Thessalonica: A large and populous city on the Thermaic bay. It was the capital of
one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia, and was ruled by a
praetor. It was named after Thessalonica, the wife of Cassander, who
built the city. She was so called by her father, Philip, because he
first heard of her birth on the day of his gaining a victory over the
Thessalians. On his second missionary journey, Paul preached in the
synagogue here, the chief synagogue of the Jews in that part of
Macedonia, and laid the foundations of a church
(Acts 17:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 1:9)
The violence of the Jews drove him from the city, when he fled to
Berea
(Acts 17:5-10) The "rulers of the city" before whom the Jews "drew
Jason," with whom Paul and Silas lodged, are in the original called
politarchai, an unusual word, which was found, however, inscribed on
an arch in Thessalonica. This discovery confirms the accuracy of the
historian. Paul visited the church here on a subsequent occasion
(Acts 20:1-3) This city long retained its importance. It is the most
important town of European Turkey, under the name of Saloniki, with a
mixed population of about 85,000
