Day 05 - Priene, Didyma, and Miletus

We started our day at Priene, exploring ruins from the Hellenistic era (pre-Roman). What’s amazing is that Priene was once a port town on a peninsula in the Aegean Sea. But as we sat in the theater, it was difficult to imagine the city surrounded by water, because today, all we could see were fields filled with crops. Over time, silt from the river filled in the harbor, creating the fertile farmland we see today.

Priene continued to develop over the centuries, and by the late 6th century AD (Roman era), a church had been established in the city. We stood inside its ruins, noticing how the early Christians repurposed an old building and even hid a tall pulpit to preach from.

Sitting beside Athena's temple, Mr. Mo led us in a time of reflection, reviewing all the places we had been—physically and spiritually—on this journey. We revisited Paul’s words about running the race and asked ourselves, What kind of witness are we bearing to those around us?

The rest of the bus ride was filled with deep conversations and curiosity about faith, bearing witness, and understanding God. The Oaks students initiated discussions and theological debates, which naturally drew in the adults. These unscripted moments of shared learning and discovery are often the most powerful parts of a trip.

Didyma
Before lunch, we stopped at Didyma, a site that stretched our imagination of just how grand and towering these ancient temples were. Even though most of the pillars are now broken, walking among their remains still made us feel small. Only two pillars remain standing at their full height, towering over us as a reminder of the sheer scale of these structures.

Like temples and churches around the world, the design was intentional—it was meant to make people feel small in the presence of the divine. For the Greeks and Romans, it was their gods and goddesses. For Paul, and for us, it is the one true God.

Seeing this firsthand made us think about what Paul was up against when he preached Jesus in these cities. It was a clash of cultures and kingdoms, a battle between the values of God’s kingdom and the values of the world. Even though our context today is different, we as Christians still experience this same tension.

Miletus
In the afternoon, we arrived at Miletus—a place Paul definitely visited during his travels (Acts 20). We had a celebratory moment, knowing we were standing in a place where Paul himself preached. We opened our Bibles and read the passages detailing his first and second missionary journeys, seeing his story come to life in front of us.

Sitting in the ancient theater, we found an inscription on one of the seats that read: “Reserved for the Jews and God-fearers.” These were the exact people Paul spoke to in Scripture—those who were open to hearing the message of Jesus. Seeing it with our own eyes connected the Bible to real places and real people, making Paul’s mission feel more tangible than ever.

We also reflected on Paul’s endurance—how he traveled so far and suffered so much for the sake of the gospel. Even after being stoned in one city, instead of avoiding that place, he went back to encourage the believers. What grit and determination he had for the sake of Christ!

A Cultural Finale: Ancient Pottery
Our last stop was a hands-on cultural experience—watching pottery being made in the ancient way. The craftsmanship was stunning—each piece handmade, intricate, and beautiful.

One of the highlights was seeing the master potter throw his clay using his foot-powered spinning wheel (check out the picture!). And to our surprise, some of the pottery even glowed in the dark! (Yes, there’s a picture of that too!)

Of course, many of us couldn’t resist bringing home some beautiful souvenirs from the pottery shop—memories of an unforgettable day.