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Acts 21:1 |
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And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the [day] following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
Note 1 at Acts 21:1: Coos is an island off the coast of Asia Minor (New Testament Asia-see note 3 at Acts 16:6, p. 666) in the Aegean Sea located about fifty miles south of Miletus (see note 6 at Acts 20:15, p. ???) and about one day's sail northwest of Rhodes (see note 2 at this verse). Today it is called Stanko or Stanchio. It is about 21 miles long by 6 miles wide lying northeast to south west. Coos was the birthplace of Hippocrates, the founder of all medical science. Paul spent the night at Coos on his voyage from Miletus to Judaea (see note 1 at Jn. 4:3, p. 100).
Note 2 at Acts 21:1: Rhodes is a large island off the coast of present day Turkey. It is about 45 miles long by 20 miles broad. The capital of this island is also named Rhodes. Paul sailed to Rhodes here at the end of his third missionary journey as he headed towards Jerusalem.
Rhodes was settled by the Greeks and was a part of the Athenian state (see note 1 at Acts 17:15, p. 675). Rhodes broke away from Athens around 400 B.C. and three city states emerged with the city of Rhodes as the capital. The island came under the control of Persia, then Macedonia (see note 1 at Acts 16:9, p. 667), and then the Romans.
The city of Rhodes was a commercial center of the Mediterranean and had a beautiful harbor. At the entrance to the harbor was the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This was a statue of Apollo standing over 100 feet high holding a lamp or torch that served as a lighthouse. The ships would sail in and out of port between the feet of this statue. The Colossus was destroyed by an earthquake about 224 B.C., just a little more than sixty years after it was erected.
Note 3 at Acts 21:1: Patara was a city of Lycia, a region in southern Asia Minor or what the New Testament calls Asia (see note 3 at Acts 16:6, p. 666), lying just west of Pamphylia (see note 2 at Acts 13:13, p. 650). This was a large city with a fine harbor and trade routes throughout Asia.
Paul visited Patara during his third missionary journey and changed ships there as he headed towards Jerusalem.
