100 Reasons to Believe New Testament History
31. Idol Worship in Athens
In Acts 17, we read of Paul’s visit to the city of Athens where “his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry (17:16).” During his address to the Athenian philosophers there Paul noted, “Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious .For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an alter with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD (17:22-23).”
Archaeology has confirmed beyond question the accuracy of Paul’s remarks. Other writers including Sophocles, Pausanias, and Josephus commented on the vast numbers of temples, statues and religious images in that city as well A.
The reference to “The Unknown God” is supported by two sources. The second century traveller Pausanias confirmed the existence of alters to gods “unknown” in Athens B. In the early third century Philostratus also wrote of Athens where even unknown divinities had alters erected to them C.
31. Idol Worship in Athens
A. F.F. Bruce, “The Book of Acts”, Grand Rapids, 1954, p.355
B. “Pausanias, who lived in the second century A.D. and traveled widely, observed in his description of Greece that at Athens there were alters of gods called unknown.” J.A. Thompson, “The Bible and Archaeology”, Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1962, p. 390
C. F.F. Bruce, p. 355