Pompei

I’ve hung around Ireland and the UK for most of my life, but I did go on Interail across Europe back in July and August 1984. So, the furthest that I stayed was Rome. And I took a trip down to Pompei. Here are three badly scanned slides from my day.

I travelled alone, so I don’t have any funny stories. I was very impressed. I do remember reading The Last Days of Pompei in school, watching a few TV dramas and documentaries and seeing the Pink Floyd film Live at Pompei, so the place was quite special to me.

To get there, I went through Naples. One of my vivid memories of Naples was seeing people sell soft drinks in the street, which were stored in barrels full of ice. The Italian countryside looked very different from the rest of Europe.

I did wonder if there might have been early Christian churches in Pompeii at the time of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius famously in AD 79. I don’t think there was much by way of firm evidence, but during the New Testament period much of church life was informal, so people would have probably met in homes. It certainly gave me a feel for what life was like in the New Testament. And while in Rome, I did manage to see the catacombs, where the early Christians buried their dead, what’s reputed to be Paul’s prison cell, and a few other notable sites. I do remember it being uncomfortably hot though.

According to the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul traveled to Puteoli (modern-day Pozzuoli) after landing in Italy. This port town is just about 20 miles west of Pompeii, nestled in the Bay of Naples. He stayed there for seven days before continuing his journey to Rome via the Appian Way. I remember having a delightful walk along the Appian way on my way to see the catacombs.

What was the furthest that the Apostle Paul traveled? Some say that he might have reached Spain. He certainly intended to go there. I wondered if any early Christians ever visited Ireland before the time of Saint Patrick. Britain was part of the Roman Empire from AD 43, so some trading might have taken place between Britain and Ireland. Not all history is recorded in the history books.

And just last week, I watched an old episode of BBC’s Coast and saw someone claim that Columbus had been in Galway and that’s where he got the idea of sailing West to find India. I think it related to the tides, which seemed to suggest that there was a land that could be reached to the West of Ireland.

I always like to close with a Bible verse or a hymn. So here goes.

Rom 15:24
 ²⁴ I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵ Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there.

We sometimes skim over such detail, but to me it makes the New Testament more grounded in history. It’s not just someone writing about a dream he had or his philosophy. As it turned out, Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and eventually brought as a prisoner to Rome. He was executed in Rome, but some believe that the final arrest and execution might have taken place some years later. In the intervening time, he might have got to Spain.

Clement of Rome (c. AD 96) wrote that Paul went to “the extremity of the west,” which many interpret as Spain. In Tarragona, Spain, there’s even a chapel and local tradition claiming Paul preached there.

Anyway, now that I’ve revealed how far I’ve travelled, hopefully it’ll be useful evidence for future generations that this Paul once visited Pompeii 😀.

Luke 2:8-11
⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.