Topical Encyclopedia
Daphne is a location mentioned in historical and biblical contexts, primarily known for its association with the ancient city of Antioch in Syria. While the Bible does not explicitly mention Daphne, it holds significance in the broader historical and cultural backdrop of the New Testament period.
Historical ContextDaphne was a celebrated suburb of Antioch, located approximately five miles southwest of the city. It was renowned for its lush gardens, natural beauty, and a sanctuary dedicated to the Greek god Apollo. The area was a popular retreat for the citizens of Antioch and visitors alike, offering a place of leisure and worship. The sanctuary at Daphne was famous for its oracle and was considered a center of pagan religious activity.
Cultural and Religious SignificanceIn the Greco-Roman world, Daphne was synonymous with the worship of Apollo and Artemis. The grove of Daphne was believed to be the site where the mythological transformation of the nymph Daphne into a laurel tree occurred, as she fled from Apollo's pursuit. This mythological background contributed to the area's religious significance and its association with oracles and prophecy.
Biblical and Early Christian ContextWhile Daphne itself is not directly mentioned in the Bible, its proximity to Antioch is of interest to biblical scholars and historians. Antioch was a major center of early Christianity and is frequently mentioned in the New Testament. It was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called "Christians" (
Acts 11:26: "and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch").
The cultural and religious environment of Antioch, including places like Daphne, would have influenced the early Christian community. The presence of pagan worship and the allure of places like Daphne posed challenges for the early Christians, who were called to live distinctively in a society steeped in idolatry and moral laxity.
Theological ReflectionsFrom a theological perspective, the existence of places like Daphne highlights the contrast between the pagan practices of the time and the emerging Christian faith. The early Christians in Antioch and surrounding areas were tasked with maintaining their faith amidst a culture that often celebrated values contrary to those taught by Jesus and the apostles. The allure of Daphne's beauty and its association with pagan worship serve as a reminder of the temptations faced by the early church and the call to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ.
ConclusionDaphne, while not directly mentioned in the biblical text, provides a rich historical and cultural context for understanding the environment in which early Christianity developed. Its association with pagan worship and its proximity to Antioch offer insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by the early Christian community as they sought to live out their faith in a diverse and often hostile world.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A genus of diminutive Shrubs, mostly evergreen, and with fragrant blossoms.
2. (n.) A nymph of Diana, fabled to have been changed into a laurel tree.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DAPHNEdaf'-ne (Daphne, "bay-tree"): A suburb of Antioch on the Orontes, according to Strabo and the Jerusalem itinerary, about 40 furlongs, or 5 miles distant. It is identified with Beit el-Ma' on the left bank of the river, to the Southwest of the city. Here were the famous grove and sanctuary of Apollo. The grove and shrine owed their origin to Seleucus Nicator. It was a place of great natural beauty, and the Seleucid kings spared no outlay in adding to its attractions. The precincts enjoyed the right of asylum. Hither fled Onias the high priest (171 B.C.) from the wrath of Menelaus whom he had offended by plain speech. To the disgust and indignation of Jew and Gentile alike, he was lured from the sanctuary by Andronicus and basely put to death (2 Maccabees 4:33-38). It sheltered fugitives dyed with villainy of every shade. It was the great pleasure resort of the citizens of Antioch; and it gained an evil repute for immorality, as witnessed by the proverbial Daphnici mores. In Tiberim defluxit Orontes, says Juvenal (iii.62), indicating one main source of the corruption that demoralized the imperial city. The decline of Daphne dates from the days of Christian ascendancy in the reign of Julian. The place is still musical with fountains and luxuriant with wild vegetation; but nothing now remains to suggest its former splendor. SeeANTIOCH; Gibbon, Decline and Fall, chapter xxiii.
W. Ewing
Library
Of Apollo andDaphne, and of the Holy Babylas.
... Book III. Chapter VI."Of Apollo andDaphne, and of the holy Babylas. Julian,
wishing to make a campaign against the Persians, dispatched...
Work Written by Julian Entitled "Aversion to Beards. "Daphne in...
... Book V. Chapter XIX."Work written by Julian entitled "Aversion to Beards."
Daphne in Antioch, a Full Description of it. Translation...
In Consequence of the Translation, Many of the Christians are Ill...
... are Ill-Treated. Theodore the Confessor. Temple of Apollo atDaphne destroyed
by Fire falling from Heaven. The transaction above...
Pamias. Paneas, the Spring of Jordan.
... For thus Josephus; "There are fountains (inDaphne) which send little Jordan, as
it is called, into the great." He treats, in the text cited, of the lake...
Introduction to the Homilies on S. Ignatius and S. Babylas.
... and deposited in the Christian cemetery outside the gates called the Daphnitic gate,
because it led from the city to the famous suburb ofDaphne, on which we...
Of the Son of the Priest.
... Then, said the young man, "henceforward I shall come and commit my soul to you."
Not many days afterwards Julian came toDaphne, to celebrate a public feast....
The Emperor Consulting an Oracle, the Demon Gives no Response...
... Having ordered that the pagan temples at Antioch should be opened, he
was very eager to obtain an oracle from Apollo ofDaphne....
The Gathering Storm
... And was not the delightful grove ofDaphne only five miles distant"enchantingDaphne,
with its rose-gardens and perennial fountains and abounding shades?...
On the Holy Martyr, S. Babylas.
... But since I have mentioned the fountains, come, forthwith, let us go up toDaphne,
and conduct our discourse to the noble deeds of the martyr....
The Lake Samochonitis [Or Semechonitis. ]
... The fens of it are stretched out unto the countryDaphne; a country, as it is otherwise
pleasant, so containing fountains: [Greek passage omitted]....
Thesaurus
Daphne... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
DAPHNE.
... The decline of
Daphne dates from
the days of Christian ascendancy in the reign of Julian.
...Jeremiah (141 Occurrences)
... upon their undertaking (42:1;). But they insisted and even compelled the aged prophet
to go with them (43:1;). Their first goal was Tahpanhes (Daphne), a town...
Onias
... took revenge by persuading Andronicus, the king's deputy, to entice Onias by false
promises of friendship from his sanctuary atDaphne and treacherously slay...
Tahapanes (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary =Tahpanhes=Tehaphnehes, (called "Daphne" by the Greeks,
now Tell Defenneh), an ancient Egyptian city, on the Tanitic branch of the...
Dannah (1 Occurrence)
Dappled (2 Occurrences)
Menelaus
... from the temple. For this sacrilege Onias III sharply reproved him and
fled to a sanctuary,Daphne, near Antioch. Andronicus was...
Antioch (21 Occurrences)
... the Roman world. About five miles distant from the city was the suburb of
Daphne, a spot sacred to Apollo and Artemis. This suburb...
Syria (73 Occurrences)
... the Roman world. About five miles distant from the city was the suburb of
Daphne, a spot sacred to Apollo and Artemis. This suburb...
Resources
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