Miletus
An old Greek port on the west coast of Asia Minor, south of Ephesus. Paul stopped here on his last journey to Jerusalem and took leave of the elders of the church of Ephesus.
Miletus was a harbour city of Ionia near the mouth of the river Maeander, some forty-five kilometres south of Ephesus. On his way to Jerusalem Paul chose to sail past Ephesus and put in here instead. He sent for the elders of the Ephesian church, reminded them of his years among them, warned them of trouble to come and told them that they would not see him again (Acts 20:15–38). The second letter to Timothy says that Paul left his companion Trophimus at Miletus ill (2 Timothy 4:20). The harbour has long since silted up, and the ruins now lie some kilometres inland.
What happened here
- about AD 53 to AD 57, estimated datePaul in Ephesus and the Collection for Jerusalem
Paul works for some three years at Ephesus, then travels through Macedonia and Greece gathering money from his Gentile churches for the poor of Jerusalem, and sets out to deliver it in spite of warnings.