Day 3 Revisit Part 3 - Vergina, Beria

(Day Three Revisit - Tuesday June 8th, part 2)

Back on the bus at about 12:00 and off to our next stop, in Vergina. We drove west for about 45 minutes on the new Via Eganitia, which is a new toll road built along the old Roman Road which Paul used. Pastor Wayne used this time to have us examine Acts 17:1-9 and apply the Biblical study principles of: 1. Observation, 2. Interpretation, 3. Correlation, 4. Application. We stopped at a nice place in Vergina for lunch.

Entrance to Royal Tombs

After lunch, we walked about three or four minutes to the Tombs of Vergina. A professor of history in Athens worked to excavate a Tel (mound or small hill) which was in Vergina, because the Vergina area was known to be the burial sites for the royal family of Macedonia. He found lots of common burial plots, but he also found four tombs which appeared to be associated with royalty. Two of the tombs had been plundered, and very little was found. The other two tombs were royal, and because of several clues, it is believed that one of the tombs was of Phillip II, father of Alexander the Great, and the other tomb was of a Young Prince, thought to be Alexander the Fourth, son of Alexander the Great. These tombs were not disturbed, and had lots of great treasures -- lots of gold in forms of crowns, necklaces, burial chests, jewelry, and gilding on other items. Also armor, weapons, and other artifacts. Some good frescos on the insides and outsides of the tombs. Phillip's tomb had lots of marble ot the entrance, the doors, threshold, and entrance area. This is important because the marble is not native to the area of Vergina, and had to be imported. Phillip's tomb also had a second room where the remains of a woman, thought to be Kleopatra (not the Egyptian) who was assassinated immediately after her husband.

Monument to St. Paul

Back to the bus at about 2:45/3:00 and over to Veria (ancient Beroea). This is the place referenced in Acts 17:10-15. There was a nice memorial there that commemorated Paul's preaching. We took some pictures and examined Acts 17:10-15 for a few minutes. Then we returned to the bus and back to the Capsis Hotel in Thessaloniki about 5:30. Some people explored/walked the area of Thessaloniki (and saw the Arch of Galerius and the Rotunda), I took a swim in the hotel pool which was on the roof. We had dinner at the hotel at 7:45, packed, and got ready for the next day. We had to have the luggage which is to be packed on the bus out in the halls at 7:30, and have our 'carry-on' and be ready to go at 8:15.


Prev: Day 3 Part 2 <=> Next: Day 4 Part 1
Dale's Pics for Day 3: here

Approx Miles Traveled Day 3: Bus 116


Travels Day 3:

In Thessaloniki:

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To Vergina and Beria:

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