Puteoli was a major port city in Italy where Paul stayed for seven days on his journey to Rome as a prisoner.
Puteoli, modern-day Pozzuoli, was an important port city located on the Bay of Naples in Italy. It is mentioned in the New Testament in connection with Paul's journey to Rome as a prisoner (Act.28.13). After sailing from Malta, where they had been shipwrecked, Paul and his companions arrived at Syracuse and then proceeded to Rhegium. From there, they sailed to Puteoli, where they found some Christian brothers and stayed with them for seven days (Act.28.13-14). Puteoli was a significant harbor and commercial center, serving as a gateway to Rome. It was also a major hub for the grain trade from Egypt, which was vital for supplying food to the populous city of Rome. The presence of a Christian community in Puteoli indicates the spread of the gospel in Italy, even before Paul's arrival in Rome. Paul's stay in Puteoli for a week suggests that he had the opportunity to fellowship with and encourage the local believers before continuing his journey to Rome, where he would await trial before Caesar.
Approximate location: 40.836, 14.268 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
A city on the coast of Campania, on the north shore of a bay running north from the Bay of Naples, at which Paul landed on his way to Rome, from which it was distant 170 miles. Here he tarried for seven days (Acts 28:13, 14). This was the great emporium for the Alexandrian corn ships. Here Paul and his companions began their journey, by the “Appian Way,” to Rome. It is now called Pozzuoli. The remains of a huge amphitheatre, and of the quay at which Paul landed, may still be seen here.
(sulphurous springs), the great landing-place of travelers to Italy from the Levant, and the harbor to which the Alexandrian corn-ships brought their cargoes. (Acts 27:13) The celebrated bay which is now the Bay of Naples was then called “Sinus Puteolanus.” The city was at the northeastern angle of the bay. The name Puteoli arose from the strong mineral springs which are characteristic of the place. It was a favorite watering-place of the Romans its hot springs being considered efficacious for cure of various diseases. Here also ships usually discharged their passengers and cargoes, partly to avoid doubling the promontory of Circeium and partly because there was no commodious harbor nearer to Rome. Hence the ship in which Paul was conveyed from Melita landed the prisoners at this place, where the apostle stayed a week. (Acts 28:13,14)—Whitney . The associations of Puteoli with historical personages are very numerous. Scipio sailed from this place to Spain; Cicero had a villa in the neighborhood; here Nero planned the murder of his mother; Vespasian gave to this city peculiar privileges; and here Adrian was buried. In the fifth century it was ravaged by both Alaric and Genseric, and it never afterward recovered its former eminence. It is now a fourth-rate Italian town, still retaining the name of Pozzuoli . The remains of Puteoli are worthy of mention. Among them are the aqueduct the reservoirs, portions (probably) of the baths the great amphitheatre and the building called the temple of Serapis. No Roman harbor has left as solid a memorial of itself as this one, at which St. Paul landed in Italy.
PUTE'OLI (sulphurous wells or springs), a seaport of Campania, in Italy, situated upon the northern shore of a small bay running northward from the Bay of Naples, and now called Pozzuoli Bay. The town was originally confined to a rocky promontory, but afterward extended to a considerable distance eastward and northward. Puteoli was the great port of Rome, and through it passed the immense exports and imports of the imperial city. Especially was it the port for the Alexandrian corn-ships, which were allowed the peculiar privilege of entering the bay with all their sails set. Its ancient Greek name was Dicaearchia. It was a favorite watering-place of the Romans, its hot springs being considered efficacious for the cure of various diseases. Puteoli is connected with many historical personages. Scipio sailed hence to Spain; Cicero had a villa near the city; here Nero planned the murder of his mother; Vespasian gave to this city peculiar privileges; and here Hadrian was buried, The Castor and Pollux landed the apostle Paul there, Acts 28:13-14, and he tarried in the place, where there were Christians, for a week before setting out for Rome, 141 miles distant. The modern name of Puteoli is Pozzuoli. There are considerable remains of ancient structures, including an aqueduct, reservoirs, baths, and a building called the temple of Serapis. Thirteen arches can still be counted of the twenty-five which originally supported the great pier, thrown out for protection against the waves and for convenience in landing passengers and merchandise.
PUTE'OLI (sulphurous wells or springs), a seaport of Campania, in Italy, situated upon the northern shore of a small bay running northward from the Bay of Naples, and now called Pozzuoli Bay. The town was originally confined to a rocky promontory, but afterward extended to a considerable distance eastward and northward. Puteoli was the great port of Rome, and through it passed the immense exports and imports of the imperial city. Especially was it the port for the Alexandrian corn-ships, which were allowed the peculiar privilege of entering the bay with all their sails set. Its ancient Greek name was Dicaearchia. It was a favorite watering-place of the Romans, its hot springs being considered efficacious for the cure of various diseases. Puteoli is connected with many historical personages. Scipio sailed hence to Spain; Cicero had a villa near the city; here Nero planned the murder of his mother; Vespasian gave to this city peculiar privileges; and here Hadrian was buried, The Castor and Pollux landed the apostle Paul there, Acts 28:13-14, and he tarried in the place, where there were Christians, for a week before setting out for Rome, 141 miles distant. The modern name of Puteoli is Pozzuoli. There are considerable remains of ancient structures, including an aqueduct, reservoirs, baths, and a building called the temple of Serapis. Thirteen arches can still be counted of the twenty-five which originally supported the great pier, thrown out for protection against the waves and for convenience in landing passengers and merchandise.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
1 verse in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G4223
From there we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day, a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.