Salamis: Gymnasium, Theatre and the Tomb of Barnabas
The first port of Paul's first journey and the home city of Barnabas
Found 1952 — Department of Antiquities of Cyprus: Vassos Karageorghis (1952–1974) with Jean Pouilloux and the French mission of Lyon (1964–1974); first cleared 1882 for the British Museum
Where Salamis, near Famagusta (Cyprus (Turkish-controlled north))
Dates from Gymnasium rebuilt under Augustus and again after 76 CE and 116 CE; Barnabas tomb-church 5th century CE · Hellenistic–Roman–Byzantine · Paul and Barnabas at Salamis (Acts 13:5)
Now at In situ; finds in the Cyprus Museum, Nicosia, and Famagusta
How Salamis: Gymnasium, Theatre and the Tomb of Barnabas was found
Karageorghis' teams cleared and re-erected the marble colonnades of the gymnasium and its baths, exposed the 15,000-seat theatre, the agora and the Temple of Zeus, and dug the royal tombs. Work stopped with the 1974 division of the island.
What it is
A palaestra with re-erected marble columns and headless statues, great Roman baths, a theatre, agora and basilicas, all rebuilt after the earthquakes of 76 CE and the Jewish revolt of 116 CE. About 1.5 km inland stands the monastery of St Barnabas beside a rock-cut tomb where, in 478 CE, Archbishop Anthemios claimed to find the apostle's body with a Gospel of Matthew on his chest.
Why it matters for the Bible
Salamis was the largest city of Cyprus and had several synagogues, where Paul and Barnabas first 'proclaimed the word of God' (Acts 13:5). Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus, is the island's own apostle; the excavated city is his home town, and the great Jewish community whose synagogues he entered was later destroyed in the revolt of 115–117 CE. The tomb's discovery in 478 won the Cypriot church its independence, but nothing in it can be tied to the 1st century.
The Hebrew word: neh-chah-MAH
נֶחָמָה
נֶחָמָה is pronounced neh-chah-MAH and means comfort, encouragement — the meaning of the name Barnabas (Strong's H5165).
People this discovery connects to
- Barnabas — בַּר־נַבָּא (bar-nah-BAH) — Aramaic 'son of encouragement'; born Yosef, a Levite of Cyprus
Places
- Salamis — סָלָמִיס (sah-lah-MEES) — Greek Salamis
Events
Paul and Barnabas preach in the synagogues of Salamis · Barnabas' later return to Cyprus with Mark
Salamis: Gymnasium, Theatre and the Tomb of Barnabas in Scripture
Acts 13:5 Salamis and its synagogues, the first stop of the first journey.
Questions people ask
What is Salamis: Gymnasium, Theatre and the Tomb of Barnabas?
A palaestra with re-erected marble columns and headless statues, great Roman baths, a theatre, agora and basilicas, all rebuilt after the earthquakes of 76 CE and the Jewish revolt of 116 CE. About 1.5 km inland stands the monastery of St Barnabas beside a rock-cut tomb where, in 478 CE, Archbishop Anthemios claimed to find the apostle's body with a Gospel of Matthew on his chest.
When was Salamis: Gymnasium, Theatre and the Tomb of Barnabas discovered?
It was found in 1952 by Department of Antiquities of Cyprus: Vassos Karageorghis (1952–1974) with Jean Pouilloux and the French mission of Lyon (1964–1974); first cleared 1882 for the British Museum, at Salamis, near Famagusta.
Where is Salamis: Gymnasium, Theatre and the Tomb of Barnabas today?
In situ; finds in the Cyprus Museum, Nicosia, and Famagusta.
Which Bible verses does Salamis: Gymnasium, Theatre and the Tomb of Barnabas relate to?
Acts 13:5.
Is Salamis: Gymnasium, Theatre and the Tomb of Barnabas authentic?
The city excavations are secure. The synagogues of Acts 13:5 have not been found. The Barnabas tomb rests on a 5th-century story with political motives and is unverifiable.
Related discoveries
- נְצִיבSergius Paulus InscriptionsStones from Cyprus, Rome, and Pisidian Antioch naming the proconsul who believed
- מָשִׁיחַCave Church of St Peter, AntiochThe grotto where tradition says the first 'Christians' met
- עָזַבPerga: Hellenistic Gate, Colonnaded Street and StadiumThe city where John Mark turned back, excavated by Turkish archaeologists since 1946
- כּוֹסAntioch-on-the-Orontes: Mosaics and the 'Chalice of Antioch'The city where disciples were first called Christians — and a famous silver cup that is not what it seemed
- בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶתPisidian Antioch: Temple of Augustus and the Res Gestae CopyImperial-cult city where Paul preached his first recorded sermon
- אֱלִילִיםLystra Inscription and the Zeus–Hermes Cult StonesThe stone that located Lystra and the local worship of the two gods Paul was mistaken for
Sources
- Karageorghis, Excavating at Salamis in Cyprus 1952–1974 (Hellenic Centre)
- Wandering along the colonnade of the Gymnasium of Salamis (Following Hadrian)
- Vassos Karageorghis (Wikipedia)
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