THESSALONICA
THESSALONICA (thes-a-lo-ni'ka). Called anciently Therma. It was named after the wife of Cassander, who rebuilt the city. Under the Romans it was one of four divisions of Macedonia. Paul and Silas organized a church there (Acts 17:1-4; 1 Thess 1:9). In Acts 20:1-3, Paul's visit is named; see also Phil 4:16; 2 Tim 4:10. In Acts 17:6,8, the rulers of the city are called, in the original, politarchai. This title of a political magistrate is otherwise unknown in extant Gk. literature. At the western entrance to the city there remained standing until 1876 a Roman arch. This contained an inscription on its gate mentioning certain city officials called "politarchs." Other inscriptions also contained the same word. The politarchs were elected by "the people," which refers to the assembly of the demos. Thus one of the assertions of historical inaccuracy in Scripture has been answered. The modern city Salonika is a strategic Balkan metropolis having a population of more than......
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