Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

“Filled With Joy and Holy Spirit”

“Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom
- 5. Describe what was involved in witnessing on the island of Cyprus.
  
  ⁵ After walking to Seleucia, a harbor near Antioch, Barnabas and Saul sailed to the island of Cyprus, a journey of about 120 miles (200 km).d As a native of Cyprus, Barnabas no doubt was eager to bring the good news to those in his home territory. Upon arriving at Salamis, a city on the eastern shore of the island, these men wasted no time. Immediately, “they began proclaiming the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.”e (Acts 13:5) Barnabas and Saul made their way from one end of Cyprus to the other, likely witnessing in key cities along the way. Depending on the route they took, these missionaries may have walked about 140 miles (220 km)!
  
  IN THE SYNAGOGUES OF THE JEWS
  
  Literally, “synagogue” means “a bringing together.” It referred to an assembly or congregation of Jews and eventually took on the meaning of the place or building where the assembly was held.
  
  It is believed that synagogues were instituted either during or immediately after the Jews’ 70-year exile in Babylon. Synagogues served as places for instruction, worship, the reading of the Scriptures, and spiritual exhortation. In the first century C.E., each town in Palestine had its own synagogue. Larger cities had more than one, and Jerusalem had many.
  
  Following the Babylonian exile, however, not all the Jews returned to Palestine. Many traveled abroad for business reasons. As early as the fifth century B.C.E., Jewish communities existed throughout the 127 jurisdictional districts of the Persian Empire. (Esther 1:1; 3:8) In time, Jewish quarters also developed in cities all around the Mediterranean. These scattered Jews came to be known as the Diaspora, or Dispersion, and they too established synagogues wherever they settled.
  
  In the synagogues, the Law was read and expounded every Sabbath. Readings were delivered from an elevated platform, surrounded on three sides by seats. Participation in reading, preaching, and exhortation was open to any devout Jewish male.

“Filled With Joy and Holy Spirit”

“Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom
- d In the first century, a ship could travel about a hundred miles (160 km) in a day if winds were favorable. In unfavorable conditions, such a journey could take much longer.