Greek word · G4424

Πτολεμαΐς

ptolemais

Ptolemais

The Greek name of ancient Acco (Hebrew ʿAkkô), a harbour on the bay north of Mount Carmel. It was renamed after the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus in the 3rd century BC.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Πτολεμαΐς, -ΐδος, ἡ

Ptolemais, a maritime city of Phœnicea: Acts 21:7.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Acts 21:7

Range of meaning

The Greek name of ancient Acco (Hebrew ʿAkkô), a harbour on the bay north of Mount Carmel. It was renamed after the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus in the 3rd century BC. Emperor Claudius made it a Roman colony (a city settled by retired soldiers with Roman civic status); Pliny the Elder calls it colonia Claudi Caesaris Ptolemais.

Against the English

All versions keep 'Ptolemais'. Most readers do not realise it is the Old Testament Acco (Judg 1:31) and today's Akko/Acre.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Maccabees 5:15, 22; 10:1, 39; 12:45–48, where it is a centre of Seleucid power hostile to the Jews. Strabo, Geography 16.2.25. Josephus, Jewish War 2.188–191, describes it as a coastal city on the edge of Galilee. Pliny, Natural History 5.75.

Where it appears

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 21:7 Πτολεμαΐδα, Ptolemais,

    When we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.

    Here: The Hellenistic and Roman name of old Acco (modern Akko/Acre), a harbour town about 40 km (25 miles) south of Tyre.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.