CHIOS

(Chiʹos).

One of the larger islands in the Aegean Sea and separated from the W coast of Asia Minor by a strait 8 km (5 mi) or more wide. The island measures some 50 km (30 mi) in length (N to S) and varies between 13 and 29 km (8 to 18 mi) in breadth (E to W).

Chios is mentioned in the account in Acts 20 concerning Paul’s return trip to Jerusalem at the close of his third missionary journey, in about 56 C.E. The ship on which Paul was traveling left Mitylene (Ac 20:14) some 100 km (60 mi) to the NE, probably in the morning, and “arrived opposite Chios” (Ac 20:15), likely by sunset. Then, the following day, the voyage continued to Samos, approximately 100 km (60 mi) farther down the coast.

At the time of Paul’s journey Chios was considered a free city-state of the Roman province of Asia, a status it maintained until the reign of Emperor Vespasian (69-79 C.E.). Both the island and its chief city are today called Khios by the Greeks and Scio by the Italians.