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ancient Rome in the Bible

also known as: Roma

Greek: Ῥώμη —transliteration: Rhómé —meaning: Rome —occurrences: 8 (in Acts, Romans, 2 Timothy)

Greek: Ῥωμαῖος —transliteration: Rhómaios —meaning: Roman —occurrences: 12 (in John and Acts)

At the time of Christ, Rome was the most celebrated and influential city in the world.

It is said to have been founded in 753 BC, and was named after Romulus, its legendary founder and first king who then established the Roman senate consisting of 100 men from leading families.

Virtual center of the world at the time of Jesus Christ

When the New Testament was written, Rome was enriched and adorned with the spoils of the world, and contained a population estimated at 1,200,000, of which the half were slaves, and including representatives of nearly every nation then known. It was distinguished for its wealth and luxury and reckless extravagance. The Roman Empire of which it was the capital had then reached its greatest prosperity.

On the day of Pentecost there were in Jerusalem “strangers from Rome,” who doubtless carried with them back to Rome reports of that great day, and were instrumental in founding the church there.

The Apostle Paul was brought to this city a prisoner, where he remained for two years (Acts 28:30-31) “in his own hired house.”

While here, Paul wrote his epistles to the Philippians, to the Ephesians, to the Colossians, to Philemon, and probably also to the Hebrews.

He had during these years for companions Luke and Aristarchus (Acts 27:2), Timothy (Philippians 1:1; Col. 1:1), Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21), Epaphroditus (Philippians 4:18), and John Mark (Col. 4:10).

Beneath this city are extensive galleries, called “catacombs,” which were used from about the time of the apostles (one of the inscriptions found in them bears the date A.D. 71) for some three hundred years as places of refuge in the time of persecution, and also of worship and burial. About four thousand inscriptions have been found in the catacombs. These give an interesting insight into the history of the church at Rome down to the time of Constantine.

Trophies of war added to the city of Rome as a result of winning the Jewish–Roman wars

After the Roman army sacked and destroyed Jerusalem and erased Herod’s Temple stone by stone in 70 AD, Emperor Vespasian used the resulting spoils of war from Jerusalem and Herod’s Temple to build a grand and significant pagan temple in Rome (71 AD) at the heart of the city. It honored Pax, the Roman goddess of Peace, and was named Templum Pacis, meaning Temple of Peace.

Herod’s Temple treasures depicted on Rome’s Arch of Titus
Captured Herod’s Temple treasures depicted on Rome’s Arch of Titus

It housed such revered Jewish artifacts as the Table of Shewbread and the 7-branched menorah candlesticks. The interior and surrounding buildings were decorated with various treasures collected in Judea by the Roman army. The ancient Greek historian Procopius of Caesarea Maritima writes of emerald-encrusted treasures of King Solomon, which, scholar Robert Coates-Stephens believes must have been stored in the Temple of Peace complex, as they were eventually looted by the Visigoth’s King Alaric I in 410 AD (or in 455 AD by Gaiseric, the king of the Vandals and Alans).

Streaming video— 
“What did ancient Rome look like?”
cinematic animation reconstruction
Video by New Historia
Length: 5 minutes
Streaming video— 
“Ancient Rome in 3D”
Detailed virtual reconstruction in real colors—painted statues, reliefs and ornaments, colored plaster, rich varieties of marble (2023)
Video by History in 3D
Length: 9 minutes
Streaming video— 
“Reconstruction of ancient Rome 360 AD”
aerial view reconstruction (2021)
Video by History in 3D
Length: 8 minutes

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Article Version: November 5, 2024