1 Ptolemy gives Thessaly to Macedonia, Strabo to Achaia (for we cannot accept Mommsen's interpretation of Strab. p. 840, making Thessaly always Macedonian ; cp. Strab. p. 576) : at some unknown time Thessaly was separated from Achaia (Brandis thinks by Pius, Marquardt by Vespasian, but perhaps 44 may have been the time).
Sec. 8. Bercea. 235
natural completion of his Macedonian work ; and we could readily believe that he thought of it and was pre- vented by a revelation. But, in that case, why is " the revelation" left out? Such an omission is unique in Acts. On the other hand, if Thessaly was part of Achaia, Paul could not think at that time of beginning work in a new province. In Athens he was merely waiting for the chance of returning to Thessalonica (p. 240). But, in that case, we might understand, "he was prevented (by the call restricting him to Macedonia) ". Perhaps the Reviser, having eliminated iraprfkdev from XVI 8, thought that XVII 15 was a suitable place for the idea, which he wished to preserve.
Note 1. The Place of Prayer at Philippi. We take our stand upon the fact that the Bezan Text, " where there seemed to be a prayer-place " (iSo/cec irpoa-evxv elvcu), appears to be an explanation of our text {ivofii^ero irpoa-evxn elvat) : it is therefore clear that in the middle of the second century our text was read, and was found difficult, and was misunderstood to mean " there was thought to be a prayer-place ". This misunderstand- ing led to other attempts at correction, one of which appears in the great MSS. {ivofii^ofxev Trpoa-ev^y-jv elvat).
Note 2. The Synagogue at Tfiessalomca. The true reading of XVII 4 results from a comparison of A with D. The reading of the great MSS. is impossible for these reasons : (1) It restricts Paul's converts to Jews, proselyte Greeks, and a few ladies, taking no notice of any work outside the circle of the synagogue. I Thess. gives the impression that converts direct from heathenism were the mass of the Church. (2) It restricts Paul's work
236 The Churches of Macedonia. Chap. X.
to three Sabbaths, which is opposed to all rational pro- bability, to Thess. and to Phil. ; whereas our text restricts the work within the circle of the synagogue to three Sabbaths, but adds a second stage much more important, when a great multitude of the general population of the city was affected. (3) The contrast drawn between the Jews of Bercea and of Thessalonica, v. n, is very unfair to the latter, if, as the great MSS. put it, three Sabbaths produced such vast effect within the circle of the syna- gogue. (4) That reading speaks of "a great multitude of God-fearing Greeks," implying that the synagogue had exercised an astonishing influence on the population. Lightfoot quotes the fact that Salonica is still mainly a Jewish city, as a proof that Judaism gained and kept a strong hold on the city throughout Christian history ; but a visit to Salonica would have saved him from this error. The Jews of Salonica speak Spanish as their language, and are descended from Spanish Jews, expelled by Ferdinand and Isabella, who found in Turkey a refuge denied or grudged them in most European countries. There is no reason known to me for thinking that Judaism was strong in the city under the Byzantine Empire ; and the strong antipathy of the Greeks to the Jews makes it improbable. The Thessalonian Jews were protected by the Roman government ; but one may doubt if they maintained their ground under the Christian Empire.