Pontus was a historical region along the Black Sea coast of modern-day Turkey. It had several important cities:
Amasia – A major ancient city known for being the hometown of the famous geographer Strabo.
Amastris – A port city named after a Persian princess, located on the Black Sea.
Amisus / Sampsames – A wealthy port city, later renamed Samsun.
Heraclea Pontica – A Greek colony named after the hero Heracles (Hercules), also located on the coast.
Sinope – A key port city and the birthplace of the philosopher Diogenes The Journey Across Cyprus.
Zela – Known for the famous battle where Julius Caesar said, “Veni, vidi, vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered).
Cyprus in the New Testament
Cyprus is mentioned several times in the Book of Acts in the New Testament:
Acts 4:36; 11:19-20; 13:4; 15:39; 21:3,16; 27:4
Paul and Barnabas Visit Cyprus
In Acts 13:4–6, Paul and Barnabas left from Seleucia, near Antioch, and sailed to Salamis, a port on the east side of Cyprus. After preaching in the Jewish synagogues there, they traveled across the island to Paphos on the west coast Bulgaria Tour Balchik.
About Cyprus
Cyprus is the largest island in the eastern Mediterranean.
It lies about 100 kilometers off the coasts of both Syria and Turkey.
In ancient times, it was known for its links to Kittim, which may refer to its people (Genesis 10).
By the time of Paul’s travels, Cyprus was under Roman rule, although it still had some freedom in how it governed itself.
Cyprus Under Roman Rule
58 BCE: Cyprus became a Roman province, attached to Cilicia.
47 BCE: It was briefly given back to Egypt.
31 BCE: After Cleopatra’s death, it returned permanently to Rome.
22 BCE: Emperor Augustus made it a senatorial province, ruled by a Proconsul.
Travel on the Island
The Bible doesn’t give details about the exact land route Paul and Barnabas took across Cyprus. But it’s likely they used the main Roman roads, as they did in other places. These roads helped them travel quickly from city to city without staying too long in one place. They were guided by the Holy Spirit, but the specific plan wasn’t explained in the text.
