Early Christianity in its Pagan Context 2011

In May of 2011, students from George Washington University will travel to Greece and Turkey with two Professors to explore the context in which early Christianity grew. We will spend time in Greece at some sites visited by the apostle Paul--such as the Areopagus hill in Athens (pictured above) and the ancient city of Corinth (below).
But, we will do much more. We will also visit important pagan religious sites such as the Parthenon--a temple of the goddess Athena, the patron of Athens (below) and

the sanctuary of Eleusis, where Greeks were initiated into secret mysteries (below)
and the famous oracle of Delphi where individuals and even governments went to receive divine help or advice (below).
From Greece we will travel to Turkey and explore the ancient city of Ephesus where the apostle Paul spent a number of years

We will also visit several of the ancient sites of the cities that John addressed in the Book of Revelation (Ephesus, Pergamum, Sardis, Laodicea) and the island of Patmos, where he composed the book. In addition, we will visit the site of the ancient synagogue at Sardis (below) and explore the Asclepium--the temple of the healing god Asclepius--at Pergamum (below)


Before leaving, we will also visit Istanbul, where we will explore Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine church built in the 6th century. This building served as a church for a millenium and then was converted into a mosque. It is now a museum (below).

We will also visit other interesting sites in Istanbul.

If you are interested in information about the trip please contact Professor Paul Duff (duff@gwu.edu) or Professor Katherine Keller (kzkeller@gwu.edu).

We hope you can join us.