CHAPTER XXVII
ARCHÆOLOGICAL LIGHT ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES
The Politarchs of Thessalonica. An Altar to Unknown Gods. An Inscription from Delphi and the Date of Paul’s Contact with Gallio. Some Epistles from Egypt. Inscriptions Mentioning Aretas, King of Arabia.
1. The Politarchs of Thessalonica.
In Acts 17:6 the rulers of Thessalonica are called in the Greek “politarchs.” It is a unique term, and its accuracy had been called in question by some scholars. Within the past hundred years no less than nineteen inscriptions have come to light which prove its accuracy, by referring to the rulers of Thessalonica as “politarchs.” One of the most important of these is from an arch in Thessalonica. It runs in part as follows, the beginning being illegible:[616]
In the time of the Politarchs, Sosipatros, son of Cleopatra, and Lucius Pontius Secundus Publius Flavius Sabinus, Demetrius, son of Faustus, Demetrius of Nicopolis, Zoilos, son of Parmenio, and Meniscus Gaius Agilleius Poteitus ......
Another fragmentary inscription shows that the rulers of the city bore this title as early as the time of Augustus. It is in part:[617]
Bosa, proconsul, made a stone-quarry for the temple of Cæsar, in the time of the priest and judge, the Emperor Cæsar, the divine son Augustus .........., the politarchs remaining faithful, viz.:—Diogenes, the son of Kleon, the ...., etc.
It is not clear from the inscriptions whether the number of politarchs was five or six.
2. An Altar to Unknown Gods.