Saint Paul's Pillar

History: Saint Paul's Pillar

The Acts of the Apostles says that Paul and Barnabas crossed Cyprus to Paphos, seat of the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus. There a magician called Bar-Jesus, or Elymas, tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith; Paul declared that he would be blind for a time, and the proconsul believed (Acts 13:6–12).

Saint Paul's Pillar stands among the ruins of one of the largest early Christian basilicas on the island, built in the fourth century with seven aisles, later reduced to five, and believed to have been the seat of the bishops of Paphos until the seventh century. Parts of its mosaic floors survive. In the thirteenth century the smaller church of Panagia Chrysopolitissa, also called Agia Kyriaki, was built on the ruins, and it is used today by a local Catholic parish. A legend says Paul was tied to this pillar and flogged; Acts does not mention a flogging at Paphos.

An interesting detail

Acts marks Paphos as the place where Saul is first called Paul: "Saul, who also is called Paul" (Acts 13:9).