Berea (Bible)
Encyclopedia
Berea is mentioned in the book of Acts
in the Bible
, for the ancient city of Beroea, now known as Veria
(or Veroia).
It is a small city on the eastern side of Vermion Mountains
(north of Mount Olympus
), where Paul of Tarsus
preached, and where the people examined the Scriptures to see if his preaching was true (Acts 17:10–13).
Paul and Silas ministered to the Jewish community of Berea around the dates 54 and 55 A.D. The two men were driven out of the city of Thessalonica by an angry mob of Jews for spreading the gospel there. Paul and Silas made there journey from Thessalonica to Berea by night (Acts17:10). It is also said the Timothy, a student of the apostle Paul, rejoined him during the journey to Berea. The people of Berea were more accepting than the people of Thessalonica of the message from the Apostle and his companions gave. The community was said to be studiers of what they heard from Paul and the others. It is said that they made sure that what they were hearing was factual and true before truly believed it.
A large amount of the city, both Jews and Gentiles believed in the message that the men were preaching. After Paul, Silas, and the other members of their group had spent about a week there, the same Jews from Thessalonica got word that Paul and Silas were preaching the same message about Jesus Christ in Berea. The apostle Paul was again forced out of another community by the Jews of Thessalonica. Some of the Christians of Berea helped Paul to get to Athens, but Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea then later caught up to Paul in the city of Corinth (Acts 18:5). Sopater, of Berea, who became a Christian, decided to join Paul on his journey when Paul had visited Berea (Acts 20:4). It is said that Sopater was ordered by a delegation from Berea to go to Judea with funds that would help the needy of that region.
The city was also the first city of the Macedonian region to fall to the Roman Empire, following the Battle of Pydna in 168 B.C. During the time of Paul the apostle, there were two major roads a person could journey on from the towns of Thessalonica and Berea. One of these routes passed close to the ancient city of Pella. There are some assumptions that the apostle Paul used this route when visiting Berea.
Berea was one of two capitals when Diocletian rule Roman empire from 284 through 305 A.D. Ancient customs say that Saint Onesimus was the first bishop of Berea. The office bishops in Berea were under the authority of the head of the ecclesiastic province in Thessalonica then was later assigned to its own ecclesiastic province by Andronicus II (1283–1328). The Serbs and Bulgars invaded Berea then was captured by the Turks in 1361, who change the name of it to Karaferiye.
While the city was under Turkish rule, Christians had to worship in secret because of persecution from Tur kish authorities. The persecution was so bad that the Turkish authorities hung an archbishop in 1436. The Christians would have to practice their religion in barns, warehouses, and other types of hidden structures. Macedonia joined the nation of Greece in which we see today in 1913, after the Balkan Wars.
Most of those who left Berea (Veroia) and the surrounding area, long to be back there. Many of the individuals still speak and even teach their young ones the Greek language. Even though the change into an independent Greece did not go as smoothly as some would have liked, most of the people of the region do not miss the Ottoman empire. The Turks were known for their brutal and cruel treatment of the people they ruled over. Most of the abuse was towards the less off and individuals of different religions. A lot more of this was seen during World War II, when the Nazis removed a majority of the Jewish community from the region, which included 800 Jews from Veroia. During the 1980s, Veroia (Berea) was considered to be one of the most sought out places in Greece to live in. During that time its population ranged from 15,000 to 20,000 people.
Even with all the ugly confrontations over the years between the Turks and the Greeks, the Greek officials or Christians never changed or destroyed the ancient mosques (often even the hamams and medresas) to replace them with churches. It is really amazing considering some of the examples of past violent actions against some Muslim people living in the region. One example came from some older Greek citizens who made comments about how the society had acted inhumane because of the change from a Islamic nation to an independent nation (Christian). A few communities were mostly deserted because of the amount of Turkish/Islamic people that had fled from the Macedonia region because of the violence.
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, for the ancient city of Beroea, now known as Veria
Veria
Veria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church...
(or Veroia).
It is a small city on the eastern side of Vermion Mountains
Vermion Mountains
The Vermio Mountains is a mountain range between Imathia and Kozani Prefecture in west-central Macedonia. The range is west of the plain of Kambania. The town of Veria, which is the capital of Imathia prefecture, is built οn the foot of these mountains...
(north of Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
), where Paul of Tarsus
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
preached, and where the people examined the Scriptures to see if his preaching was true (Acts 17:10–13).
Biblical role
Paul and Silas were sent to Berea after fleeing from Thessalonica in Acts 17. They immediately went to the synagogue to preach and the Bereans were very accepting. Almost all of them believed. But when the Thessalonian non-believers heard about this, they came to Berea, stirring up crowds, starting riots, etc... Then the believers sent Paul to the coast while Timothy and Silas stayed behind. Then Paul was sent to Athens and word was given to Timothy and Silas to join him as soon as possible.Paul and Silas ministered to the Jewish community of Berea around the dates 54 and 55 A.D. The two men were driven out of the city of Thessalonica by an angry mob of Jews for spreading the gospel there. Paul and Silas made there journey from Thessalonica to Berea by night (Acts17:10). It is also said the Timothy, a student of the apostle Paul, rejoined him during the journey to Berea. The people of Berea were more accepting than the people of Thessalonica of the message from the Apostle and his companions gave. The community was said to be studiers of what they heard from Paul and the others. It is said that they made sure that what they were hearing was factual and true before truly believed it.
A large amount of the city, both Jews and Gentiles believed in the message that the men were preaching. After Paul, Silas, and the other members of their group had spent about a week there, the same Jews from Thessalonica got word that Paul and Silas were preaching the same message about Jesus Christ in Berea. The apostle Paul was again forced out of another community by the Jews of Thessalonica. Some of the Christians of Berea helped Paul to get to Athens, but Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea then later caught up to Paul in the city of Corinth (Acts 18:5). Sopater, of Berea, who became a Christian, decided to join Paul on his journey when Paul had visited Berea (Acts 20:4). It is said that Sopater was ordered by a delegation from Berea to go to Judea with funds that would help the needy of that region.
History
Berea, which can also be called Beroea and currently known as Veroia, was located in southwestern Macedonia, which was a province of the Roman empire in its time. No one has verified the date of the establishment of the city. There is a city of the same name that is mentioned in a section of Thucydides, which dates it to be around the year 432 B.C. In Polybius there were two insertions about an inscription that dates the city back to the later part of the 4th century B.C. The city's foundation stood where modern day Verria or Kar-Verria in Greece is today. It was located in a unique position. There was a variety of terrain that surrounded the city back then and even today.The city was also the first city of the Macedonian region to fall to the Roman Empire, following the Battle of Pydna in 168 B.C. During the time of Paul the apostle, there were two major roads a person could journey on from the towns of Thessalonica and Berea. One of these routes passed close to the ancient city of Pella. There are some assumptions that the apostle Paul used this route when visiting Berea.
Berea was one of two capitals when Diocletian rule Roman empire from 284 through 305 A.D. Ancient customs say that Saint Onesimus was the first bishop of Berea. The office bishops in Berea were under the authority of the head of the ecclesiastic province in Thessalonica then was later assigned to its own ecclesiastic province by Andronicus II (1283–1328). The Serbs and Bulgars invaded Berea then was captured by the Turks in 1361, who change the name of it to Karaferiye.
While the city was under Turkish rule, Christians had to worship in secret because of persecution from Tur kish authorities. The persecution was so bad that the Turkish authorities hung an archbishop in 1436. The Christians would have to practice their religion in barns, warehouses, and other types of hidden structures. Macedonia joined the nation of Greece in which we see today in 1913, after the Balkan Wars.
Most of those who left Berea (Veroia) and the surrounding area, long to be back there. Many of the individuals still speak and even teach their young ones the Greek language. Even though the change into an independent Greece did not go as smoothly as some would have liked, most of the people of the region do not miss the Ottoman empire. The Turks were known for their brutal and cruel treatment of the people they ruled over. Most of the abuse was towards the less off and individuals of different religions. A lot more of this was seen during World War II, when the Nazis removed a majority of the Jewish community from the region, which included 800 Jews from Veroia. During the 1980s, Veroia (Berea) was considered to be one of the most sought out places in Greece to live in. During that time its population ranged from 15,000 to 20,000 people.
Historical sites
While the Turkish Empire ruled the region they replaced many of the Christians' churches with mosques. However, after the city and the region of Macedonia kept the ancient mosques in place, even after it joined the nation of Greece. Due to the financial and political troubles of Greece through the years, the ancient mosques and churches have not been maintained like many of the people there would have liked to have seen it. The international fund was created recently to help renovate some of the ancient structures that have been left to rot since the 1940s.Even with all the ugly confrontations over the years between the Turks and the Greeks, the Greek officials or Christians never changed or destroyed the ancient mosques (often even the hamams and medresas) to replace them with churches. It is really amazing considering some of the examples of past violent actions against some Muslim people living in the region. One example came from some older Greek citizens who made comments about how the society had acted inhumane because of the change from a Islamic nation to an independent nation (Christian). A few communities were mostly deserted because of the amount of Turkish/Islamic people that had fled from the Macedonia region because of the violence.