Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

SPAIN

(Gk. Spanía)

In biblical usage all of the Iberian Peninsula, i.e., both Spain and Portugal. It has been argued that Tarshish, a land containing an abundance of minerals (Ezek. 27:12; 1 Macc. 8:3) and situated far away, “out of reach of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3), could possibly refer to Spain.

At least the southeastern portion of the land was populated by the rugged Iberians from ca. 3000 b.c. The Phoenicians established scattered trading outposts, and in the 6th century the Phocaean Greeks colonized the eastern and southern coasts. At the same time the Celts were occupying large portions of the peninsula. During the 3rd century the Carthaginians invaded Spain and established Carthago Nova (modern Carthage) as their capital. From Spain the general Hannibal mounted the Second Punic War against Rome. Following their victory in 201 the Romans formed two provinces in Spain (Hispania Citerior along the eastern coast and the Ebro River Valley and Hispania Ulterior along the southern coast and the Baetis [Guadalquivir] Valley), but native resistance continued until 133. The Roman emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Theodosius I were of Spanish origin.

Paul intended to stop in Rome on his way to Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28), but nothing in the NT suggests that he ever went there. However, 1 Clem. 5:6-7 (probably a.d. 97) calls Paul a herald both in the east and the west and says that he reached “the limits of the west,” which, from the perspective of a writer in Rome, most likely refers to the Iberian peninsula of Gibraltar. It has been suggested that Paul’s travel plans to Spain should be understood in light of his writings on “the full number of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:25). Irenaeus is probably the first to mention the existence of Christian communities in Spain (Adv. haer. 1.10.2; ca. a.d. 180).

Bibliography. A. J. Dewey, “E¼v t§n Span¾an: The Future and Paul,” in Religious Propaganda and Missionary Competition in the New Testament World, ed. L. Bormann, K. Del Tredici, and A. Standhartinger. NovTSup 74 (Leiden, 1994), 321-49; O. F. A. Meinardus, “Paul’s Missionary Journey to Spain,” BA 41 (1978): 61-63.

Jesper Svartvik

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

SPAIN

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)