not exactly one or the other, but a liklihood that somewhere in these ruins was the site of the three tentmakers, as reported in Acts.
And in Acrocorinth, the site of the temple to Aphrodite, I meditate a bit on how practices at that temple might have heightened Paul’s concerns about sexual sin and the Corinthian churches (a thread in these letters.)
Amazing.
Just before we came down to the site, Andreas stopped me by a fairly modern (1970s, I think he said) church. In their front garden was a huge marble block, with a bible chapter inscribed on it in 4 languages, one side each Aramaic, Greek, English and French. It’s 1 Corinthians 13. While I don’t like that chapter by itself, but LOVE it in the context of Chapter 12, it really touched me this day. I was being loved by a fellow Christian.
Yeah, he got a sizable tip.
Addendum: I’m running out of biblical stuff to do. So I’ll be doing some tourist stuff during the last two weeks. On Sunday, if the weather cooperates (right now the ceiling in my hostel room is leaking, and we have towels on the floor trying to soak it up, an the forecast for Sunday is iffy) I will take a full day trip to hike the Samaria Gorge. If the weather does not cooperate, I’ll do that the next time I am in Crete. After I leave Crete I’ll spend a few nights in Nafplio, and a couple nights on Hydra before going to Athens for the last six nights. I’ll be back in the states on the 30th and back at home the evening of the 31st. This adventure started 3 months ago today, and I have only 17 days left.
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