The apostle Paul visited Corinth more than once during his missionary tours. On his first visit, he stayed there for 18 months. (Ac 18:1, 11; 20:2, 3) At that time, the city of Corinth was a thriving commercial center, thanks in large part to its strategic location on the isthmus that connects the Peloponnesian Peninsula to the Greek mainland. This allowed the city to control the flow of goods at two nearby ports, Lechaeum and Cenchreae. Corinth was a crossroads for merchants and travelers from all over the Roman Empire, making it an ideal location to carry out the preaching work. In this video, learn about Corinth’s history, including archaeological discoveries, such as the Erastus inscription. See the city’s agora (marketplace), bema (judgment seat), and one of its theaters as it may have appeared in Paul’s day.

Shown here is a page from a papyrus codex referred to as P⁴⁶, believed to date from about the year 200 C.E. A total of 86 leaves of this codex have survived. They contain nine of Paul’s inspired letters in the following order: Romans, Hebrews, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians. Highlighted is the title, which reads “Toward [or, “To”] Corinthians 2.” This papyrus collection provides evidence that from an early date, scribes identified Bible books by titles.​—See Media Gallery, “Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.”

The bronze seal shown in the photographs bears a name. In Roman times, people used seals to make impressions on wax or clay. Such seals had many different purposes. For example, as illustrated, potters stamped clay jars to identify the maker, the product, or the volume of the container. Sometimes plaster was used to fasten a cap on a jar. Before the plaster hardened, the seal of the merchant or the person shipping the product was pressed into it. Some people used a seal to make an impression that signified ownership of an item. Paul referred to a figurative seal of ownership when he stated that God had “put his seal on” Christians, or had anointed them with his holy spirit. This seal indicated that God was their Owner.​—2Co 1:21, 22.

The photo on the left shows the triumphal arch located at the Forum in Rome, Italy. The arch was built to commemorate the victory by Roman General Titus over Jerusalem and Judea in 70 C.E. In June 71 C.E., Titus and his father, Emperor Vespasian, celebrated this victory in the capital of the Roman Empire. Titus succeeded Vespasian as emperor in 79 C.E. Two years later, Titus died unexpectedly, and shortly thereafter, this arch was built in his honor. Titus’ triumphal procession is represented in bas-relief sculptures carved on each side of the passage through the arch and originally painted in vibrant colors. On one side (1), Roman soldiers are shown carrying sacred furniture from Jerusalem’s temple. Clearly seen among the spoils are the seven-branched lampstand and the table of showbread, on which rest the sacred trumpets. The relief on the other side of the passage (2) shows the victorious Titus standing in a chariot drawn by four horses. These reliefs exemplify the illustrations that the apostle Paul used in two of his letters. (2Co 2:14; Col 2:15) Those who received Paul’s letters were no doubt familiar with Roman triumphal processions. At the time, such public rituals were authorized by the Roman emperor or his family. The Arch of Titus confirms the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy about the city of Jerusalem being captured and its inhabitants taken captive.​—Lu 21:24.

During the time of the Roman republic, the Senate honored a conquering general by allowing him to celebrate the victory with a formal procession. The procession usually included musicians, followed by men leading cattle that would be slaughtered. The spoils of war came next. Then came the captive kings, princes, generals, and their families. They were followed by more of the defeated enemy, bound in fetters. Walking behind them were the men who would execute them. Then came the general in a grand chariot. Triumphal processions were portrayed in sculptures and on paintings and coins as well as illustrated in literary and theatrical works. The apostle Paul referred to “a triumphal procession” in two different illustrations. (2Co 2:14; Col 2:15) These are the only two Biblical occurrences of the Greek verb thri·am·beuʹo, which is rendered “to lead in a triumphal procession.”

Shown here are clay vessels that date to the first century C.E. Craftsmen in Corinth produced vessels like these. In his second inspired letter to the Corinthian congregation, Paul compared Christians to this type of inexpensive container. Each day, the disciples in Corinth handled clay jars, pots, and lamps common to the routines of life. As they handled these breakable vessels, the disciples would be reminded of having the correct view of themselves and the privileges Jehovah had granted them.​—2Co 4:1, 5-11.

This illustration shows a bull and a donkey yoked together for work. The Mosaic Law did not allow such a practice. Bulls were far stronger than donkeys, so the animals would cause each other discomfort when they pulled a plow or hauled a load. (De 22:10; Pr 12:10) Paul used this practice as a word picture when he wrote that Christians should “not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers.”​—2Co 6:14.

This artist’s rendering shows a family in Corinth contributing what they have set aside on a regular basis to provide relief to their brothers in Judea. (1Co 16:2) The family cheerfully cooperates with those in the congregation who are responsible for organizing this relief work. Because these parents teach their son to contribute, the child learns the greater joy that comes from giving. (Ac 20:35) A year before, the Corinthian congregation had expressed readiness to donate. (2Co 8:10, 11) So in his second inspired letter, Paul encourages the congregation to complete this act of kindness.

In the first century C.E., the city of Damascus likely had a layout similar to what is shown here. It was an important center for trade, and water drawn from the nearby Barada River (the Abanah of 2Ki 5:12) made the area around the city like an oasis. Damascus had a number of synagogues. Saul came to that city intending to arrest “any whom he found who belonged to The Way,” an expression used to describe the followers of Jesus. (Ac 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:22) On the road to Damascus, however, the glorified Jesus appeared to Saul. After that, Saul stayed for a time in Damascus at the house of a man named Judas, who lived on the street called Straight. (Ac 9:11) In a vision, Jesus directed the disciple Ananias to Judas’ house to restore Saul’s sight, and Saul later got baptized. So instead of arresting the Jewish Christians, Saul became one of them. He began his career as a preacher of the good news in the synagogues of Damascus. After traveling to Arabia and then back to Damascus, Saul returned to Jerusalem, likely about the year 36 C.E.—Ac 9:1-6, 19-22; Ga 1:16, 17.

A. Damascus

1. Road to Jerusalem

2. Street called Straight

3. Agora

4. Temple of Jupiter

5. Theater

6. Musical Performance Theater (?)

B. Jerusalem

Both sides of this silver coin, minted about 21 C.E., show Arabian King Aretas IV. Coins like this one had an inscription (partly shown on the image to the left) that reads in full: “Aretas king of Nabataea, lover of his people.” The capital of the Nabataean kingdom was Petra, located in modern-day Jordan to the south of the Dead Sea. (See App. B10, B13.) Aretas ruled from about 9 B.C.E. to about 40 C.E. He is mentioned once in the Bible, in connection with Paul’s early preaching activity in Damascus about 34-36 C.E. At that time, Damascus was in some way under the control of Aretas IV. The governor whom Paul mentions at 2Co 11:32 apparently served as King Aretas’ representative there. (See study note on 2Co 11:32.) During his reign, Aretas minted an enormous quantity of silver and bronze coins, many of which have been found far from ancient Nabataea. Such coins bearing his name indicate that a king by the name of Aretas was a historical person who lived at the same time as the apostle Paul.

These photos show the ruins of the city of Petra, located south of the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan. It was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom of Aretas IV, who is mentioned at 2Co 11:32 (see study note) and who ruled from about 9 B.C.E. to 40 C.E. (See App. B10, B13.) By the first century C.E., Petra had already been the capital of the Nabataeans​—an Arab tribe​—for hundreds of years. The ruins of that city show the past prosperity of Petra and its Greek and Roman influence, even though the city lay isolated in a desert. Petra was practically impregnable because it was situated in a hollow and surrounded by steep mountains. The Nabataeans carved their homes, tombs, temples, and even a theater out of solid rock. The rose-colored sandstone mountains surrounding Petra were well-suited to this remarkable style of construction. Some of these carved-out buildings included elaborate facades. The people also built a system of water channels, cisterns, and reservoirs to capture and store water from seasonal rains. In the first century C.E., the people dwelling there were still trading in such products as frankincense and myrrh. Petra’s location on the caravan routes did much to enhance commerce and increase the city’s wealth.