🪨 Inscription
Gallio Inscription at Delphi
A letter from the emperor Claudius that names Gallio as proconsul of Achaia — the same Gallio before whom Paul was brought in Corinth. It is the fixed point for dating Paul's life.
Automatically translated from Portuguese by AI.Read the original
- Date
- c. 52 AD
- Found in
- Delphi, Greece (fragments found starting in 1905)
- Where it is
- Archaeological Museum of Delphi (Greece)
In Acts 18:12-17, Paul's opponents bring him to the tribunal of Gallio, “proconsul of Achaia,” in Corinth, and Gallio refuses to judge the case. Gallio was the brother of the philosopher Seneca, and the office of proconsul lasted, as a rule, one year.
At the beginning of the 20th century, French archaeologists excavating the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi found fragments of an inscription (the first in 1905) that, together, form the copy of a letter from the emperor Claudius to the city. The text is badly damaged, but the name of Gallio and the title of proconsul are there.
The letter bears the number of Claudius's 26th acclamation as emperor. Comparing with other inscriptions, this places the letter in the first half of 52 AD. From this scholars conclude that Gallio governed Achaia in 51–52 (some prefer 52–53).
Why it matters: it is the most secure date in the entire chronology of the New Testament. From it one calculates when Paul was in Corinth (around 50–52) and, from there, the dates of the journeys and the letters. And it shows once again Luke using the correct title of the right ruler in the right place.
...as Lucius Junius Gallio, my friend and proconsul, reported...
In the Bible
Sources to check
Text written by the Primitivo Cristão team based on the sources above. Spotted an error? Let us know.