Cyprus
Is Cyprus in the Bible? The eastern Mediterranean island, home of Barnabas, where Paul preached at Salamis and Paphos, with the chapters where it appears.
- Today
- Island of Cyprus: Salamis (north), Paphos (southwest)
- Country
- Island of Cyprus
- Status
- Archaeological sites: Salamis (near Famagusta) and Paphos
- Identification
- Certain
Cyprus is an island that features especially in the book of Acts. Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus, and believers scattered after Stephen's death carried the gospel as far as the island. Sent out by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul came here first on their first journey: they spoke in the synagogues at Salamis on the east coast, crossed the whole island and reached Paphos in the west. There they confronted the sorcerer Elymas, and the proconsul Sergius Paulus believed. Barnabas later took Mark and sailed to Cyprus again.
Read the chapters
- Acts 13
- Acts 4
A chapter portraying the solidarity of the first Christian community — bold witness under pressure and a voluntary sharing that met each person's need.
- Acts 11
- Acts 15
- Acts 27
A chapter recounting in vivid detail how the ship carrying Paul as a prisoner is caught in a violent storm, highlighting one man who keeps his composure on a voyage that seems hopeless.
Related topics
Related people
- Paul
- Peter
- Barnabas
- Stephen
- Lydia
- Matthew
- Timothy
- John the Apostle
- Philip the Apostle
- Judas Iscariot
- Mark
Related verse collections
- Bible Verses About Salvation
- Bible Verses About Repentance
- Bible Verses About Generosity
- Bible Verses About Witness
Reading plans
- The Early Church Through Acts — 28 Days
- The Bible in a Year — 365 Days from Cover to Cover
- 30 Days with the Gospel — An Introduction to the New Testament
Books
Places in the Bible
Where are biblical Salamis and Paphos today?
Biblical Cyprus is the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean; the ruins of Salamis lie today in the north of the island near Famagusta, and Paphos is on the southwest coast. On their first journey Barnabas and Paul spoke in the synagogues at Salamis, then crossed the island to Paphos (Acts 13:5-6). At Salamis visitors see Roman-era theatre and bath remains, with a monastery named after Barnabas nearby. In Paphos, "St Paul's Pillar" is shown, where tradition says Paul was tied and flogged.
Where did Paul go on Cyprus?
Barnabas and Saul (Paul) sailed from Seleucia to Cyprus, proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues at Salamis, then crossed the whole island to Paphos (Acts 13:4-6). In Paphos the proconsul Sergius Paulus believed (Acts 13:12). It is here that Saul is first called Paul (Acts 13:9).
Was Barnabas from Cyprus?
Yes. Acts says that Joseph, whom the apostles called Barnabas, was a Levite born in Cyprus (Acts 4:36). According to church tradition Barnabas died at Salamis; a monastery bearing his name stands near the place shown as his tomb.