Areopagus Hill (Day 10 - Athens, Greece, Part 3)

When we left the Acropolis, we noticed a large rock formation.  People were climbing all over it so we decided to join them.

There was quite a view of the Acropolis.

We stopped to read about where we were standing...

and were stopped in our tracks when we realized where we were standing!

We were standing on Mars Hill!  The English name Areopagus is the composite form of the Greek name Areios Pagos, translated "Ares Rock."   The Greek god Ares was the god of war, violence, and bloodshed. Symbols include the boar, serpent, dog, vulture, spear, and shield. Son of Zeus and Hera, all the other gods (except Aphrodite) despised him. His Latin name, Mars, gave us the word "martial."  So Areopagus and Mars Hill are interchangeable.

Acts chapter 17 tells us about Paul's visit to Athens:
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 

Yeah, we were kinda giddy that we found this on our own!  There was no tour guide to tell us about some saint or some vision or some other myth.  Just us and our knowledge of the Word of God!

Standing in the shadow of the Acropolis and overlooking the Ancient Agora, this is where Paul declared the Unknown God to the people of Athens.

We didn't know it at the time, but I am standing in front of a Greek inscription of Paul's sermon.

We still live in a world that needs to be introduced to the Unknown God.  Desperately needs to know the one and only God.