Miletus
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Smith's Bible Dictionary
Miletus

(Acts 20:15,17) less correctly called MILETUM in (2 Timothy 4:20) It lay on the coast, 36 miles to the south of Ephesus, a day's sail from Trogyllium. (Acts 20:15) Moreover, to those who are sailing from the north it is in the direct line for Cos. The site of Miletus has now receded ten miles from the coast, and even in the apostles' time it must have lost its strictly maritime position. Miletus was far more famous five hundred years before St. Paul's day than it ever became afterward. In early times it was the most flourishing city of the Ionian Greeks. In the natural order of events it was absorbed in the Persian empire. After a brief period of spirited independence, it received a blow from which it never recovered, in the siege conducted by Alexander when on his eastern campaign. But still it held, even through the Roman period, the rank of a second-rate trading town, and Strabo mentions its four harbors. At this time it was politically in the province of Asia, though Caria was the old ethnological name of the district in which it was situated. All that is left now is a small Turkish village called Melas , near the site of the ancient city.

ATS Bible Dictionary
Miletus

An ancient city, formerly the metropolis of all Ionia, situated on the western coast of Asia Minor, on the confines of Caria, just south of the mouth of the river Meander. It was the parent of many colonies, and was celebrated for a temple and oracle of Apollo Didymaeus, an as the birthplace of Thales, Anaximander, Democritus, and other famous men.

The apostle Paul, on his voyage from Macedonia toward Jerusalem, spent a day or two here, and held an affecting interview with the Christian elders of Ephesus, who at his summons came nearly thirty miles from the north to meet him, Acts 20:15-38. He also revisited Miletus after his first imprisonment at Rome, 2 Timothy 4:20. There were Christians and bishops there from the fifth to the eighth century; but the city has long been in ruins, and its exact site can hardly be determined, so much is the coast altered around the mouth of the Meander.

Easton's Bible Dictionary
(Miletum, 2 Timothy 4:20), a seaport town and the ancient capital of Ionia, about 36 miles south of Ephesus. On his voyage from Greece to Syria, Paul touched at this port, and delivered that noble and pathetic address to the elders ("presbyters, " ver. 28) of Ephesus recorded in Acts 20:15-35. The site of Miletus is now some 10 miles from the coast. (see EPHESIANS, EPISTLE TO.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MILETUS

mi-le'-tus (Miletos): A famous early Ionian Greek city on the coast of Caria, near the mouth of the Meander River, which, according to Acts 20:15-21:1, and 2 Timothy 4:20 (the King James Version "Miletum"), Paul twice visited. In the earliest times it was a prominent trading post, and it is said that 75 colonies were founded by its merchants. Among them were Abydos, Cyzicus and Sinope. In 494 B.C., the city was taken by the Persians; it was recovered by Alexander the Great, but after his time it rapidly declined, yet it continued to exist until long after the Christian era. In the history of early Christianity it plays but a little part. The Meander brings down a considerable amount of sediment which it has deposited at its mouth, naturally altering the coast line. The gulf into which the river flows has thus been nearly filled with the deposit. In the ancient gulf stood a little island called Lade; the island now appears as a mound in the marshy malarial plain, and Palatia, the modern village which stands on the site of Miletus, is 6 miles from the coast. Without taking into account the great changes in the coast line it would be difficult to understand Acts 20:15-21, for in the days of Paul, Ephesus could be reached from Miletus by land only by making a long detour about the head of the gulf. To go directly from one of these cities to the other, one would have been obliged to cross the gulf by boat and then continue by land. This is what Paul's messenger probably did. The direct journey may now be made by land. Miletus has been so ruined that its plan can no longer be made out. Practically the only remaining object of unusual interest is theater, the largest in Asia Minor, which was not built in a hollow of the hillside, as most ancient theaters were, but in the open field.

E. J. Banks

Greek
3399. Miletos -- Miletus, a city in SW Asia Minor
... Miletus, a city in SW Asia Minor. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
Miletos Phonetic Spelling: (mil'-ay-tos) Short Definition: Miletus Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3399.htm - 6k

4544. Samos -- Samos, an island in the Aegean
... Samos Phonetic Spelling: (sam'-os) Short Definition: Samos Definition: Samos, an
island in the Aegean sea off the coast of Asia Minor, near Ephesus and Miletus ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4544.htm - 6k

Library

Paul's Journeys Acts 13:1-38:31
... Troas to Miletus (Acts 20:13-15). ... 3. At Miletus (Acts 20:17-38) Paul sent
for the elders of the Ephesian church to come to him. ...
/.../sell/bible studies in the life of paul/ii pauls journeys acts 13 1-38 31.htm

Acts XXI
... including, most likely, a Lord's day, in which the disciples came together to break
bread, another scene of painful parting occurred, like that at Miletus. ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xxi.htm

The Opinions of the Philosophers Respecting God.
... The elements were designated as the first principles of all things by some of them:
by Thales of Miletus, who celebrated water, and Anaximenes, also of Miletus ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter v the opinions of the.htm

Opinions of the School of Thales.
... For Thales of Miletus, who took the lead in the study of natural philosophy, declared
that water was the first principle of all things; for from water he says ...
/.../justins hortatory address to the greeks/chapter iii opinions of the school.htm

Succession of Philosophers in Greece.
... Of whom four were of Asia"Thales of Miletus, and Bias of Priene, Pittacus of Mitylene,
and Cleobulus of Lindos; and two of Europe, Solon the Athenian, and ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xiv succession of philosophers in.htm

Croesus.
... preceded him, was Alyattes. Alyattes waged war toward the southward, into
the territories of the city of Miletus. He made annual ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter iv croesus.htm

Drawing Nearer to the Storm
... Running down the coast from Miletus, they stayed overnight, first at the small island
of Coos, then stretched across the next day to Rhodes, and on the third ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/drawing nearer to the storm.htm

Fragments of the Books on Arithmetic.
... [1222] Of Miletus, one of the sages, and founder of the Ionic school. ... [1224] meteoros.
[1225] Of Miletus, the third in the series of Ionic philosophers. ...
/.../the paschal canon of anatolius of alexandria/fragments of the books on.htm

Pastoral and Personal
... From Macedonia he probably wrote his first letter to Timothy (1:3). From Macedonia
he went to Troas and from Troas to Miletus (2:Tim.4:13). ...
/.../sell/bible studies in the life of paul/study x pastoral and personal.htm

Thales; his Physics and Theology; Founder of Greek Astronomy.
... Astronomy. It is said that Thales of Miletus, one of the seven [40] wise men,
first attempted to frame a system of natural philosophy. ...
/.../hippolytus/the refutation of all heresies/chapter i thales his physics and.htm

Thesaurus
Miletus (3 Occurrences)
... 28) of Ephesus recorded in Acts 20:15-35. The site of Miletus is now some 10
miles from the coast. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MILETUS. ...
/m/miletus.htm - 9k

Trophimus (3 Occurrences)
... Tertullus repeated the charge against Paul before the Roman governor Felix, who
moreover assayed to profane the temple" (Acts 24:6). 3. At Miletus: The third ...
/t/trophimus.htm - 15k

Mile'tus (3 Occurrences)
Mile'tus. Miletus, Mile'tus. Military . ... Acts 20:17 And from Miletus, having
sent to Ephesus, he called for the elders of the assembly, (See RSV). ...
/m/mile'tus.htm - 7k

Trogyllium (1 Occurrence)
... A town on the western coast of Asia Minor, where Paul "tarried" when on his way
from Assos to Miletus, on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:15). Int. ...
/t/trogyllium.htm - 8k

Samos (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary An island in the AEgean Sea, which Paul passed on his
voyage from Assos to Miletus (Acts 20:15), on his third missionary journey. ...
/s/samos.htm - 9k

Ephesians (4 Occurrences)
... On his last journey to Jerusalem the apostle landed at Miletus, and summoning together
the elders of the church from Ephesus, delivered to them his remarkable ...
/e/ephesians.htm - 48k

Apollonius
... But on the accession of Antiochus Epiphanes, Apollonius, in some way becoming
obnoxious to the new king, left Syria and retired to Miletus. ...
/a/apollonius.htm - 8k

Ephesus (20 Occurrences)
... On his return from his journey, Paul touched at Miletus, some 30 miles south of
Ephesus (Acts 20:15), and sending for the presbyters of Ephesus to meet him ...
/e/ephesus.htm - 24k

Stayed (169 Occurrences)
... opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium,
and the day after we came to Miletus. (WEB DBY). Acts ...
/s/stayed.htm - 34k

Pastoral
... In addition to this, the language used by the apostle at Miletus, when he addressed
the elders of the Ephesian church (Acts 20:30) about the men speaking ...
/p/pastoral.htm - 39k

Resources
What happened on Paul's third missionary journey? | GotQuestions.org

What is a bishop, biblically speaking? | GotQuestions.org

Why doesn't God heal everyone? | GotQuestions.org

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Miletus (3 Occurrences)

Acts 20:15
Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Acts 20:17
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Timothy 4:20
Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick.
(WEB WEY ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Miletus

Miletus: Paul Sends to Ephesus for the Elders of the Congregation, and Addresses Them At

Miletus: Paul Visits

Miletus: Trophimus Left Sick At

Related Terms

Trophimus (3 Occurrences)

Mile'tus (3 Occurrences)

Trogyllium (1 Occurrence)

Samos (1 Occurrence)

Ephesians (4 Occurrences)

Apollonius

Ephesus (20 Occurrences)

Stayed (169 Occurrences)

Pastoral

Kios (1 Occurrence)

Upper (99 Occurrences)

Opposite (137 Occurrences)

Over-against (156 Occurrences)

Infirm (25 Occurrences)

Troph'imus (3 Occurrences)

Tyre (59 Occurrences)

Tarried (42 Occurrences)

Room (174 Occurrences)

Eras'tus (3 Occurrences)

Erastus (3 Occurrences)

Miletum (1 Occurrence)

Pontus (3 Occurrences)

Chi'os (1 Occurrence)

Caria

Coos (1 Occurrence)

Crossed (65 Occurrences)

Amphipolis (1 Occurrence)

Armenia (2 Occurrences)

Stopping (22 Occurrences)

Sailing (23 Occurrences)

Sailed (28 Occurrences)

Touching (121 Occurrences)

Hermogenes (1 Occurrence)

Chios (1 Occurrence)

Chamber (73 Occurrences)

Touched (96 Occurrences)

Agrapha

Reached (152 Occurrences)

Tychicus (5 Occurrences)

Thence (152 Occurrences)

Morrow (113 Occurrences)

Arrived (129 Occurrences)

Assembly (371 Occurrences)

Behind (188 Occurrences)

Third (192 Occurrences)

Elders (203 Occurrences)

Rulers (310 Occurrences)

Corinth (13 Occurrences)

Ill (137 Occurrences)

Sick (117 Occurrences)

Asia (22 Occurrences)

Epistles (2 Occurrences)

Paul (207 Occurrences)

Archaeology

Minor (2 Occurrences)

Church (110 Occurrences)

Apostle (25 Occurrences)

Miletum
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