Page 141 - Biblical Backgrounds

then traveled back through Macedonia, traveled to Ephesus, and then back to Jerusalem. The trip can be
seen clearly in the following illustration from the Holman Bible Atlas. 188

Government:

Early Greek culture had established what was called the “Polis” or city-state. Each city-state was
autonomous initially, but they were unified during and after Alexander's rule. Each Polis had a
government administration, a religious center, a market, a gymnasium, and other important locations.
Greece had risen through Alexander to dominate a large empire and, in doing so, spread its culture. That
empire eventually fell to Rome. It was ruled by Julius Caesar and then Caesar Augustus until 14 AD.
Augustus reorganized the empire before he died. Philippi, Corinth, and other colonies were established
in the Hellenistic world to give a home for former soldiers and maintain a presence in their areas. During
Jesus time, Tiberius ruled. During Paul’s ministry in the Greco-Roman world, Caligula, then Claudius, and

188 Brisco, Thomas V. Holman Bible Atlas. Holman Reference. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.
249.

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