Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Walk in Paul's Steps from Corinth to Cenchreae

View looking west to Acrocorinth; Examilia quarry in foreground

I spent 3 week in Corinth in June participating in the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Project directed by Paul Scotton. I had a wonderful time! On the weekends, I went around and tried to retrace Paul's paths in Greece. I had already done most of his path on the Via Engatia from Neapolis (Kavala) to Philippi in 2017. This summer I visited where Paul went from Pella to Edessa to Beroea (Veria) and from there on to Pydna via Aigai (Vergina). I also stopped at Nicopolis (Titus 3.12). Working at Lechaion, I went back and forth between the harbor and the Roman forum. I suspect Paul also did so, especially if on his third trip he went all the way west to Illyricum (Romans 15.19) and then sailed south and then east in the Gulf of Corinth to Lechaion. I will share reports on those when I get a chance, but for this post, I will report on my walk from Corinth to Cenchreae (Kenchreai) and back. We are told Paul sailed from the Cenchreae on his way back to Jerusalem and Antioch at the end of his second journey.

Acts 18.18: After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow.

If you are interested in walking this path, I share suggested routes (with Google Maps guides), hiking shortcuts, and some tips for things along the way. It is about 7.3 miles (11.5km) one way and takes about 3 hours at a leisurely pace. The recommendation for a walking stick to fend off dogs came from Hannah Lents who will be presenting at SBL this year: "The Road to Kenchreai: A History of a Gospel Highway."

Looking east to Cenchreae and the Saronic Gulf

Here is the PDF with all the information. Let us know if you have walked this path and what your experience was!

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