NEAPOLIS

(Ne·apʹo·lis) [new town].

A city of Greece at the northern end of the Aegean Sea that served as a seaport for Philippi. It is generally linked with modern Kavalla. This city occupies a rocky promontory at the head of the Gulf of Kavalla. Its harbor is situated on the western side, and Kavalla itself lies about ten miles (16 kilometers) SE of the ruins of Philippi. Latin inscriptions indicate the city’s dependence on Philippi in Roman times, and portions of an aqueduct there appear to be of Roman construction. The Roman-built Egnatian Way connected Neapolis and Philippi and ran westward all the way to Durazzo (Durrës) on the Adriatic Sea.

It was at Neapolis that the apostle Paul first entered Europe in response to the call to “step over into Macedonia.” From there he went to Philippi, this possibly taking him three or four hours as he crossed the mountain range between the two cities. (Acts 16:9-11) About six years later Paul doubtless passed through Neapolis again.—Acts 20:6.