Puteoli
“From puteus (well), referring to the sulphurous mineral springs”
Summary
Puteoli was the major Italian seaport on the Bay of Naples where Paul landed on his journey to Rome, finding Christians there with whom he stayed a week.
☩Location and Importance
Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli) lay on the northern shore of the Bay of Naples, about eight miles northwest of that city. Before Claudius and Nero improved the harbor at Ostia, Puteoli was 'the Liverpool of Italy'—the usual landing place for travelers and cargo ships from the eastern Mediterranean. The Egyptian grain fleet landed here, and Seneca describes crowds gathering on the pier each spring to watch the Alexandrian corn ships arrive. The city was named for its sulphurous mineral springs, making it a popular watering place for Romans seeking cures.
☩Historical Significance
Puteoli's Roman history began with the Second Punic War when it served as a naval base against Hannibal (214 BC). A Roman colony was established in 194 BC, and the city flourished with eastern trade. The eastern element in the population was numerous, with Jews settled there before Christ's time. Augustus restored the city after an earthquake (15 BC), and it received the name Augusta. The population at its height under Claudius and Nero approached 100,000. Today its ancient mole, the oldest remains of any Roman harbor, still shows sixteen piers of the concrete called pozzolana.
☩Paul's Visit
Paul arrived at Puteoli aboard an Alexandrian grain ship after his shipwreck at Malta (Acts 28:13). There he 'found brethren'—Christians already established in this commercial hub—evidence of Christianity's rapid spread along trade routes. Though a prisoner, Paul was permitted by the centurion Julius to enjoy their hospitality for seven days before continuing to Rome. The presence of Jews in Puteoli, attested by Josephus, had prepared the soil for the gospel's reception. From Puteoli, Paul traveled the cross-road to Capua and then the Appian Way to Rome.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Puteoli," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VIII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Hastings (ed.), "Puteoli," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 3.James Orr (ed.), "Puteoli," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).