Biblical Sites Expanded Ancient Corinth Greece Maranatha Tours

Corinth The modern city of Corinth is located approximately 3.1 mi northeast of the ancient ruins. Since 1896, systematic archaeological investigations of the Corinth Excavations by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens have revealed large parts of the ancient city, and recent excavations conducted by the Greek Ministry of Culture have brought to light important new facets of antiquity.

For Christians, Corinth is well known from the two letters of Saint Paul in the New Testament, First and Second Corinthians. Corinth is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as part of the Paul the Apostle's missionary travels. In addition, the second book of Pausanias' Description of Greece is devoted to Corinth.

Ancient Corinth was one of the largest and most important cities of Greece, with a population of 90,000 in 400 BC. The Romans demolished Corinth in 146 BC, built a new city in its place in 44 BC, and later made it the provincial capital of Greece.

Corinth is mentioned many times in the New Testament, largely in connection with Paul the Apostle's mission there, testifying to the success of Caesar's refounding of the city. Traditionally, the Church of Corinth is believed to have been founded by Paul, making it an Apostolic See.

The Apostle Paul first visited Corinth on his second missionary journey (Acts 18). He had just arrived from Athens where he had been poorly received. He says he began his work at Corinth with weakness, fear and trembling. He had intended to remain only a short time before returning to Thessalonica, but the Lord spoke to him in a night vision (Acts 18:9, 10; 1 Thess 2:17, 18). He preached in the city for a year and a half. For a time he resided in the home of Aquila and Priscilla, Jews who had recently been expelled from Rome by the Emperor Claudius. They, like Paul, were tent makers and he worked with them during his stay so that his motives as a preacher would not be impugned. Soon after he arrived Silas and Timothy joined him from Macedonia.

He preached in the synagogue on each sabbath until strong opposition arose among the Jews. He then turned to the Gentiles and stayed at the house of Titus Justus, a Gentile adherent to Judaism, who lived next door to the synagogue. He made a number of converts during his stay, among them Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue.

The Corinth Canal  connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. The canal was dug through the Isthmus at sea level and has no locks. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) in length and only 21.4 metres (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for most modern ships. Nowadays it has little economic importance and is mainly a tourist attraction.

The canal was initially proposed in classical times and a failed effort was made to build it in the 1st century AD. Construction recommenced in 1881 but was hampered by geological and financial problems that bankrupted the original builders. It was completed in 1893 but, due to the canal's narrowness, navigational problems and periodic closures to repair landslides from its steep walls, it failed to attract the level of traffic expected by its operators.