A certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who believed (Acts 16:1).

One can imagine that Timothy might have lived in a house similar to this one near Derbe. Mudbrick construction is a traditional building style used throughout the ancient and modern Middle East. Because the roof and mudbricks are made of material that is either perishable or easily eroded, archaeologists often find only the stone foundations of ancient buildings.

And passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas (Acts 16:8).

Troas was a port city in western Asia Minor. It was here that Paul received a vision calling him to Macedonia—which, incidentally, was only a short distance away by boat. In fact, Troas was considered the gateway to Macedonia.

Setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace (Acts 16:11).

Samothrace is an island in the Aegean Sea 65 miles (105 km) southeast of ancient Neapolis (modern Kavala). On Paul’s journey, Samothrace was merely a place to pause for the night. Because ships did not have good sleeping accommodations, sailors would typically go ashore to find a place to sleep when possible.

And from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia (Acts 16:12).

Because the site is not built over by modern settlement, Philippi has been a rewarding excavation for archaeologists. The forum pictured here was constructed shortly after the time of Paul, but it was built over the site of an earlier forum, contemporary with Paul’s visit.

A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple cloth (Acts 16:14).

Purple cloth was one of the most expensive, due to the costs involved in producing that color. Thyatira was known for producing this kind of cloth, a fact which Homer mentions in his Iliad. Because of its inland position, the city likely used a plant-based dye instead of the sort manufactured from murex shells.