Thus, in modern times, a messenger could easily be sent by land straight north from Miletus to Ephesus. But in ancient times a foot-messenger would have to make an immense circuit: for ex- ample, he would have to traverse about 110 stadia from Miletus to Heracleia, and 100 from Heracleia to Pyrrha, whereas the sea-crossing from Miletus to Pyrrha was only 30 stadia. Pyrrha was 50 stadia τοῦ of the mouth of the Meander, which joiaed the sea between Pyrrha and Priene. At the pre- sent day Priene is 12 miles from the coast. The coastline on to Priene is not stated by Strabo, but it must have been more than 100 stadia. Hence the foot-messenger would have a journey of over 360 stadia from Miletus to Priene (45 miles), whereas the straight line across the gulf is barely 100 stadia (124 miles). From Priene to Ephesus, the land road across the mountains cannot be less than 25 miles, though the air line is under 20. St. Paul’s messenger, then, probably sailed to Priene and walked or rode thence to Ephesus. The vague statement often made, that Ephesus was by land only about 20 or 30 miles distant from Miletus, is, as we now see, very misleading.
If we accept as true* the Bezan and Western addition to Ac 20% μείναντες ἐν Τρωγυλλίῳ, we see that the ship on which were St. Paul and the dele- gates, bearing the contributions of the Churches of the four provinces, Achaia, Macedonia, Asia, and Galatia, after sailing from Assos on a Monday
* True, whether as a correct tradition added by a reviser, or as a part of the original text written by St. Luke, which dropped out either in the transmission of the text, or through the act of the author (according to Prof. Blass’s theory).
MILK
morning,* must have spent Wednesday night at Trogyllion, the extreme promontory of Mount Mykale on the north side of the Meander valley, projecting far out towards the west and towards Samos. On Thursday a voyage of only about 23 miles with the morning breeze from the north would bring them to Miletus. A messenger was then found, and sent to Ephesus. He would prob- ably reach Ephesus during the course of Thursda night, and the assembling of the elders and their journey (some being doubtless comparatively elderly men) would take time. The morning of Saturday, then, is the earliest possible date for the arrival of the elders in Miletus; and we must eupnode that St. Paul spent the day with them; and probably the early morning of Sunday + was the time when the ship proceeded on its voyage to Jerusalem, reaching Cos that day.
According to 2Ti 4” St. Paul visited Miletus (AV Miletum) on some later occasion, and there left Trophimus sick. This visit is quite inconsistent with the narrative of Ac, and must be referred to a later period, after St. Paul was released from his Roman imprisonment, and returned to the Algean lands and churches.
The famous temple of Apollo Didymeus at Bran- chidz was about 20 miles south of Miletus, in the territory subject to that city. It stood about 2 miles back from the coast, overlooking the harbour Panormus. The best account of Miletus and Branchide is given in Sir C. T. Newton’s works, and in Radet’s Milet et le Golfe Latonique.
Miletus is mentioned as a bishopric in all the Notitie Episcopatuwm; but, although it is given first in the list of Hierocles’ Synekdemos, the com- mon statement that its bishop occupied the first rank among the bishops of Caria is wrong: that rank belonged to Aphrodisias, for the coast cities yf Caria lost and the inner cities gained importance in the late Roman and Byzantine times. But during the 5th cent. Miletus became an archbishopric +t independent of the control of Aphrodisias (avroxé- φαλος), but without subject bishoprics.
Few traces of the influence of Christianity in Miletus have been discovered. It is apparent that in the coast towns of Asia, which were less thoroughly Christianized and also more closely under the eye of the imperial officials than those of Phrygia, hardly any public memorials of the new religion can have been erected before the time of Constantine. An official inseription of the time of Justinian is pub- lished in Byzant. Zeitschrift, 1894, p. 21. Another late inscription mentions the saint and martyr Onesippos (C/G 8847). A strange example of popular superstition and angelolatry, invoking the seven archangels to guard the city, was found in the theatre (C7G 2895) ; it perhaps belongs to the 4th cent. : on the kind of practices connected with this class of superstition see Wiinsch, Sethianische Verfluchungstafeln, 1898.
Miletus is mentioned in LXX of Fzk 9718 (see W. M. Ramsay.
MILK.—See Foon in vol. ii. p. 36".
MILL, MILLSTONE (0:02, Arab. raha).—The hand-mill is in constant use in many parts of Syria at the present time. It consists of two circular stones, one of which is placed on the top of the other, and the upper and lower surfaces of each of them are flat. From the centre of the lower stone a strong pin of wood passes through a funnel-shaped hole in the upper stone. Into
Field, Hexapla).
* In the year A.p. 57 it would be Monday 25th April.
ἡ Sunday Ist May, a.p. 57.
1 See Gelzer’s articles in Jahrb. 7. . Theol. xil., and Ramsay, Historical Geography of Asia Minor, p. 428. Gelzer fixes the date between 459 and 536, but it may be earlier.