Atlas from Space: Satellite View of Rotunda (Agios Georgios)in Thessalonica (modern Thessaloniki)

Thessalonica is familiar to Bible students as host city to one of the churches founded by the Apostle Paul (Acts 17) and recipient of two of his epistles (First and Second Thessalonians).

The Rotunda, originally built as the mausoleum for Galerius (d. 311 CE), was converted to a church in the 5th century, served as a cathedral in the 15th century, and a mosque a century later. Today it is known as Agios Georgios (St. George), the name of a small church adjacent to it. The Rotunda is occasionally used for cultural events.

Want to go deeper?

The following are recommended to help you look deeper into the history and archaeology of Thessalonica.

Recommended for purchase:

Claude E. Fant & Mitchell G. Reddish – A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey (Oxford, 2003), 132-140. – Nearly two-thirds of the New Testament, including all the letters of Paul, most of Acts, and the Book of Revelation, are set in either Turkey or Greece. This book serves as a historical, biblical, and archaeological guide to most of these biblical sites. View excerpt

Ben Witherington – 1 & 2 Thessalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Eerdmans, 2006) – In this first full-scale socio-rhetorical commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Ben Witherington gleans fresh insight from reading Paul's text in the light of rhetorical concerns and patterns, early Jewish theology, and the first-century historical situation in Macedonia. Witherington's distinctive socio-rhetorical approach helps unearth insights that would otherwise remain hidden using only form criticism, epistolary categories, and traditional criticism. Witherington details Thessalonica's place as the "metropolis" of Macedonia, and he carefully unpacks the social situation of Paul and his recipients. Scholars will appreciate the careful analysis and rhetorical insights contained here, while Witherington's clear prose and sensitivity to Paul's ideas make this work ideal for all who desire a useful, readable commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

Online resources:

Thessaloniki360: Virtual City Guide. – Features many 360° photos of the significant landmarks of Thessaloniki.