Alexandria

Alexandria, a significant port city in Egypt, played a role in Paul's journey to Rome.

Alexandria, a prominent city in Egypt, is mentioned in the book of Acts in connection with Paul's journey to Rome. In Act.27.6, Paul and his companions boarded a ship from Alexandria sailing to Italy. Later, in Act.28.11, they departed from the island of Malta on another Alexandrian ship. Alexandria was known for its strategic location, serving as a major port and center of trade in the Mediterranean world. In Act.6.9, the Synagogue of the Freedmen, which included Jews from Alexandria, is mentioned as being among those who disputed with Stephen. Alexandria had a significant Jewish population and was a center of Hellenistic culture and learning.

The ancient metropolis of Lower Egypt, so called from its founder, Alexander the Great (about B.C. 333). It was for a long period the greatest of existing cities, for both Nineveh and Babylon had been destroyed, and Rome had not yet risen to greatness. It was the residence of the kings of Egypt for 200 years. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and only incidentally in the New. Apollos, eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures, was a native of this city (Acts 18:24). Many Jews from Alexandria were in Jerusalem, where they had a synagogue (Acts 6:9), at the time of Stephen’s martyrdom. At one time it is said that as many as 10,000 Jews resided in this city. It possessed a famous library of 700,000 volumes, which was burned by the Saracens (A.D. 642). It was here that the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek. This is called the Septuagint version, from the tradition that seventy learned men were engaged in executing it. It was, however, not all translated at one time. It was begun B.C. 280, and finished about B.C. 200 or 150.