A seaport city on the southwest coast of the island of Cyprus, where Paul and Barnabas encountered Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:6–12).
About Paphos
Paphos was a city in southwest Cyprus. It began as a Phoenician settlement called "Old Paphos." Later, a Greek settlement called "New Paphos" was built about 16.1 kilometers (10 miles) away from the original city. New Paphos became the main government center when Cyprus became part of the Roman Empire in 22 BC.
The combined city was famous for its temple. The people first dedicated the temple to the Syrian goddess Astarte. According to the Roman historian Tacitus, people worshiped Astarte using ancient Phoenician ceremonies. These ceremonies included putting oil on a cone-shaped stone (possibly a meteorite). The Greeks later identified Astarte with their goddess Aphrodite. They believed Aphrodite came out of the sea.
Key References
They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.
All Scripture References (2)
Acts (2)
They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.