Salamis of Cyprus

Brief Overview of Paul's Visit to the Salamis on the Island of Cyprus on His First Missionary Journey

# 2 Saul (now referred to as Paul), Barnabas, and Mark (their assistant) set sail from Seleucia to the island of Cyprus (a Roman senate province). This island was also the home of Barnabas. They always began by preaching in the local synagogue and they spent several months there preaching the Word of God in the synagogues.

The Island of Cyprus is 140 miles long it is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, next to Sicily and Sardinia. The island has two mountain ranges, one along the North Coast (about 3000 feet in elevation), and one along the south coast (about 6000 feet in elevation). The large valley between these two mountain ranges serve as the granary of the island. There are also very large forests which was served as the main natural resource for Cyprus, and the timber supplied shipbuilders with their necessary wood. Other important industries of Cyprus were copper and silver smelting. In fact the word "copper" is derived from the word "Cyprus." On the island of Cyprus there is a mild Mediterranean climate.

Salamis

The Missionary team landed at Salamis, which was the main port and commercial center of the entire island. At Salamis the Roman influence was very apparent, a beautiful forum, gymnasium, public baths, a large theater, and a temple dedicated to Zeus. In fact Salamis was known for having the largest agora (marketplace) of all the colonies within the Roman Empire.