Cyprus and the Bible: A significant role

Cyprus plays a significant role in the Bible and indeed, primarily in the New Testament book of Acts of the Apostles and the life of a prominent New Testament figure, Paul of Tarsus.

Paul (Saul) Barnabus and the gospel writer John Mark, came to Cyprus around the year AD 45. Some suggest between AD 45-48? This was part of Paul’s first Mission.

Cyprus is also referred to in the Old Testament in Genesis 10: 4 under the name of “Kittim”.Josephus identifies Kittim as ‘Citium’ and its connection to Zeno, the Citian (See Josephus. Ant. l. 6. 1)

In the 1st century Cyprus had a large Jewish community. Luke in Acts 4: 36 tells us that Barnabus was a native of Cyprus as were some of the early disciples of Jesus. Acts 11: 19 tells us that when persecution arose concerning Stephen, some Christians scattered and travelled as far as Cyprus. Acts 11: 20 tells us that some of them were already men of Cyprus. Acts 21: 16, also refers to a certain “Mnason” which was a common name amongst the Romans.

Paul, Barnabus and Mark visited the island at the beginning of their first missionary journey (Acts 13: 4-13) Barnabus and Mark returned without Paul on their second missionary journey (Acts 15: 39) and Paul at the end of his third missionary journey passed by Cyprus to the south-west (Acts 21: 3) and again on his voyage to Rome but the winds prevented him from landing (Acts 27: 4)

The Lukan Narrative: Acts 13: 4-13 Biblia Sacra Vulgata – Latin Vulgate 4th century AD

“4 et ipsi quidem missi ab Spiritu Sancto abierunt Seleuciam et inde navigaverunt Cyprum

5 et cum venissent Salamina praedicabant verbum Dei in synagogis Iudaeorum habebant autem et Iohannem in ministerio

6 et cum perambulassent universam insulam usque Paphum invenerunt quendam virum magum pseudoprophetam Iudaeum cui nomen erat Bariesu

7 qui erat cum proconsule Sergio Paulo viro prudente hic accitis Barnaba et Saulo desiderabat audire verbum Dei

8 resistebat autem illis Elymas magus sic enim interpretatur nomen eius quaerens avertere proconsulem a fide

9 Saulus autem qui et Paulus repletus Spiritu Sancto intuens in eum

10 dixit o plene omni dolo et omni fallacia fili diaboli inimice omnis iustitiae non desinis subvertere vias Domini rectas

11 et nunc ecce manus Domini super te et eris caecus non videns solem usque ad tempus et confestim cecidit in eum caligo et tenebrae et circumiens quaerebat qui ei manum daret

12 tunc proconsul cum vidisset factum credidit admirans super doctrinam Domini

13 et cum a Papho navigassent Paulus et qui cum eo venerunt Pergen Pamphiliae Iohannes autem discedens ab eis reversus est Hierosolymam”

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The Lukan narrative: ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ 13:4-13. 1550 Stephanus New Testament

© 2012 Simon Peter Sutherland

4 ουτοι μεν ουν εκπεμφθεντες υπο του πνευματος του αγιου κατηλθον εις την σελευκειαν εκειθεν τε απεπλευσαν εις την κυπρον

5 και γενομενοι εν σαλαμινι κατηγγελλον τον λογον του θεου εν ταις συναγωγαις των ιουδαιων ειχον δε και ιωαννην υπηρετην

6 διελθοντες δε την νησον αχρι παφου ευρον τινα μαγον ψευδοπροφητην ιουδαιον ω ονομα βαριησους

7 ος ην συν τω ανθυπατω σεργιω παυλω ανδρι συνετω ουτος προσκαλεσαμενος βαρναβαν και σαυλον επεζητησεν ακουσαι τον λογον του θεου

8 ανθιστατο δε αυτοις ελυμας ο μαγος ουτως γαρ μεθερμηνευεται το ονομα αυτου ζητων διαστρεψαι τον ανθυπατον απο της πιστεως

9 σαυλος δε ο και παυλος πλησθεις πνευματος αγιου και ατενισας εις αυτον

10 ειπεν ω πληρης παντος δολου και πασης ραδιουργιας υιε διαβολου εχθρε πασης δικαιοσυνης ου παυση διαστρεφων τας οδους κυριου τας ευθειας

11 και νυν ιδου χειρ του κυριου επι σε και εση τυφλος μη βλεπων τον ηλιον αχρι καιρου παραχρημα δε επεπεσεν επ αυτον αχλυς και σκοτος και περιαγων εζητει χειραγωγους

12 τοτε ιδων ο ανθυπατος το γεγονος επιστευσεν εκπλησσομενος επι τη διδαχη του κυριου

13 αναχθεντες δε απο της παφου οι περι τον παυλον ηλθον εις περγην της παμφυλιας ιωαννης δε αποχωρησας απ αυτων υπεστρεψεν εις ιεροσολυμα

The Lukan narrative: The Deeds of the Apostles 13: 4-13 Wycliffe New Testament

“But they were sent of the Holy Ghost and went forth to Seleucia, and from thence they went by boat to Cyprus. And when they came to Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of Jews, and they had also John in ministry. And when they had walked by all the isle to Paphos, they found a man, a witch, a false prophet, a Jew, to whom the name was Barjesus, that was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a prudent man.

This called Barnabas and Paul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the witch withstood them; for his name is expounded so; and he sought to turn away the proconsul from belief. But Saul, which is said also Paul, was filled with the Holy Ghost and beheld into him, and said, Ah, thou full of all guile, and all falseness! Thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all rightwiseness, thou leavest not to turn upside-down the rightful ways of the Lord. And now lo, the hand of the Lord is on thee, and thou shalt be blind, and not seeing the sun into a time. And anon, mist and darkness felled down on him, and he went about, and sought him that should give hand to him. Then the proconsul, when he had seen the deed, believed, wondering on the teaching of the Lord.

And when from Paphos Paul had gone by boat, and they that were with him, they came to Perga of Pamphylia; but John departed from them, and turned again to Jerusalem”

St Paul’s Pillar, Paphos

St Pauls Pillar, Paphos

Local legend at Paphos lays claim to a Column known as St Paul’s Pillar upon which it is said that Paul was tied and given the forty lashes minus one by the Jews, in other words he was scourged with 39 lashes, according to the Judaic system.

There is no actual historical evidence for this claim and it is one of those historical legends which could be true, or could be false. However, we do have a reference to Paul being beaten and given the forty lashes minus one for a total of 5 times, according to the composition date of that letter which is believed to have been written sometime around 53-57 AD we could conclude that Paul is referring to this event and since Acts of the Apostles which concludes around the year AD 60 and was most likely written around 60-61 AD, mentions not the events written in 2 Corinthians 11: 24 in AD 53-57, we can conclude that the book of Acts does not contain everything that happened during this period but contains a brief or record of important events that took place. Thus, it is possible that the events Paul writes about 2 Corinthians 11: 24 may include the scourging event at Paphos?

However, which columns or columns that Paul was tied upon, is subject to debate, if it matters, which I think it does from a historical perspective. The problem is that H V. Morton in his 1936 book ‘In the steps of St Paul’ Page 140, records that he visited Paphos and refers to this area where the Column now stands and concludes the area to be what must have been either a Roman Temple or a market place and refers to the “Two granite columns” and also “a broken Roman pillar surrounded by a whitewashed wall and covered with iron bands to prevent people from chipping off fragments as a cure for malaria. This is called St. Paul’s pillar”. The point being that he adds a photograph in the book of the two larger granite columns and labels them, “St Paul’s Pillars”.

I wonder if they too are also connected?

© 2012 Simon Peter Sutherland

The Lukan narrative: Acts 13: 4-13 King James Version

© 2012 Simon Peter Sutherland

“So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.”

Acts 13: 4-13