Pauline Letters

Places in Acts and the Pauline letters

Name: Places in Acts and the Pauline letters
Creator: Thomas Diong
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Geographical names in Acts 7:58–28:31 and the thirteen Pauline letters, with source context, place kinds, qualified geometry and explicit limits on travel claims.

Created and edited by Thomas Diong · Updated October 24, 2026

Reader question

Which places appear in Acts and the Pauline letters, and how securely can they be identified?

Places in Acts and the Pauline letters

Entries: 104

How to use this index

Literal geographical-name incidence was reviewed against the pinned World English Bible source; separate contextual references are selected source-supported examples, not an exhaustive place-coreference census. A place name can describe origin, a community, an intended destination or an offshore passage without reporting a visit. Presence claims retain those distinctions. Gazetteer matches and representative points require independent subject and coordinate review; unresolved or disputed identifications remain explicit. Coordinates do not locate a reported event. Scripture is cited by reference only.

Damascus

Damascus is a city in accounts of Paul's early activity. Acts describes his arrival, proclamation and escape. Galatians recalls a return after Arabia, while Second Corinthians describes an escape involving an official under Aretas. These accounts come from different documents; the shared city name does not settle how their sequences fit together. In Acts, the encounter on the road occurs before Saul enters Damascus. A representative point for the city cannot locate that roadside encounter.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 16
Contextual references: 5
Reference examples: Acts 9:2; Acts 9:3; Acts 9:8
Source citations: 1

Caesarea Maritima

Caesarea Maritima is the coastal city named in Acts. It serves as a travel connection, the setting for Paul's stay with Philip, and the place of his custody and hearings under Roman officials. Other passages place Philip, Cornelius or Herod there without reporting a visit by Paul. The city is distinct from Caesarea Philippi. Its recurring name does not establish a separate Pauline arrival on every occasion, and a representative map point cannot identify a hearing room, prison or other particular building.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 15
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 8:40; Acts 9:30; Acts 10:1
Source citations: 1

Cyprus

Cyprus is the island reached by Paul and Barnabas in Acts' account of their mission. Acts later describes Barnabas and Mark sailing there after their separation from Paul. Other passages associate people with Cyprus or describe Paul's party sailing past it or in its shelter. These different uses of the island's name do not all report a visit by Paul. The island is distinct from any one of its cities, and its representative map point does not identify a landing place or an ancient provincial boundary.

Place type: Island
Literal name references: 7
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 11:19; Acts 11:20; Acts 13:4
Source citations: 1

Pisidian Antioch

Pisidian Antioch is the city qualified by Pisidia in Acts, distinct from Antioch on the Orontes. Acts describes Paul and Barnabas teaching there, facing opposition and later returning through the city. Second Timothy names Antioch alongside Iconium and Lystra in a recollection of persecution. The shared name Antioch therefore needs to be read in its passage context. The letter's retrospective account does not by itself establish its authorship, the dates of the events or how all the journeys fit together.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 4
Contextual references: 4
Reference examples: Acts 13:14; Acts 14:19; Acts 14:21
Source citations: 1

Iconium

Iconium is a city in the Acts account of Paul and Barnabas's mission. The narrative describes proclamation, divided reactions, a threatened assault and departure, followed by a return through the city. Its believers also appear in the report about Timothy, while Second Timothy recalls persecution at Iconium. The community reference does not narrate a new Pauline arrival. The map point represents the ancient settlement without defining its full first-century urban area.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 6
Contextual references: 5
Reference examples: Acts 13:51; Acts 14:1; Acts 14:19
Source citations: 1

Lystra

Lystra is a city in Acts where Paul and Barnabas's activity is followed by a violent assault on Paul. The narrative also reports a return, and later associates Lystra's believers with Timothy's reputation. Second Timothy names Lystra in its retrospective account of persecution. These accounts do not establish Timothy's birthplace or identify a precise archaeological location. Pleiades and Wikidata give separated positions for Lystra, leaving its precise modern location unresolved in these records.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 6
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 14:6; Acts 14:8; Acts 14:21
Source citations: 2

Derbe

Derbe is a city reached by Paul and Barnabas in Acts after the assault on Paul at Lystra. The narrative describes their work there and later names Derbe and Lystra in another journey. A subsequent travel list associates Gaius with Derbe without describing another arrival by Paul. Wikidata gives two separated locations for the city, while the Pleiades point lies near only one of them. These records leave the precise modern location unresolved.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 4
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 14:6; Acts 14:20; Acts 16:1
Source citations: 2

Troas

Troas is the city from which Acts describes Paul's party sailing toward Macedonia. Acts later places Paul there at a gathering involving Eutychus. Second Corinthians recalls ministry at Troas and concern about Titus, while Second Timothy refers to belongings left with Carpus. The city is distinct from the wider Troad. These accounts come from different documents and do not by themselves establish one complete sequence of visits. A representative city point cannot locate the gathering's room or a particular harbour.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 6
Contextual references: 5
Reference examples: Acts 16:8; Acts 16:11; Acts 20:5
Source citations: 1

Berea

Berea, also spelled Beroea, is the Macedonian city where Acts places Paul and Silas after their departure from Thessalonica. The account describes a close examination of their message, opposition from people who arrive from Thessalonica, and Paul's departure toward Athens. Acts later associates Sopater with Beroea in a list of travelling companions. His connection with the city does not report a further visit by Paul or establish his birthplace. The city's representative map point cannot identify a particular synagogue or meeting place.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 3
Contextual references: 4
Reference examples: Acts 17:10; Acts 17:13; Acts 20:4
Source citations: 1

Athens

Athens is the city where Acts places Paul as he waits for his companions, discusses his message and addresses an audience associated with the Areopagus. First Thessalonians also recalls remaining at Athens while Timothy was sent to the recipients. The letter and Acts give separate accounts; the shared setting does not settle every detail of their relationship. The Areopagus reference leaves questions about the setting of Paul's address, and a representative point for Athens cannot identify its exact venue or the boundaries of the ancient city.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 5
Contextual references: 6
Reference examples: Acts 17:15; Acts 17:16; Acts 17:22
Source citations: 1

Achaia

Achaia appears as a regional designation in Acts and several Pauline letters. Acts places Gallio's administration there and later includes Achaia in Paul's travel plans. The letters associate the region with believing communities, early converts and support for Jerusalem. These notices describe different kinds of connection: an official's jurisdiction, a proposed journey and relationships among churches. A regional reference does not identify a particular town or establish a visit at every mention.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 11
Contextual references: 0
Reference examples: Acts 18:12; Acts 18:27; Acts 19:21

Adramyttium

Adramyttium enters the voyage to Italy through the description of a ship. Acts says that the travelling party boards a vessel associated with Adramyttium and expects to sail along the coast of Asia. The name therefore identifies the vessel's geographical connection, rather than a recorded stop by Paul at the city. The passage does not describe the ship's earlier movements or establish that the passengers travelled to Adramyttium.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 0
Reference examples: Acts 27:2
Source citations: 1

Adriatic Sea

The Adriatic Sea is the named maritime setting in the storm account of Acts 27. Its occurrence belongs to the period when the ship has been driven at sea and the sailors begin to suspect nearby land. Ancient use of the sea name need not match the boundaries of the modern Adriatic. The name supplies a broad setting for the voyage, while the ship's exact track and position remain uncertain.

Place type: Body of water
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 27:27; Acts 27:28; Acts 27:29

Alexandria

Alexandria is connected with people and ships in Acts. Apollos receives an Alexandrian origin label, while two vessels in the journey towards Italy are associated explicitly with Alexandria. These are different kinds of evidence: a person's origin and the geographical designation of ships. None of these notices reports Paul travelling to Alexandria. The city association also remains distinct from Troas, which belongs to another part of the narrative.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 27:6; Acts 28:11; Acts 18:24
Source citations: 1

Amphipolis

Amphipolis appears in Acts as a place passed on the journey to Thessalonica. The narrative names Amphipolis and Apollonia together before turning to the synagogue and events at Thessalonica. It gives no separate account of teaching, lodging or the length of a stay in Amphipolis. The reference therefore supports the reported passage through the place, while leaving the details of that passage and any local activity undescribed.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 0
Reference examples: Acts 17:1
Source citations: 1

Antioch in Syria

The Syrian Antioch is a major community setting in Acts: Barnabas and Saul teach there, workers are sent out, and travellers return to report to the church. Galatians also places a disagreement involving Peter and shared meals at Antioch. This city is distinguished from the Antioch associated with Pisidia in other journey notices. The shared name does not make those cities interchangeable, and the notices do not settle every proposed connection between Acts and Galatians.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 13
Contextual references: 7
Reference examples: Acts 11:19; Acts 11:20; Acts 11:22
Source citations: 1

Antipatris

Antipatris is a named stage in the military transfer of Paul from Jerusalem towards Caesarea. Acts reports that soldiers take him there by night, before the escort changes on the following day. The passage provides an explicit movement notice involving Paul, rather than an inference from a person's birthplace or a later letter. It does not describe a ministry visit, the route's exact alignment or the location of an overnight lodging.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 23:31; Acts 23:32; Acts 23:33
Source citations: 1

Apollonia

Apollonia is named alongside Amphipolis in the journey notice leading to Thessalonica. Acts gives these places as stages passed before its fuller account of events at Thessalonica. The route context matters when identifying the settlement intended by the name. This notice does not describe a local mission, an overnight stay or a separate encounter in Apollonia, and it supplies no exact position for the settlement.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 0
Reference examples: Acts 17:1

Arabia

Arabia occurs in two distinct settings in Galatians. The speaker first reports going to Arabia before returning to Damascus. Later, Arabia appears in a comparison involving Sinai, Hagar and Jerusalem. The travel notice supplies no precise destination within the region, while the later argument uses the geographical name for a different purpose. The two occurrences should not be made to establish an identical territorial extent or a journey to Sinai.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Galatians 1:17; Galatians 4:25; Galatians 4:24

Areopagus

Areopagus is the name associated with Paul's Athenian encounter in Acts. The narrative describes a question about his teaching and then introduces his address. The name can refer to a physical site or to a council, so these occurrences do not by themselves establish the exact place where the speech was delivered. The civic setting is clear, while the relationship between the hearing body and its physical location remains uncertain.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 0
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 17:16; Acts 17:19; Acts 17:22

Asia

Asia in these passages is the Roman provincial designation, rather than the modern continent. Acts uses the name in accounts of preaching, travel arrangements, regional origins and opposition. The letters also refer to churches and experiences associated with Asia. These uses are not all movement notices. In particular, the restriction on preaching in Acts 16 differs from the later account of Paul's activity in the province and does not imply that every reference records a visit.

Place type: Province
Literal name references: 14
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 16:6; Acts 19:10; Acts 19:22
Source citations: 1

Assos

Assos is the meeting point in Acts where Paul rejoins companions travelling by ship. The preceding notice distinguishes their voyage from Paul's plan to travel overland, and the next verse reports the meeting and embarkation. The passage therefore offers more than an intended destination: it narrates a rendezvous. It does not identify the precise road Paul used or the exact place within Assos where he met the vessel.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 0
Reference examples: Acts 20:13; Acts 20:14
Source citations: 1

Attalia

Attalia appears near the end of the return journey narrated in Acts 14. After the report of speaking at Perga, the travellers reach Attalia and then sail towards Antioch. The notice gives Attalia a role in a reported journey, while saying little about activity within the settlement. It does not describe a local congregation, the duration of the stay or the precise harbour facilities used for the departure.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 14:25; Acts 14:24; Acts 14:26
Source citations: 1

Azotus

Azotus belongs to Philip's story in Acts, following his encounter with the Ethiopian traveller. The narrative next finds Philip at Azotus and describes his onward preaching through towns towards Caesarea. This is an explicit place notice about Philip, rather than an episode in Paul's itinerary. It supplies no separate account of the community at Azotus, the length of Philip's stay or the exact location at which he appears.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 8:40; Acts 8:39

Bithynia

Bithynia appears in Acts as an attempted destination during the travelling party's movement near Mysia. The account says that entry is not permitted, and the narrative continues towards Troas. The reference records an intention and a constraint, rather than an arrival in Bithynia. It does not identify the particular town the travellers hoped to reach, the point where their course changed or the region's exact boundaries.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 16:7; Acts 16:8
Source citations: 1

Canaan

Canaan is named in the historical review within Paul's synagogue speech in Acts 13. The speech associates the region with the displacement of earlier peoples and the allocation of land to Israel. Its role here is part of a retrospective account of Israel's past, rather than a stage in Paul's travels. The reference does not set out Canaan's boundaries or establish the locations of the events described within the region.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 13:19; Acts 13:17; Acts 13:18

Cenchreae

Cenchreae occurs in a departure narrative in Acts and in Romans' recommendation of Phoebe. Acts names the place in connection with a vow and the journey towards Syria, while Romans associates Phoebe with its church. These notices describe different connections and need not belong to the same occasion. They do not by themselves determine the person responsible for every action in the departure account or identify the precise setting of the community.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 18:18; Romans 16:1; Romans 16:2
Source citations: 1

Chios

Chios is a named landmark in the coastal voyage described in Acts 20. The travellers reach a position opposite Chios before the narrative continues towards Samos and Miletus. The wording marks passage by the island rather than a narrated landing there. It does not identify an anchorage, a town visited on Chios or the vessel's exact distance from shore, and it supplies no account of a local meeting or ministry.

Place type: Island
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 0
Reference examples: Acts 20:15
Source citations: 1

Cilicia

Cilicia is a regional designation used in several different ways in Acts and Galatians. Acts includes it in a community letter, a journey through churches, descriptions of Paul's connection with Tarsus and a coastal voyage. Galatians also reports movement into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. The regional name must remain distinct from the city of Tarsus, and a birthplace or coastal reference does not turn every occurrence into a separate visit.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 7
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 15:23; Acts 15:41; Acts 21:39
Source citations: 1

Clauda

Clauda is the small island named during the storm voyage in Acts 27. The narrative describes the vessel passing into its shelter and the crew struggling to secure the boat, followed by further measures to protect the ship. The island functions as a geographical reference within an emergency at sea. The passage does not report a landing on Clauda or give the precise course, anchorage or shore location of the vessel.

Place type: Island
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 27:16; Acts 27:17

Cnidus

Cnidus appears as a coastal reference in the difficult voyage towards Italy. Acts describes the ship reaching a position opposite Cnidus before adverse wind leads the travellers towards Crete. The notice concerns a vessel's position and change of course, rather than an arrival in the town. It does not establish a landing, local activity or the exact relation between the named settlement, its headland and the ship's offshore position.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 27:7; Acts 27:8
Source citations: 1

Colossae

Colossae is the city named in the address of Colossians. The letter describes its recipients' faith, connects their instruction with Epaphras and later links their community with other communities through greetings and letter reading. These are relationships presented by the letter, rather than a narrated Pauline arrival. The address and discussion of people who have not seen the writer personally do not by themselves settle whether Paul ever visited Colossae.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 6
Reference examples: Colossians 1:2; Colossians 1:4; Colossians 1:7
Source citations: 1

Corinth

Corinth is a city setting for Paul's activity in Acts and the addressed community in First and Second Corinthians. Acts reports his arrival, work and teaching, including a stay of eighteen months. The letters preserve their own relationships, explanations and travel intentions. Second Timothy separately places Erastus at Corinth. These notices should not be collapsed into a single dated sequence, and a reference to another person's location does not establish Paul's presence there.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 6
Contextual references: 5
Reference examples: Acts 18:1; Acts 19:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2
Source citations: 1

Cos

Cos is named as an arrival in the voyage following the farewell near Miletus. Acts then places Rhodes and Patara along the onward route. The notice gives the place a role in the ship's reported movement, while offering no account of a local meeting, ministry or length of stay. The island subject must also remain distinct from the more precise question of which town, harbour or coastal point the vessel reached.

Place type: Island
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 21:1; Acts 21:2
Source citations: 1

Crete

Crete is the island setting for part of the voyage in Acts 27 and a separate setting in Titus. Acts describes difficult coastal sailing, a stop and a decision to seek another winter harbour. Titus presents arrangements for community leadership on Crete. The two accounts do not explain how these settings relate to one another. The letter's characterization of Cretans is attributed rhetoric, not an independent description of every inhabitant or a separate place-name occurrence.

Place type: Island
Literal name references: 5
Contextual references: 6
Reference examples: Acts 27:7; Acts 27:12; Acts 27:13

Cyrene

Cyrene appears in Acts through people's geographical associations. Some people connected with Cyrene take part in the movement to Antioch, and Lucius is associated with Cyrene in a list of teachers and prophets there. These notices place Cyrene within the community's network without describing a visit to the city by Paul. An origin association does not establish a birthplace, citizenship, permanent residence or the details of an earlier journey.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 11:20; Acts 13:1; Acts 11:21
Source citations: 1

Dalmatia

Dalmatia is named in Second Timothy's notice about the movements of several people. The letter associates Titus with a journey to Dalmatia, in a passage distinguishing him from Demas and Crescens. It gives no description of Titus's activity there or of a visit by Paul. The regional notice should remain attributed to the letter and does not independently determine its date, authorship, the destination's precise extent or the duration of a stay.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: 2 Timothy 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:9; 2 Timothy 4:11

Egypt

Egypt is named in the retrospective account of Israel's past within Paul's speech in Acts 13. Its role there concerns the ancestors' stay and departure, rather than Paul's own travels. A later question uses an Egyptian identity label when an officer challenges Paul, but the question does not identify him as that person. Neither usage supplies a Pauline visit to Egypt, a modern national boundary or a precise location for the recounted events.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 13:17; Acts 21:38

Ephesus

Ephesus is a recurring city setting in Acts and several letters. Acts reports Paul's visits and extended teaching, while later travel notices distinguish sailing past the city from summoning its elders elsewhere. First Corinthians associates Ephesus with Paul's plans and a conditional description of conflict. Other letters use it in an address or notices about workers. These references retain their separate documentary settings and do not establish a harmonized chronology or the precise location of any meeting.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 15
Contextual references: 6
Reference examples: Acts 18:19; Acts 18:21; Acts 18:24
Source citations: 1

Ethiopia

Ethiopia enters Acts through the description of the official whom Philip meets on the road. The narrative associates the man with Ethiopia and service under the queen of the Ethiopians, and describes his return from worship at Jerusalem. This is a person's geographical and political association, not a Pauline journey. The ancient designation should not be equated automatically with a modern country's boundaries, and the notice does not supply the official's birthplace or an exact location within the region.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 8:27; Acts 8:26; Acts 8:28

Fair Havens

Fair Havens is the named stop reached during the difficult coastal voyage along Crete in Acts 27. The narrative places it near Lasea and then discusses whether to remain for winter or try another harbour. The majority's choice and the subsequent departure belong to that voyage account. The notice distinguishes the harbour setting from the nearby city, without identifying precise ancient harbour works, an anchorage position or a complete local route.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 5
Reference examples: Acts 27:8; Acts 27:9; Acts 27:10

Forum Appii

Forum Appii, called the Market of Appius in Acts, is a named meeting place on the approach to Rome. The narrative places it alongside the Three Taverns in the meeting between believers and Paul's party. The scene describes encouragement during a journey, rather than a ministry tour of the settlement. It does not specify an exact meeting spot, a duration of stay or a continuous line of travel between all the named stations.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 28:15; Acts 28:14; Acts 28:16
Source citations: 1

Galatia

Galatia appears in Acts journey notices and in several letter contexts. Acts describes movement through a region linked with Phrygia, while First Corinthians and Galatians refer to communities associated with Galatia. Second Timothy separately gives Galatia as Crescens's destination. These uses do not settle one territorial extent or make every community notice a Pauline visit. The passages leave open how the journey region, provincial boundaries and the letter's recipients relate to one another.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 5
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 16:6; Acts 18:23; 1 Corinthians 16:1

Galilee

Galilee is a regional name in Acts notices about believing communities, the account of Jesus's activity and people who travelled with him to Jerusalem. These references belong to different narrative settings. They do not describe Paul's arrival in Galilee or establish a residence there. The community notice also does not identify a particular town, while the speech accounts retain their attribution and do not provide precise boundaries for the region.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 3
Contextual references: 0
Reference examples: Acts 9:31; Acts 10:37; Acts 13:31
Source citations: 1

Gaza

Gaza is named as the destination associated with the road on which Philip is directed to travel in Acts 8. The following encounter takes place during a journey, but the passage does not narrate Philip entering Gaza. It also supplies no visit by Paul. The city and the road remain different geographical subjects, and the description of the setting does not by itself identify an exact stretch of road, ancient town extent or meeting point.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 8:26; Acts 8:27; Acts 8:28
Source citations: 1

Gomorrah

Gomorrah appears in Romans within an attributed scriptural comparison concerning Israel. The letter places the city name alongside Sodom in an argument about what would have happened without a surviving people. This is a rhetorical and theological use of a remembered city, rather than a travel notice. It establishes no journey by Paul, no independently verified account of the city's destruction and no archaeological identification or modern location.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Romans 9:29; Romans 9:27; Romans 9:28

Greece

Greece is the regional destination in Acts after Paul's movement through Macedonia. The narrative reports a stay of three months and then a change in the intended onward route because of a plot. The regional designation does not name every place at which Paul stayed or identify the stay with a particular house or city. It should not be treated as a modern national boundary or as an independently dated geographical itinerary.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 20:2; Acts 20:1; Acts 20:3

Hierapolis

Hierapolis is named in Colossians among the places whose people receive Epaphras's concern. The notice links those people with the recipients and with Laodicea, placing the city within the letter's community relationships. It does not describe Paul travelling there or narrate Epaphras's movements between the cities. The shared concern does not establish a single congregation, a particular meeting house or the boundaries of the ancient settlement.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Colossians 4:13; Colossians 4:12; Colossians 4:14
Source citations: 1

Illyricum

Illyricum marks the stated reach of Paul's proclamation in Romans, in an account beginning from Jerusalem. The passage describes the scope of his work rather than listing individual stops. It does not settle whether he entered Illyricum or reached its vicinity, and it names no particular city or route there. The letter's description therefore leaves the precise course of the journey open.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Romans 15:19; Romans 15:18; Romans 15:20

Italy

Italy appears in Acts first through Aquila and Priscilla's recent movement from the region, and later as the destination of the planned voyage involving Paul as a prisoner. A vessel is also described as sailing for Italy. These are distinct geographical relationships: another household's departure, an intended passenger journey and a ship's destination. They do not make every occurrence a report of Paul's arrival, establish residence or define the region by modern national borders.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 3
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 18:2; Acts 27:1; Acts 27:6
Source citations: 1

Jerusalem

Jerusalem is a recurring setting for communities, journeys, deliberations and custody in Acts. Galatians separately reports visits, while Romans and First Corinthians connect the city with assistance and travel intentions. These documentary notices do not establish a single agreed chronology or make every mention a Pauline arrival. Galatians also uses the earthly city in a theological comparison with Jerusalem above; the contrast does not place the latter at a location in the earthly city.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 57
Contextual references: 11
Reference examples: Acts 8:1; Acts 8:14; Acts 8:25
Source citations: 1

Joppa

Joppa is a city setting for Peter's activity in Acts. The narrative associates it with Tabitha, a stay with Simon the tanner, a vision and the messengers sent by Cornelius. Peter later retells the vision and summons in his account to others. These are events and recollections concerning Peter and the local community, rather than stages in Paul's travels. They do not identify a surviving house, an exact shoreline location or a Pauline residence.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 10
Contextual references: 9
Reference examples: Acts 9:36; Acts 9:38; Acts 9:42
Source citations: 1

Judea

Judea is a regional designation in notices about communities, relief, people's movements and Paul's travel. Acts presents Paul describing proclamation across the region, while Second Corinthians discusses an intended journey. Other letter references concern believing communities and difficulties associated with Judea. These uses must not be treated as interchangeable arrival reports. The region is distinct from Jerusalem and from personal or religious identity labels, and its name does not establish residence or one fixed administrative boundary.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 14
Contextual references: 7
Reference examples: Acts 8:1; Acts 9:31; Acts 10:37
Source citations: 1

Laodicea

Laodicea is connected with the recipients of Colossians through the writer's concern, Epaphras's efforts, greetings and instructions about reading letters. The city and its community remain distinct from Colossae and Hierapolis. These relationships do not narrate a visit by Paul or prove that every recipient had or had not met him. The requested letter exchange also does not identify the letter from Laodicea with another surviving work or establish where it was composed.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 4
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Colossians 2:1; Colossians 4:13; Colossians 4:15
Source citations: 1

Lasea

Lasea is named in Acts as the city near Fair Havens during the voyage along Crete. The narrative then concentrates on conditions at the harbour and the decision about where to winter. The proximity notice gives Lasea a geographical relationship to that stop, without reporting that Paul or his companions entered the city. The city and harbour must remain separate subjects, and the passage does not identify an exact settlement boundary or archaeological site.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 27:8; Acts 27:9; Acts 27:12
Source citations: 1

Lycaonia

Lycaonia appears in Acts as the regional designation connected with Lystra, Derbe and surrounding country. The narrative describes Paul and Barnabas fleeing into that setting and continuing their activity. A later occurrence names the language used by the crowd at Lystra. The regional movement and language expression are distinct uses: neither establishes the travellers' fluency, a single administrative boundary or a visit to every settlement associated with the region.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 4
Reference examples: Acts 14:6; Acts 14:11; Acts 14:5
Source citations: 1

Lycia

Lycia is the region used to qualify Myra in the voyage account of Acts 27. The travellers reach the named city, and the following notice describes the centurion finding another vessel there. The city and its regional qualification remain different geographical subjects. This reference does not describe a tour through Lycia, identify every place visited within it or supply boundaries for the region, and the ship transfer does not locate a precise ancient harbour facility.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 27:5; Acts 27:6
Source citations: 1

Lydda

Lydda is a city setting in Acts for Peter's visit to believers and the account of Aeneas's healing. The narrative also places it near Joppa when messengers ask Peter to come to Tabitha. These notices concern Peter and local communities, rather than a stage in Paul's travels. The reported responses do not independently verify the event, establish a Pauline residence or identify a surviving house or exact position for the encounter.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 3
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 9:32; Acts 9:35; Acts 9:38
Source citations: 1

Macedonia

Macedonia is a regional setting for a vision, journeys and community relationships in Acts and the letters. Acts distinguishes the call towards Macedonia from subsequent movement, while letter passages describe arrivals, plans, support and relationships among believers. Other notices concern companions' movements or geographical associations. These uses do not make each occurrence a Pauline visit or settle one itinerary. The ancient regional designation must also remain distinct from modern borders and from any single city.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 23
Contextual references: 6
Reference examples: Acts 16:9; Acts 16:10; Acts 16:12
Source citations: 1

Malta

Malta is the island name learned by the survivors after the shipwreck in Acts. The following account describes hospitality, events involving Paul and local people, and a later departure on another vessel. The island setting is therefore distinct from the still more precise question of where the ship struck or the survivors came ashore. The narrative does not identify an excavated wreck, a particular bay or the modern location of the hospitality and healing scenes.

Place type: Island
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 5
Reference examples: Acts 28:1; Acts 27:44; Acts 28:2

Miletus

Miletus is the city setting from which Paul summons the Ephesian elders in Acts. The account places their meeting and farewell before his departure by ship, rather than describing another visit to Ephesus. Second Timothy separately recalls leaving the sick Trophimus at Miletus. These notices belong to different documents and do not by themselves identify the same occasion. Neither locates an exact meeting place, harbour structure or surviving house within the ancient city.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 3
Contextual references: 4
Reference examples: Acts 20:15; Acts 20:17; 2 Timothy 4:20
Source citations: 1

Mitylene

Mitylene is named in Acts after Paul's rendezvous with companions at Assos. The account reports taking him aboard and reaching Mitylene before the next part of the voyage. The notice gives the city a role in reported movement without describing a local meeting, ministry or length of stay. It also does not determine the precise harbour used, the settlement's ancient extent or the ship's path around the surrounding coast.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 20:14; Acts 20:13; Acts 20:15
Source citations: 1

Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai is named in Galatians within an allegory involving covenants, Hagar and Jerusalem. The passage associates the mountain with Arabia, but uses that geography in the letter's theological argument. It does not narrate Paul's arrival at Sinai or identify the mountain's precise modern location. The comparison must not make Hagar a global place alias, and the earlier Arabia journey cannot be turned into a Sinai visit merely by combining the passages.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Galatians 4:24; Galatians 4:25; Galatians 4:26

Myra

Myra is the city reached after the passage off Cilicia and Pamphylia in Acts 27. The narrative identifies it through Lycia and then describes the centurion transferring the party to another ship bound for Italy. Arrival and ship transfer are related but distinct parts of the account. They do not establish an extended residence, local ministry or an exact ancient harbour, and the regional name Lycia must not be treated as another name for the city.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 27:5; Acts 27:6
Source citations: 1

Mysia

Mysia is the regional reference near the attempted entry into Bithynia in Acts 16. The narrative then describes movement past Mysia towards Troas. The wording supplies a relationship between regions and the route without naming a frontier town or precisely locating a change of course. It should not become an arrival at a modern map pin, a journey through every part of Mysia or proof of the ancient region's exact boundaries.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 16:7; Acts 16:8; Acts 16:6
Source citations: 1

Nazareth

Nazareth appears in these Acts passages as part of the designation of Jesus. Peter uses the designation in his account, while Paul's speeches recall both the voice encountered near Damascus and his earlier opposition to Jesus's name. These are personal-designation uses of the geographical name, rather than reports of Paul visiting Nazareth. They do not establish a birthplace, a precise place within the town or an itinerary connecting the town with each speaker.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 3
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 10:38; Acts 22:8; Acts 26:9
Source citations: 1

Neapolis

Neapolis is named in Acts during the voyage that follows the call towards Macedonia. The party reaches it after Samothrace and then continues to Philippi. This is a reported arrival in the travel narrative, rather than an inference from a person's origin. The account gives no separate local mission, length of stay or meeting in Neapolis, and it does not identify a precise harbour, an ancient shoreline or the route taken onwards.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 16:11; Acts 16:10; Acts 16:12
Source citations: 1

Nicopolis

Nicopolis is the meeting destination proposed in Titus, where the speaker says he has decided to spend the winter. The invitation is tied to a notice about sending Artemas or Tychicus. It records an intention and request, not a completed visit by the speaker or Titus. The notice alone does not establish current residence, fix the city's precise geographical identity or settle the letter's date and direct historical authorship.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Titus 3:12; Titus 3:13

Pamphylia

Pamphylia is a regional designation in several different Acts contexts. Perga is associated with it on a journey, another notice reports reaching the region, and a later disagreement recalls John's withdrawal there. The voyage towards Italy also names the sea off Pamphylia. These uses must remain distinct: the retrospective departure is not a new arrival, and coastal passage does not establish a landing. The regional name supplies no exact route or fixed boundary.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 4
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 13:13; Acts 14:24; Acts 15:38
Source citations: 1

Paphos

Paphos is the city destination in Acts after the travellers' passage across Cyprus. The narrative sets an encounter involving Barnabas, Saul and a proconsul there, then describes Paul's party sailing onwards to Perga. The city setting is distinct from the whole island and from the exact location of the encounter. It does not identify a surviving official residence, a particular harbour facility or an independently verified site for the events reported.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 13:6; Acts 13:13; Acts 13:7

Patara

Patara is named near the beginning of the voyage from the Miletus area towards Phoenicia. Acts places it after Cos and Rhodes and then describes finding a ship for the crossing. The sequence gives the city a role in the party's reported travel and change of vessel. It supplies no separate local ministry, length of stay or precise harbour position, and the intended crossing does not identify every later place reached along the coast.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 21:1; Acts 21:2
Source citations: 1

Perga

Perga appears in two journey settings in Acts. The first describes an arrival from Paphos, John's departure and the travellers' onward movement towards Antioch associated with Pisidia. The later notice explicitly describes proclamation at Perga before departure towards Attalia. The accounts should not be made identical: the first arrival does not itself narrate the later teaching activity. The city is also distinct from its Pamphylian regional qualification and from any exact modern site or route.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 3
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 13:13; Acts 13:14; Acts 14:25
Source citations: 1

Philippi

Philippi is a city setting in Acts for the travelling party's arrival, contact with Lydia, public mistreatment and imprisonment. A later notice describes departure from the city. Philippians addresses its believing community, while First Thessalonians separately recalls suffering there. These documents do not by themselves establish a single agreed chronology of every visit. The city setting and community relationships also do not identify an exact prayer place, house, prison or surviving monument.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 4
Contextual references: 6
Reference examples: Acts 16:12; Acts 20:6; Philippians 1:1
Source citations: 1

Phoenicia

Phoenicia appears in Acts as a region reached by scattered believers, traversed on the journey towards Jerusalem and named as a ship's intended crossing destination. These relationships concern different people and stages of movement. The reported passage of Paul and Barnabas is distinct from the earlier believers' journey and from a vessel's destination. The regional name does not establish a landing at every mention, a complete list of towns visited or an equivalence with modern borders.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 3
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 11:19; Acts 15:3; Acts 21:2
Source citations: 1

Phoenix

Phoenix is the Cretan harbour proposed as a winter destination in Acts 27. The majority favour trying to reach it after the discussion at Fair Havens, and the ship subsequently departs before meeting a storm. The passage does not narrate arrival at Phoenix. Its harbour description does not by itself establish a modern site or precise position, and the party's proposal should not be confused with Paul's earlier warning about continuing the voyage.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 5
Reference examples: Acts 27:12; Acts 27:9; Acts 27:10

Phrygia

Phrygia is named together with Galatia in two Acts notices about regional travel. The first links the regional journey with a restriction on preaching in Asia, while the later notice describes strengthening disciples along the journey. The paired wording does not itself define one settled boundary between regions or identify every community visited. These are reported movements, but they do not supply a precise route, a particular city coordinate or an agreed administrative extent for Phrygia.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 16:6; Acts 18:23; Acts 16:7

Pisidia

Pisidia occurs in Acts both as the qualification attached to Antioch and as a region through which the travellers pass on their return journey. These uses must remain distinct: the city name identifies a particular Antioch, while the later movement notice concerns the region. The qualification alone does not define a border or establish travel throughout Pisidia. Neither occurrence supplies an exact route, a complete list of settlements visited or an accepted administrative boundary.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 13:14; Acts 14:24; Acts 14:23
Source citations: 1

Pontus

Pontus is named in Acts through the description of Aquila when Paul meets him at Corinth. The narrative gives Aquila a Pontus association and separately describes his recent arrival from Italy with Priscilla. Those relationships should not be collapsed into a common birthplace or shared origin for the couple. The regional name also does not establish a visit by Paul, Aquila's precise birthplace or one fixed boundary for the ancient region.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 18:2; Acts 18:1; Acts 18:3
Source citations: 1

Ptolemais

Ptolemais is the arrival after the voyage from Tyre in Acts 21. The travellers greet believers and the account explicitly reports a stay of one day before the onward movement to Caesarea. The notice therefore describes both a journey stage and contact with a community. It does not identify the meeting house, an exact harbour or every part of the settlement visited, and it establishes no extended residence or separately narrated local mission.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 21:7; Acts 21:8

Puteoli

Puteoli is the city reached near the end of the sea journey in Acts 28. After arrival, the account describes finding believers and receiving an invitation to remain with them for seven days before the narrative continues towards Rome. Arrival and invitation are different kinds of notice. The proposed stay should not be turned into proof of a particular lodging, an extended residence or an exact itinerary through every place between Puteoli and Rome.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 28:13; Acts 28:14; Acts 28:15
Source citations: 1

Rhegium

Rhegium is named near the end of the voyage to Rome in Acts. The ship reaches it after Syracuse, and the following notice relates further progress towards Puteoli to a south wind. The account describes a journey stage rather than local ministry or an extended residence. It does not identify an exact harbour facility, a place where Paul lodged or the vessel's precise course around the coast before and after the stop.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 28:13; Acts 28:12; Acts 28:14
Source citations: 1

Rhodes

Rhodes is named between Cos and Patara in the voyage described in Acts 21. The brief sequence gives it a role in the travelling party's reported movement, without describing a local meeting, ministry or length of stay. The island subject is also distinct from the question of which town, harbour or coastal point the vessel reached. The place name alone does not identify an ancient landing facility or establish travel across the island.

Place type: Island
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 21:1; Acts 21:2
Source citations: 1

Rome

Rome is a proposed destination and later a reported arrival in Acts, which ends with Paul's two-year stay receiving visitors and teaching. Romans separately addresses believers in the city and expresses a desire to visit them. Second Timothy connects Rome with Onesiphorus's search for the speaker. These documents retain their separate settings and do not by themselves establish one complete chronology. Other people's departures and Roman legal or population labels are not additional Pauline arrivals.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 8
Contextual references: 5
Reference examples: Acts 18:2; Acts 19:21; Acts 23:11

Salamis

Salamis is the city setting for proclamation after the party's arrival on Cyprus in Acts 13. The narrative describes speaking in Jewish synagogues and having John as an attendant before the onward movement across the island towards Paphos. The city and the whole island remain different geographical subjects. The account does not identify a precise harbour, synagogue building or complete path through the settlement, and it gives no independently fixed duration of the visit.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 13:5; Acts 13:4; Acts 13:6
Source citations: 1

Salmone

Salmone is the named coastal reference opposite which the vessel passes while sailing along Crete in Acts 27. Its role is to describe the ship's position during difficult wind conditions, before the narrative reaches Fair Havens. The notice does not report going ashore at Salmone or visiting a settlement there. It also supplies no precise offshore track, surveyed headland point or independently checked correspondence with a modern coastal feature.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 27:7; Acts 27:8

Samaria

Samaria is used in Acts for regional and community settings, including Philip's activity and later travel by Paul and Barnabas. Some passages can involve a city, a region or its people, so they are not all assigned to one physical city. The regional notices and the Samaritan population label remain distinct from those unresolved forms. The name supplies no single city coordinate, complete regional boundary or visit at every occurrence.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 4
Contextual references: 6
Reference examples: Acts 8:1; Acts 8:14; Acts 9:31

Samos

Samos is named in the coastal voyage of Acts 20 between the position opposite Chios and the later arrival at Miletus. The account distinguishes touching at Samos from the stay at Trogyllium. The island subject also does not determine a particular town, harbour, length of stay or path across the island, and the notice does not describe a local ministry.

Place type: Island
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 20:15; Acts 20:14; Acts 20:16
Source citations: 1

Samothrace

Samothrace is the named island target in the first leg of the voyage from Troas towards Macedonia in Acts 16. The narrative describes a direct course to it before the following stage towards Neapolis. This gives the island a role in the sailing sequence without describing a local meeting, activity ashore or length of stay. The course reference does not identify a harbour, an exact offshore position or travel across the island.

Place type: Island
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 16:11; Acts 16:10; Acts 16:12
Source citations: 1

Seleucia

Seleucia is the place to which Barnabas and Saul go before sailing to Cyprus in Acts 13. Its role is distinct from Antioch, the community setting from which they are sent, and from the island destination. The short notice gives Seleucia a departure role without describing local proclamation, a stay or a particular harbour facility. The geographical identification and any distinction from other cities called Seleucia require evidence beyond the shared name alone.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 13:4; Acts 13:3; Acts 13:5
Source citations: 1

Sharon

Sharon is named alongside Lydda in the Acts account of the response to Aeneas's healing. The passage concerns people associated with those places and attributes their response to what they saw. It does not narrate a journey by Paul or establish his residence in the region. The collective description is also not an independent population survey, and it supplies neither a complete regional boundary nor a precise site for the reported encounter.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 9:35; Acts 9:32; Acts 9:34
Source citations: 1

Sidon

Sidon occurs in Acts in a political episode involving Herod and in the later voyage involving Paul. The first notice concerns people associated with Tyre and Sidon seeking peace; the second reports the vessel's arrival and permission for Paul to receive care from friends. These are different settings and actors. The permission does not describe a particular house or establish residence, and the city's name does not identify an exact ancient harbour or route.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 12:20; Acts 27:3; Acts 12:21
Source citations: 1

Sodom

Sodom is named in Romans within a scriptural comparison attributed to Isaiah. The letter pairs it with Gomorrah while discussing Israel and a surviving people. The remembered city functions within that argument, rather than as a destination in Paul's travels. This use does not independently establish the city's location, confirm a destruction account or assign a modern archaeological site. It should remain distinct from the geographical claims required to identify an ancient settlement.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Romans 9:29; Romans 9:27; Romans 9:28

Spain

Spain is the projected destination in Romans' account of future travel. Paul hopes to see the Roman recipients on the way and receive their assistance, and later places the journey after completing the service connected with Jerusalem. These are intentions within the letter, not a report that Spain was reached. The passages do not specify a city, route or duration there, establish a later journey's completion or define the region by modern national boundaries.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Romans 15:24; Romans 15:28; Romans 15:22

Street called Straight

The street's stated name is Straight, and the surrounding Acts account locates it in Damascus. It appears in the instruction to Ananias about finding Saul in a house, followed by Ananias's visit. The named street and the enclosing city are different subjects. This does not identify every straight road or establish that a modern street follows the same alignment, building boundaries or house location described in the narrative.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 9:11; Acts 9:10; Acts 9:12

Syracuse

Syracuse is the city named after the voyage from the island in Acts 28. The narrative reports arrival and a stay of three days before the journey continues towards Rhegium. This is an explicit travel and duration notice, rather than an inference from a person's origin. It does not describe a local mission, identify lodging or establish the precise harbour, ancient shoreline or complete path taken through the city during the stay.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 28:12; Acts 28:11; Acts 28:13

Syria

Syria is a regional designation in Acts and Galatians, used for communities, reported movement and sea journeys. Some notices describe travel through the region, while others concern a voyage's destination or a changed plan. These roles do not make every occurrence a completed arrival. The ancient regional subject remains distinct from a single city, from Assyria and from modern national borders, and the passages do not supply one fixed administrative extent or a complete itinerary.

Place type: Region
Literal name references: 6
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 15:23; Acts 15:41; Acts 18:18

Syrtis

Syrtis is the named maritime danger feared during the storm voyage in Acts 27. After the passage under an island's shelter, the account describes measures to protect the vessel because those aboard fear running onto the sand bars. The name therefore belongs to an anticipated hazard, not a reported arrival there. It does not establish the ship's exact position, a surveyed shoal, a landing or a route that can be reconstructed from this reference alone.

Place type: Body of water
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 27:17; Acts 27:16; Acts 27:18

Tarsus

Tarsus is connected with Saul or Paul through a designation, a transfer destination, Barnabas's search and Paul's own statements about origin and birth in Acts. These are different kinds of notice and should not become a continuous account of residence. The city is distinct from its Cilician regional qualification. The reported statements also do not independently verify civic status, supply the length of a stay or identify a house in the ancient settlement.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 5
Contextual references: 1
Reference examples: Acts 9:11; Acts 9:30; Acts 11:25
Source citations: 1

Thessalonica

Thessalonica is a city setting for Paul's activity and opposition in Acts. The letters also connect its community with correspondence and material support, while other references concern companions' geographical associations or movements. These notices retain their separate actors and documentary settings. An origin association or Demas's journey is not another Pauline visit, and the city's name does not settle the letters' authorship, a complete sequence of visits or the location of a surviving meeting house.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 6
Contextual references: 7
Reference examples: Acts 17:1; Acts 17:11; Acts 17:13
Source citations: 1

Three Taverns

The Three Taverns is named in Acts alongside the Market of Appius when believers come to meet the approaching party on the way to Rome. The account describes Paul's encouragement at seeing them. This is a meeting during a journey, not an account of a local congregation or a stay at an inn. The place name does not identify an exact roadside building, a duration of lodging or a complete route between the stations.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 28:15; Acts 28:14; Acts 28:16
Source citations: 1

Thyatira

Thyatira appears in Acts through the description of Lydia, whom the travelling party encounters in the Philippi setting. The narrative connects her with Thyatira and describes her trade, response and hospitality. The city association is not a report of Paul travelling to Thyatira or an identification of Lydia's precise birthplace. It also supplies no evidence for a particular workshop, the city's entire industry or a residence shared by everyone mentioned in the encounter.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 3
Reference examples: Acts 16:14; Acts 16:12; Acts 16:13
Source citations: 1

Trogyllium

Trogyllium is the named place of a stay in the Acts 20 voyage sequence after Samos and before Miletus. The account distinguishes the call at Samos from this stay. The notice does not describe local ministry, a house, an exact anchorage or the precise duration of the stop. Its geographical role remains separate from identifying a modern coastal site or assigning the vessel a surveyed point.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 1
Contextual references: 2
Reference examples: Acts 20:15; Acts 20:14; Acts 20:16

Tyre

Tyre appears in Acts in a political episode involving Herod and later as a landing and community setting on Paul's journey. The voyage account connects the stop with unloading cargo, finding disciples, a seven-day stay and a farewell before sailing onwards. The earlier political reference concerns different actors. These notices do not identify an exact harbour, meeting house or shoreline prayer site, and they do not establish a residence beyond the reported visit.

Place type: City
Literal name references: 3
Contextual references: 4
Reference examples: Acts 12:20; Acts 21:3; Acts 21:7
Source citations: 1

Zion

Zion is named in Romans within scriptural imagery about a stone and a promise involving a deliverer. The name belongs to the letter's argument rather than a narrated journey by Paul. These uses do not by themselves settle a single physical referent, identify a modern hill or resolve the interpretation of the promise concerning Israel. These uses also do not establish how Zion relates geographically to Jerusalem.

Place type: Site
Literal name references: 2
Contextual references: 4
Reference examples: Romans 9:33; Romans 11:26; Romans 9:30

Bibliography and sources

Acts 7–28, World English Bible (public domain). View source
Romans through Philemon, World English Bible (public domain). View source

Cite this page

Thomas Diong. “Places in Acts and the Pauline letters.” Pauline Letters. Updated 2026-10-24. https://paulineletters.com/explore/places

BibTeX

@online{paulineletters-places,
  author = {Diong, Thomas},
  title = {Places in Acts and the Pauline letters},
  organization = {Pauline Letters},
  date = {2026-10-24},
  url = {https://paulineletters.com/explore/places},
  langid = {en}
}

RIS

TY  - ELEC
TI  - Places in Acts and the Pauline letters
AU  - Diong, Thomas
T2  - Pauline Letters
DA  - 2026/10/24
UR  - https://paulineletters.com/explore/places
LA  - en
ER  -