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NARRATOR: In the immediate
aftermath of the crucifixion,
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the followers of Jesus
numbered barely 100.
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They were a persecuted
underground cult on the verge
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00:00:15,015 --> 00:00:16,684
of being wiped out.
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Yet within a few decades, this
cult had thousands of followers
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throughout the Roman Empire.
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It spread through mighty
cities like Ephesus,
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where previously pagan
worshippers had built
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the Temple of Artemis,
one of the wonders
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of the ancient world.
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It swept away the old beliefs.
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It traveled as far as
the deserts of Turkey,
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to Cappodocia, where a
mysterious people carved
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underground cities and
extraordinary churches
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from volcanic rock.
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And in the beginning, the
message of Christianity
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was carried on the roads that
Rome had built for its soldiers
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by one man, a
preacher named Paul.
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In his life, he
walked 20,000 miles
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bringing change and
upheaval wherever he went.
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Now, using the latest research
and computer graphic imaging,
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a team of experts will try to
reveal the world that he knew,
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the places that he traveled
to and transformed.
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This is the lost world of St.
Paul and the first Christians.
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[music playing]
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36 AD in the city of
Jerusalem Jewish leaders
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are doing everything
in their power
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to crush a dangerous new
cult, the cult of Christ.
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Just three years after
Jesus' crucifixion,
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only a handful of his
followers survives.
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If they can all be killed,
their religion will die too.
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A conservative Jewish teacher
presides over this persecution.
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His name is Saul.
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And he personally
supervises the execution
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by stoning of one of
the Christian leaders.
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Yet in time, this man will
become Jesus' greatest
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messenger.
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More than half of
the New Testament
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is made up from his writings.
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Many argue that without him,
there would be no Christianity.
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Saul became Paul and
he shaped our world.
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Now, our investigators want
to uncover the world that
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shaped him.
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The story starts in
Southwest Turkey,
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in Paul's hometown of Tarsus.
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It's still a busy town today.
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But historian,
Mark Wilson, wants
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to find traces of the
city that Paul knew
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and which helped mold an
extraordinary character.
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MARK WILSON: It lies in
the very fertile plane
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with much agriculture
in the area.
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Textile production is
prevalent in the area as well.
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So as you look
around Tarsus today,
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it's a very prosperous
and booming city.
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NARRATOR: It's become a site
of Christian pilgrimage.
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This is the area on
Tarsus where Paul lived.
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And all pilgrims to the
city visit this area.
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NARRATOR: It's widely believed
that this Well was in use
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2,000 years ago and that
St. Paul drank its water.
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MARK WILSON: This would
have been a water source
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for his family.
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Because of this,
many people believe
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this is holy water in the well.
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NARRATOR: There's little
in Paul's own writings
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about his hometown but
other sources reveal
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a striking and significant fact.
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Tarsus once stood on the
shores of the Mediterranean.
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The sea has since
receded several miles.
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But this was once a major port.
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MARK WILSON: In
the first century,
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it was a very bustling
city on a major crossroads.
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And also note a university
town, the Athens of the East.
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NARRATOR: And just one
block from Paul's will,
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new evidence is emerging that
gives us new insight into life
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here at that time.
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Recent building
works were halted
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when workers found ancient ruins
buried right beneath the town
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center.
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Examining the find,
the archaeologists
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realized that they were
looking at a row of stores,
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an ancient mall dating back to
the first century, Paul's time.
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The walls of this excavation
pit are marked with layer
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on layer of artifacts.
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Successive generations
lived here.
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But it's the discovery of a
street at the bottom of the pit
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that provides the biggest clue.
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It's a paved road and
it's dead straight.
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Only one civilization built
like this, the Romans.
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Local archaeologist,
Nadia Durgan,
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points out other evidence
of Roman occupation.
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NARRATOR: As a port,
Tarsus was wealthy.
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That made it an attractive
target for the Romans
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and they occupied it in the
decades before Paul's birth.
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This Roman presence would have
a major influence on the way
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he would be brought up.
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This street is amazing
because the young Paul probably
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played and walked along
the street when he was
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a boy growing up in the city.
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NARRATOR: Archeological
investigations
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enable us to recreate what
ancient Tarsus would have
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looked like.
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This was a busy
commercial center.
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Paul would have
come into contact
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with people of
different nationalities,
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different faiths.
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MARK WILSON: Perhaps
Paul came down here
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and bought some groceries
or traded in produce.
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His family, of course, were
leather workers, tent makers,
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and they would have worked down
in the central area of the city
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as well.
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NARRATOR: Tradition has it
that his family were craftsmen
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and traders.
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They certainly had
the means to give him
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a privileged education.
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He's raised a strict
Jew and called
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by the Jewish name of Saul.
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But he's also a Roman
citizen, something
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which will prove advantageous
throughout his life.
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And he's taught Greek, the
ancient international language
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of diplomacy.
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He grows up part of the
establishment, a member
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of a learned Jewish elite.
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His first taste of
travel is to Jerusalem.
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He goes there as part
of his education.
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And this is where he first
encounters the followers
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of Jesus, a young revolutionary
teacher whose popular support
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makes him a major threat
to the authorities.
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To Saul, Jesus is the enemy.
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In fact, he was so
zealous that he was involved
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in persecuting this new cult of
people who are following Jesus
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as the Messiah.
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NARRATOR: There's no evidence
that Saul ever met Jesus
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but we know he considered
his teachings blasphemous.
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And after the crucifixion,
he devoted his life
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to wiping out his followers.
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MARK WILSON: This was
basically a nascent group
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that was forming in cities
throughout Palestine.
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And Paul thought if he
could kill and deprive
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these communities
of their leadership,
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perhaps they could snuff
out this new religion.
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MARK WILSON: It is
this background,
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conservative, traditional,
violently anti-Christian, that
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makes the story of Paul's
conversion all the more
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remarkable.
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The New Testament
says that he pursued
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a group of Jesus'
followers who had
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fled to the city of Damascus.
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On the road, he was struck
down by a blinding light.
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It said that Jesus
appeared to him in a vision
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and Saul repented, transforming
himself from that moment
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on into a messenger
of the gospel.
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Well, certainly, his
dramatic conversion
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on the road to Damascus
was the beginning
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of his own spiritual journey.
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Here, the persecutor now becomes
the ardent follower of Jesus
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as the risen lord.
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NARRATOR: He continues on to
Damascus where he is baptized,
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taking the name of Paul.
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And his mission begins.
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Paul begins a journey that
will last the rest of his life
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and cover an estimated
20,000 miles.
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It is made easier by the
enormous network of Roman
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roads.
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We're walking along a
section of Roman road about 10
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miles north of Tarsus.
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This gives us a good idea of
what Paul experienced as he
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traveled along these roads
throughout the Eastern
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Mediterranean region.
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NARRATOR: These were being
constructed by the Roman
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military to make long distance
travel as fast as possible.
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Without them, the government of
their vast and growing empire
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would have been impossible.
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The remarkable preservation
of a Roman road like this
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shows how well they were made.
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We're looking here at the
original stone pavement called
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the meddling that was on
the surface of the road,
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as well as the original curbing.
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NARRATOR: Roman roads are
built to a strict formula.
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First, the trench is dug, then
packed with boulders and sand
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to make a solid base.
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This is topped with layers
of smaller stone and clay.
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And then paving stones,
often made of basalt,
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are laid on top.
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They're slope so that rainwater
runs into the guttering
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at the sides.
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Paul starts his mission in
Antioch, the provincial capital
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of Syria.
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His followers there
are the first people
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to be called Christians.
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And he then keeps moving
through all the big cities
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of the region, seeking the
places where the old religions
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are most powerful.
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He will preach his
message in the shadow
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of the Temple of Artemis.
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It is one of the wonders
of the ancient world
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and the biggest pagan
temple on the planet.
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In 52 AD, St. Paul comes to
Ephesus, the fourth largest
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city in the ancient world.
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He is just one of
tens of thousands
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of pilgrims visiting the city.
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Most have come to venerate
the goddess, Artemis.
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Artemis was the
goddess of the hunt.
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She was also the
protectors of virgins.
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And we know that during
the yearly festivals,
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this was a time when the young
unmarried women would find
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their spouses.
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NARRATOR: Artemis was one
of the most important gods
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in Greek and Roman religion.
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And here, she had a shrine
to match her status.
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The Temple of Artemis
was known far and wide.
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Its image was molded
on the coins that
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circulated the region.
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This was one of the seven
wonders of the world.
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And in Paul's time, the
largest temple in existence.
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As a magnet for pagan
pilgrims, it played a key role
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in Paul's plan.
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Ephesus became a
wonderful base for him
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because the Temple
of Artemis was here
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and he used it for
his own benefit.
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00:11:37,114 --> 00:11:39,366
Because the many people
came into the city
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to participate in the
various festivities
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were an audience for him
to preach the gospel to.
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NARRATOR: Our investigators
will reconstruct the Temple
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of Artemis as Paul
would have seen it.
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The evidence suggests
that the people of Ephesus
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used revolutionary
construction techniques.
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00:11:59,136 --> 00:12:02,806
But all that remains today are
a few marble blocks recovered
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00:12:02,931 --> 00:12:07,102
from beneath 20-feet of silt.
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EIREANN MARSHALL: To
build this temple require
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a monumental task.
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Not only did they
have to build it,
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they needed to figure
out how to build it.
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00:12:13,316 --> 00:12:15,819
They'd never done
anything like this before.
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NARRATOR: In their desire
to honor their goddess,
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00:12:18,196 --> 00:12:19,948
the temples builders
and engineers
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00:12:19,990 --> 00:12:22,659
set themselves a
challenging task.
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00:12:22,742 --> 00:12:25,495
The decision was made to
build the temple entirely
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00:12:25,620 --> 00:12:26,955
from marble.
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00:12:26,997 --> 00:12:32,210
And the nearest source of
marble lay eight miles away.
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00:12:32,294 --> 00:12:36,173
It all had to be transported
back to the construction site.
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00:12:36,298 --> 00:12:39,134
Archaeologist Julian
Bennett is seeking
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00:12:39,217 --> 00:12:43,221
to discover how it was done.
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Gangs of men will be working
with metal chisels and hammers,
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00:12:47,893 --> 00:12:52,230
all the way around to create
another turf less than six
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00:12:52,314 --> 00:12:53,607
inches wide.
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00:12:53,690 --> 00:12:56,401
You can still see the
surviving turf there.
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00:12:56,485 --> 00:12:58,737
And then once they
got the channel down
248
00:12:58,820 --> 00:13:00,572
to the level of the
block they wanted,
249
00:13:00,655 --> 00:13:04,534
if you came from the side,
you hit it with steel wedges
250
00:13:04,659 --> 00:13:06,912
and the block would lift off.
251
00:13:06,995 --> 00:13:12,876
NARRATOR: An estimated 51,000
tons of marble were needed.
252
00:13:12,959 --> 00:13:15,670
The Ephesians didn't do
the hard work themselves,
253
00:13:15,712 --> 00:13:18,256
they delegated it to
slaves and criminals.
254
00:13:18,340 --> 00:13:20,592
A common punishment
for crime was
255
00:13:20,675 --> 00:13:23,094
to be sentenced to
work in the quarries.
256
00:13:23,178 --> 00:13:28,183
You weren't expected to live too
long and you probably didn't.
257
00:13:28,266 --> 00:13:29,851
NARRATOR: Once they'd
carved out the blocks,
258
00:13:29,893 --> 00:13:33,188
they still had to get them to
the temple construction site.
259
00:13:33,230 --> 00:13:38,026
In the 21st century, quarrymen
rely on heavy machinery.
260
00:13:38,109 --> 00:13:40,570
A few yards from
the ancient quarry,
261
00:13:40,695 --> 00:13:45,450
gray marble is still being
extracted from the same site.
262
00:13:45,534 --> 00:13:49,788
The average block is 13
tons, about the same size
263
00:13:49,871 --> 00:13:53,041
as the blocks used to build
the Temple of Artemis.
264
00:13:53,124 --> 00:13:56,711
Today, a machine
makes it look easy.
265
00:13:56,753 --> 00:14:01,341
When the temple was
built, sheer manpower.
266
00:14:01,383 --> 00:14:02,676
NARRATOR: But the
temple architects
267
00:14:02,759 --> 00:14:06,304
used all their ingenuity
to speed up the process.
268
00:14:06,388 --> 00:14:09,266
They invented a method that
would make them better stone
269
00:14:09,349 --> 00:14:12,727
movers than even the Egyptians.
270
00:14:12,769 --> 00:14:16,856
They turned the square
blocks into wheels.
271
00:14:16,940 --> 00:14:19,568
Wooden cradles were built
around the cut rocks
272
00:14:19,651 --> 00:14:21,987
so that it could easily
be rolled the eight
273
00:14:22,070 --> 00:14:23,363
miles into town.
274
00:14:25,907 --> 00:14:28,201
Once they had the
raw materials, they
275
00:14:28,243 --> 00:14:31,871
could set about building one of
the greatest temples the world
276
00:14:31,913 --> 00:14:33,415
has ever seen.
277
00:14:33,456 --> 00:14:37,085
In its heyday, it would attract
more pilgrims than the temple
278
00:14:37,127 --> 00:14:40,505
of the Jews in Jerusalem.
279
00:14:40,589 --> 00:14:45,594
Today, the site where it once
stood is a flooded marsh.
280
00:14:45,635 --> 00:14:49,097
It's hard to imagine why
such a huge temple would be
281
00:14:49,180 --> 00:14:51,808
constructed here
on a piece of land
282
00:14:51,933 --> 00:14:54,644
no modern builder would touch.
283
00:14:54,728 --> 00:14:57,981
The Roman historian Pliny
claims the marshy ground
284
00:14:58,064 --> 00:15:01,651
was chosen as a precaution
against frequent earthquakes.
285
00:15:01,776 --> 00:15:03,903
It would cushion the tremors.
286
00:15:03,987 --> 00:15:06,865
Another theory is that
a meteor landed here.
287
00:15:06,948 --> 00:15:09,993
The ancients thought it
was a god sent from heaven
288
00:15:10,076 --> 00:15:13,413
and constructed their
temple around it.
289
00:15:13,496 --> 00:15:16,374
Either way, the location
presented the builders
290
00:15:16,458 --> 00:15:18,752
with a serious problem.
291
00:15:18,793 --> 00:15:23,173
How to construct what would be
one of the wonders of the world
292
00:15:23,298 --> 00:15:26,009
in a swamp?
293
00:15:26,092 --> 00:15:28,803
They started by
creating a dry base,
294
00:15:28,887 --> 00:15:30,889
treading down a
layer of charcoal,
295
00:15:30,972 --> 00:15:32,807
then covering it
with sheep fleece
296
00:15:32,891 --> 00:15:35,352
to prevent water rising up.
297
00:15:35,435 --> 00:15:38,605
Slate blocks were put on top.
298
00:15:38,647 --> 00:15:42,192
The floor of slate and
marble was built 8-feet high
299
00:15:42,275 --> 00:15:44,402
to stay above the water level.
300
00:15:48,031 --> 00:15:55,664
It spanned an area 255-feet
wide and 425-feet long.
301
00:15:55,705 --> 00:16:00,377
This sturdy platform
supported a forest of columns.
302
00:16:00,502 --> 00:16:04,089
This one is 45-feet
high, but Pliny
303
00:16:04,172 --> 00:16:09,302
reveals that the originals were
a massive 60-feet, 6 stories
304
00:16:09,386 --> 00:16:11,179
tall.
305
00:16:11,221 --> 00:16:14,057
To achieve this ambitious
engineering task,
306
00:16:14,182 --> 00:16:16,393
the architects used scaffolding.
307
00:16:16,476 --> 00:16:19,854
They assembled the columns
from a series of stack drums,
308
00:16:19,938 --> 00:16:22,941
each weighing more
than eight tons.
309
00:16:23,024 --> 00:16:25,819
A column consisted
of around 30 drums.
310
00:16:25,860 --> 00:16:29,823
And once assembled, they were
flooded with hammer and chisel.
311
00:16:29,906 --> 00:16:35,495
This was done an
incredible 127 time.
312
00:16:35,578 --> 00:16:37,247
Amongst the ruins,
Eireann Marshall
313
00:16:37,330 --> 00:16:41,042
finds evidence of how they
built the temple roof.
314
00:16:41,084 --> 00:16:43,128
So having gotten
the columns up,
315
00:16:43,211 --> 00:16:46,506
now you had the task of
actually erecting the lintels.
316
00:16:46,589 --> 00:16:49,426
The lintels are all those
stone blocks which you have
317
00:16:49,551 --> 00:16:51,886
to put on top of the columns.
318
00:16:51,970 --> 00:16:55,098
NARRATOR: Again, it's Pliny who
tells us how the lintels were
319
00:16:55,181 --> 00:16:56,349
positioned.
320
00:16:56,391 --> 00:16:59,728
It was crucial to get
it precisely right.
321
00:16:59,769 --> 00:17:04,232
What they did was they
erected a ramp of reed bags
322
00:17:04,315 --> 00:17:07,026
all the way up to the level
of the top of the columns.
323
00:17:07,068 --> 00:17:09,696
Then they placed the
lintels on top of them
324
00:17:09,779 --> 00:17:12,157
and then poked a
hole in the reedbags
325
00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:13,491
so all the sand came out.
326
00:17:13,575 --> 00:17:17,579
Slow enough so that the
lintels could be adjusted.
327
00:17:17,662 --> 00:17:20,623
And you have to bear in
mind, these aren't mortared,
328
00:17:20,749 --> 00:17:22,876
they have to be exact.
329
00:17:22,917 --> 00:17:27,547
NARRATOR: It took 120 years
to complete the temple.
330
00:17:27,589 --> 00:17:31,468
We can now bring to life this
incredible part of St. Paul's
331
00:17:31,551 --> 00:17:35,096
lost world, an astonishing
building that was bigger
332
00:17:35,180 --> 00:17:37,807
than anything that
had gone before.
333
00:17:37,891 --> 00:17:41,019
It was the focal point
of huge activity,
334
00:17:41,102 --> 00:17:43,772
all centered around the
cult of the goddess.
335
00:17:43,813 --> 00:17:47,484
And awning in the roof
bathed her statue in light.
336
00:17:55,784 --> 00:17:58,244
And the cult of
Artemis was by no means
337
00:17:58,286 --> 00:18:00,789
the city's only religion.
338
00:18:00,830 --> 00:18:03,625
The Romans believed
in many gods and they
339
00:18:03,708 --> 00:18:05,502
tolerated the
traditional beliefs
340
00:18:05,585 --> 00:18:07,712
of the peoples they conquered.
341
00:18:07,796 --> 00:18:13,051
So at first, Paul and his new
religion are well received.
342
00:18:13,134 --> 00:18:16,429
And a few miles from the
temple in the city center,
343
00:18:16,471 --> 00:18:18,473
Paul discovered
something that will allow
344
00:18:18,515 --> 00:18:24,729
him to deliver his message to an
audience of unprecedented size.
345
00:18:24,813 --> 00:18:27,023
We're entering one of the
most spectacular buildings
346
00:18:27,148 --> 00:18:28,399
in Ephesus.
347
00:18:28,483 --> 00:18:32,862
25,000 people came here
for games and for protest.
348
00:18:32,987 --> 00:18:35,281
St. Paul entered here.
349
00:18:35,323 --> 00:18:38,493
NARRATOR: The city's theater,
also built from white marble,
350
00:18:38,535 --> 00:18:43,331
was undergoing expansion
while Paul was in the city.
351
00:18:43,414 --> 00:18:48,545
459-feet across, containing
66 rows of seats,
352
00:18:48,628 --> 00:18:51,756
it was once the largest
theater in the country.
353
00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,092
Paul would have come here
and address one of the biggest
354
00:18:54,175 --> 00:18:56,386
audiences of his life.
355
00:18:56,511 --> 00:18:58,096
This was the perfect theater.
356
00:18:58,179 --> 00:19:01,516
It seated 25,000
people and acoustics
357
00:19:01,599 --> 00:19:03,184
allow for a dramatic impact.
358
00:19:06,396 --> 00:19:09,357
NARRATOR: The superb acoustics
derive from the design
359
00:19:09,399 --> 00:19:11,609
of the theater seating.
360
00:19:11,693 --> 00:19:13,152
These seats are wider.
361
00:19:13,236 --> 00:19:16,614
And the further up you
go, they're narrower.
362
00:19:16,698 --> 00:19:19,784
And this concave
shape helps to retain
363
00:19:19,868 --> 00:19:22,078
the sound in the theater.
364
00:19:22,161 --> 00:19:24,330
NARRATOR: But the theater
wasn't designed simply
365
00:19:24,372 --> 00:19:27,375
for speeches and plays.
366
00:19:27,417 --> 00:19:29,752
The partition that
shields the front row
367
00:19:29,836 --> 00:19:33,214
indicates that Paul shared
his stage with more dangerous
368
00:19:33,256 --> 00:19:35,049
entertainment.
369
00:19:35,133 --> 00:19:37,343
The wall is high to
protect the spectators
370
00:19:37,385 --> 00:19:42,223
from the death and the blood and
the guts of what went on here.
371
00:19:42,307 --> 00:19:45,101
NARRATOR: The recent discovery
of a dedicated graveyard
372
00:19:45,184 --> 00:19:48,813
in Ephesus confirms that this
theater was an arena where
373
00:19:48,897 --> 00:19:51,649
gladiators fought.
374
00:19:51,733 --> 00:19:56,696
These immensely popular
contests drew large audiences.
375
00:19:56,779 --> 00:19:59,657
And as far as Paul
was concerned,
376
00:19:59,741 --> 00:20:02,994
the gladiator games
attracted even more people
377
00:20:03,077 --> 00:20:04,454
to hear his message.
378
00:20:07,290 --> 00:20:11,502
Because what separated St. Paul
from Jesus's other disciples
379
00:20:11,586 --> 00:20:14,339
is that he doesn't
just target Jews,
380
00:20:14,422 --> 00:20:18,718
he aims to convert
people of all faiths.
381
00:20:18,801 --> 00:20:21,012
His methods would
cause Christianity
382
00:20:21,095 --> 00:20:23,514
to become a worldwide religion.
383
00:20:23,598 --> 00:20:27,101
Ultimately, they would bring
about the downfall of the Roman
384
00:20:27,185 --> 00:20:28,645
Empire.
385
00:20:28,770 --> 00:20:32,148
And yet it was the Roman's
own engineering skill
386
00:20:32,273 --> 00:20:35,443
which gave St. Paul the
opportunity he needed.
387
00:20:44,285 --> 00:20:46,120
St. Paul lived and preached
in the city of Ephesus, part
388
00:20:46,204 --> 00:20:49,457
of modern day Turkey,
for 2 and 1/2 years.
389
00:20:49,540 --> 00:20:52,543
The largest city in Roman
Asia with an open minded
390
00:20:52,627 --> 00:20:56,547
and cosmopolitan population,
it was the ideal place
391
00:20:56,631 --> 00:20:58,091
to seek new converts.
392
00:21:01,135 --> 00:21:03,471
Archaeologist Julian
Bennett discovered
393
00:21:03,513 --> 00:21:05,890
that the way the Romans
built their towns
394
00:21:05,974 --> 00:21:10,395
gave Paul a unique chance to
bring huge numbers of people
395
00:21:10,478 --> 00:21:12,063
to Christianity.
396
00:21:12,146 --> 00:21:15,650
But he also finds that
this city had its eye fixed
397
00:21:15,692 --> 00:21:18,653
on more otherworldly
pursuits than theology
398
00:21:18,736 --> 00:21:20,405
and a new religion.
399
00:21:20,488 --> 00:21:23,366
Well, everyone in the city
would have had a brothel.
400
00:21:23,449 --> 00:21:26,077
This is an everyday
fact of Roman life.
401
00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,455
NARRATOR: Paul is in a city
with a reputation for pleasure
402
00:21:29,497 --> 00:21:31,582
seeking.
403
00:21:31,666 --> 00:21:33,584
JULIAN BENNETT: A
male dominated society
404
00:21:33,668 --> 00:21:38,131
when a young man would not marry
until he was in his mid 20s
405
00:21:38,214 --> 00:21:39,632
or 30s.
406
00:21:39,716 --> 00:21:41,759
A place like Ephesus,
the heart of the city,
407
00:21:41,843 --> 00:21:44,345
would have had several brothels.
408
00:21:44,429 --> 00:21:45,763
NARRATOR: Right in
the center of town,
409
00:21:45,847 --> 00:21:49,600
early archaeologists found
an intriguing signpost.
410
00:21:49,684 --> 00:21:53,354
It featured a foot and a heart.
411
00:21:53,438 --> 00:21:55,815
This particular building
when they excavated it
412
00:21:55,857 --> 00:21:59,861
in the 19th century, they
found a number of oil lamps
413
00:21:59,944 --> 00:22:02,947
here with scenes of
erotic art on them
414
00:22:03,031 --> 00:22:07,452
and also an inscription
referring to young people.
415
00:22:07,535 --> 00:22:10,455
And so the excavators came
to the natural conclusion
416
00:22:10,538 --> 00:22:13,666
this was the main
brothel of Ephesus.
417
00:22:13,708 --> 00:22:16,627
It occupies such a
prominent corner.
418
00:22:16,711 --> 00:22:19,672
NARRATOR: Prostitution was
an important source of income
419
00:22:19,756 --> 00:22:21,340
for the Roman administration.
420
00:22:21,424 --> 00:22:24,802
We even know that prostitutes
pay the tax to the city
421
00:22:24,886 --> 00:22:26,220
and to the government.
422
00:22:26,304 --> 00:22:29,849
And that this tax was the
equivalent of one sexual act
423
00:22:29,891 --> 00:22:33,186
and they had to pay
this tax every month.
424
00:22:33,227 --> 00:22:35,188
NARRATOR: But it wasn't
just about pleasure.
425
00:22:35,229 --> 00:22:37,899
The fundamental challenge
for the town administrators
426
00:22:37,940 --> 00:22:43,654
was providing vital amenities
for over 200,000 people.
427
00:22:43,738 --> 00:22:46,324
The most important
was running water.
428
00:22:49,035 --> 00:22:53,081
The city source was eight miles
away in the Meandros Valley.
429
00:22:53,164 --> 00:22:56,709
Diverting it into Ephesus
required an extraordinary feat
430
00:22:56,751 --> 00:22:59,003
of engineering.
431
00:22:59,087 --> 00:23:01,089
Well, here we have it.
432
00:23:01,130 --> 00:23:04,383
This is the aqueduct bridge
for Rome and Ephesus.
433
00:23:04,425 --> 00:23:08,179
This was built something
like 2,000 years ago
434
00:23:08,262 --> 00:23:10,431
before the time of
St. Paul's visit here
435
00:23:10,473 --> 00:23:13,601
but it's still an
incredibly good condition.
436
00:23:13,684 --> 00:23:16,729
NARRATOR: An aqueduct this
size needed funding beyond what
437
00:23:16,771 --> 00:23:20,233
the city could pay for but
it gave politicians a chance
438
00:23:20,316 --> 00:23:22,360
to gain favor with the masses.
439
00:23:22,443 --> 00:23:27,865
It gives us the name of the
man, Gaius Sextillius Pollio,
440
00:23:27,949 --> 00:23:31,410
with his wife, and
also, their son.
441
00:23:31,494 --> 00:23:37,708
For the people of Ephesus,
[non-english speech] We pay
442
00:23:37,792 --> 00:23:39,544
for this from our own pocket.
443
00:23:42,463 --> 00:23:45,550
It is a way of making certain
the people of Ephesus remember
444
00:23:45,633 --> 00:23:48,719
who you are, or perhaps,
more to the point,
445
00:23:48,803 --> 00:23:53,266
when election time comes around
again, remember my stepson.
446
00:23:53,307 --> 00:23:55,643
NARRATOR: Whatever their
motive, the private individuals
447
00:23:55,726 --> 00:23:58,646
who paid for projects like
this did a great service
448
00:23:58,688 --> 00:24:00,231
for the city.
449
00:24:00,314 --> 00:24:04,402
Pollio's aqueduct carried vital
water supplies into Ephesus,
450
00:24:04,485 --> 00:24:06,445
where they entered
an elaborate cistern.
451
00:24:08,698 --> 00:24:10,950
This is precisely
the sort of thing
452
00:24:10,992 --> 00:24:13,619
we're looking for when
following an aqueduct.
453
00:24:13,703 --> 00:24:16,664
And they're absolutely
jam-packed with calcium
454
00:24:16,706 --> 00:24:20,001
carbonate, and it's calcium
that's been dissolved out
455
00:24:20,042 --> 00:24:22,587
of the water coming
down with the aqueduct
456
00:24:22,670 --> 00:24:25,464
through these limestone
hills, come into the city
457
00:24:25,506 --> 00:24:29,594
somewhere in this area,
onto this structure.
458
00:24:29,677 --> 00:24:33,931
And over here, a section
which has been broken loose.
459
00:24:34,015 --> 00:24:37,643
If I can lift this,
you have the flange
460
00:24:37,685 --> 00:24:42,106
at one end, socket
at the other end.
461
00:24:42,190 --> 00:24:45,484
The flange would always
be on the downstream side.
462
00:24:45,526 --> 00:24:50,281
So a very good example
of Roman technology.
463
00:24:50,364 --> 00:24:55,203
NARRATOR: Pipes like these ran
in a network down the hill.
464
00:24:55,286 --> 00:24:58,456
There were 100 gallons
a day for each Ephesian,
465
00:24:58,539 --> 00:25:02,627
comparable to the provision
made in most modern cities.
466
00:25:02,710 --> 00:25:04,962
Paul and most other
citizens got their water
467
00:25:05,046 --> 00:25:08,132
from communal fountains,
but some buildings
468
00:25:08,216 --> 00:25:09,800
were supplied directly.
469
00:25:09,884 --> 00:25:12,345
One was the bathhouse.
470
00:25:12,428 --> 00:25:14,388
The Roman baths
were the focal point
471
00:25:14,430 --> 00:25:15,890
of the city's social life.
472
00:25:15,973 --> 00:25:19,185
Here, the Ephesians discussed
politics, philosophy,
473
00:25:19,268 --> 00:25:21,729
and Paul's religious ideas.
474
00:25:21,812 --> 00:25:23,981
Christianity spread
by word of mouth,
475
00:25:24,065 --> 00:25:27,360
and it was from places like
this that Paul's message began
476
00:25:27,443 --> 00:25:31,030
to pass to a wider audience.
477
00:25:31,113 --> 00:25:34,158
The bathhouses were places
equipped with what was then
478
00:25:34,242 --> 00:25:37,703
high technology, including
an underfloor heating
479
00:25:37,745 --> 00:25:40,748
system called a hypocaust.
480
00:25:40,831 --> 00:25:44,043
And we are, in fact, very
lucky at this particular point.
481
00:25:44,085 --> 00:25:46,545
This is a very good,
preserved cross-section
482
00:25:46,629 --> 00:25:49,340
of a typical hypocaust system.
483
00:25:49,423 --> 00:25:53,427
So you can see the pillars here,
which support the main floor.
484
00:25:53,469 --> 00:25:57,473
A very thick, very
hard pink Roman plaster
485
00:25:57,556 --> 00:25:59,100
known as opus signinum.
486
00:25:59,141 --> 00:26:00,726
It retains heat.
487
00:26:00,768 --> 00:26:03,271
On top of this,
we're very lucky.
488
00:26:03,354 --> 00:26:06,565
Marble slabs from the floor.
489
00:26:06,649 --> 00:26:09,402
NARRATOR: Hot air flooded
the underfloor space
490
00:26:09,485 --> 00:26:13,614
spreading up the walls to
heat the room from all sides.
491
00:26:13,698 --> 00:26:16,867
Hot water was piped
into the bath.
492
00:26:16,951 --> 00:26:20,246
The dirty water from the bath
house was put to good use.
493
00:26:20,288 --> 00:26:22,915
It flushed out waste
from other buildings.
494
00:26:22,957 --> 00:26:26,877
And just next door is one of the
most important facilities found
495
00:26:26,961 --> 00:26:29,797
in any large Roman city.
496
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:34,593
JULIAN BENNETT: And sure enough,
a really nice Roman public
497
00:26:34,635 --> 00:26:35,803
latrine.
498
00:26:35,845 --> 00:26:39,724
Marble seats, nice and
cool in the summer.
499
00:26:39,807 --> 00:26:42,226
Not so nice, perhaps,
in the winter.
500
00:26:42,310 --> 00:26:45,396
And you would sit here
next to your neighbor, talk
501
00:26:45,479 --> 00:26:50,109
about the weather, gladiatorial
games, what life was like.
502
00:26:50,151 --> 00:26:52,778
You have a nice little
water trough in front
503
00:26:52,862 --> 00:26:55,990
because the Romans did
not have toilet paper.
504
00:26:56,073 --> 00:26:59,785
Instead, every Roman
carried a personal sponge
505
00:26:59,827 --> 00:27:02,621
and they would have the
sponge on the end of a stick,
506
00:27:02,705 --> 00:27:05,499
dip it in the end of
the water, and now, you
507
00:27:05,583 --> 00:27:07,918
see what this is for.
508
00:27:08,002 --> 00:27:12,423
NARRATOR: Our evidence for this
comes from an unusual source.
509
00:27:12,506 --> 00:27:14,133
JULIAN BENNETT: We are
told one gladiator,
510
00:27:14,175 --> 00:27:16,677
rather than go out and
fight his opponent,
511
00:27:16,719 --> 00:27:18,596
decided to commit suicide.
512
00:27:18,679 --> 00:27:22,266
And he did so by making the
excuse of going to the latrine
513
00:27:22,350 --> 00:27:24,935
and grabbing hold of the
sponge and choking himself
514
00:27:25,019 --> 00:27:26,103
to death with this.
515
00:27:26,187 --> 00:27:28,731
So that's how we know
about the sponges.
516
00:27:28,814 --> 00:27:31,692
NARRATOR: While Paul would have
used these public restrooms,
517
00:27:31,776 --> 00:27:35,321
the upper classes had the
privacy of their luxury homes.
518
00:27:35,363 --> 00:27:37,782
Today, the remains of
these lavish houses
519
00:27:37,865 --> 00:27:40,618
are protected in a
climate-controlled shelter.
520
00:27:40,701 --> 00:27:43,746
Saint Paul would have seen
them being built and furnished
521
00:27:43,829 --> 00:27:46,832
in exotic marble brought
from across the Roman Empire
522
00:27:46,916 --> 00:27:49,502
to advertise their
owners' wealth.
523
00:27:49,543 --> 00:27:52,546
Each house had a private
bathroom constantly
524
00:27:52,630 --> 00:27:57,968
flushed by the continuous
flow of the aqueduct system.
525
00:27:58,052 --> 00:28:00,304
This is a very
high quality latrine.
526
00:28:00,388 --> 00:28:02,473
Small, private latrine.
527
00:28:02,556 --> 00:28:06,185
We know in Rome, at least,
we assume in Ephesus as well,
528
00:28:06,268 --> 00:28:08,187
they had different
sized water pipes
529
00:28:08,229 --> 00:28:12,233
and they calculated the tax you
paid by the size of your water
530
00:28:12,274 --> 00:28:13,567
pipe.
531
00:28:13,609 --> 00:28:16,654
So to have a private toilet
like this is very much
532
00:28:16,737 --> 00:28:19,031
a sign of status.
533
00:28:19,115 --> 00:28:20,908
NARRATOR: The wealthiest
households could even
534
00:28:20,991 --> 00:28:25,496
afford an early form of air
conditioning, walls of water.
535
00:28:25,579 --> 00:28:29,166
JULIAN BENNETT: You to water
every day just to stay alive.
536
00:28:29,250 --> 00:28:32,002
You need water for
washing, for cooking,
537
00:28:32,086 --> 00:28:34,505
but it helps to cool
down the air as well.
538
00:28:34,588 --> 00:28:38,050
So all in all, this must have
been an extremely pleasant
539
00:28:38,092 --> 00:28:41,429
place to be in, especially
in the middle of the summer.
540
00:28:41,512 --> 00:28:44,515
NARRATOR: The Ephesian ruling
classes enjoyed high quality
541
00:28:44,598 --> 00:28:48,394
of life, and suddenly, Paul
threatened to disrupt that.
542
00:28:48,477 --> 00:28:51,063
Not only did he undermine
their pagan beliefs,
543
00:28:51,147 --> 00:28:55,526
but with it, he damaged the
city's most important trade.
544
00:28:55,609 --> 00:28:59,738
Religion was big
business in this Ephesus.
545
00:28:59,780 --> 00:29:02,533
Its market fed off
pilgrims to the temple.
546
00:29:02,616 --> 00:29:04,785
Silver statuettes of
the goddess Artemis
547
00:29:04,869 --> 00:29:08,956
sold as charms brought
in vast revenue.
548
00:29:08,998 --> 00:29:12,501
But the arrival of Christianity
meant that people were turning
549
00:29:12,585 --> 00:29:15,379
their backs on Ephesus.
550
00:29:15,463 --> 00:29:18,632
25,000 people gathered
in the great theater
551
00:29:18,716 --> 00:29:22,553
to hear a silversmith
call Demetrius speak.
552
00:29:22,636 --> 00:29:26,390
He told them that Paul was not
only insulting their goddess,
553
00:29:26,474 --> 00:29:30,561
but also, threatening their
main source of income.
554
00:29:30,644 --> 00:29:32,396
He stirred the
crowd to the point
555
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:34,773
where an anti-Christian
riot erupted.
556
00:29:38,194 --> 00:29:41,113
Tradition has it that to
appease the angry mob,
557
00:29:41,197 --> 00:29:43,741
Paul was thrown into prison.
558
00:29:43,824 --> 00:29:46,285
It's thought that was
where he would write some
559
00:29:46,327 --> 00:29:48,579
of the letters that
would make up so much
560
00:29:48,662 --> 00:29:51,457
of the New Testament.
561
00:29:51,499 --> 00:29:55,961
On his release, he was
told to leave Ephesus.
562
00:29:56,003 --> 00:29:58,631
But his new religion
had already taken hold.
563
00:29:58,714 --> 00:30:03,427
The city was becoming
a city of Christians.
564
00:30:03,511 --> 00:30:06,263
And the silversmith
Demetrius was right.
565
00:30:06,347 --> 00:30:11,268
The city of Ephesus declined
with the cult of Artemis.
566
00:30:11,352 --> 00:30:15,022
It was the beginning of a long,
slow collapse that will see
567
00:30:15,064 --> 00:30:17,024
the temple fall into ruin.
568
00:30:20,027 --> 00:30:21,362
Paul moved on.
569
00:30:21,445 --> 00:30:24,281
His message would have an
equally powerful effect
570
00:30:24,365 --> 00:30:25,658
elsewhere.
571
00:30:25,741 --> 00:30:28,285
It would reach to the very
furthest parts of the Roman
572
00:30:28,369 --> 00:30:32,706
Empire, transforming every
community it touched.
573
00:30:32,748 --> 00:30:36,335
Next, we investigate the
religious society that sprung
574
00:30:36,418 --> 00:30:38,504
up in the wake of Saint Paul.
575
00:30:38,546 --> 00:30:40,923
In the strange
land of Cappadocia,
576
00:30:41,006 --> 00:30:43,968
a mysterious group of
Christians would seek safety
577
00:30:44,051 --> 00:30:53,561
by building a secret
world underground.
578
00:30:53,602 --> 00:30:57,064
15 million years ago, a
series of volcanic eruptions
579
00:30:57,147 --> 00:31:00,776
around the Mediterranean threw
up immense clouds of ash,
580
00:31:00,901 --> 00:31:03,862
blanketing the land
layer upon layer.
581
00:31:03,946 --> 00:31:08,117
Over time, this created a
bizarre otherworldly place.
582
00:31:08,242 --> 00:31:11,787
Today, it's called Cappadocia.
583
00:31:11,912 --> 00:31:14,665
Some scholars believe
that Saint Paul came here
584
00:31:14,748 --> 00:31:17,042
to preach his new religion.
585
00:31:17,084 --> 00:31:19,670
Our investigators are trying
to understand the part
586
00:31:19,753 --> 00:31:25,301
that this alien landscape played
in the birth of Christianity.
587
00:31:25,426 --> 00:31:29,972
And the best way to see what
traces remain is from above.
588
00:31:33,267 --> 00:31:37,021
It stretches over
15,000 square miles.
589
00:31:37,104 --> 00:31:41,567
It's dotted with sculpted
cones, pyramids, and obelisks.
590
00:31:41,650 --> 00:31:45,362
The ash is up to 300 feet thick.
591
00:31:45,446 --> 00:31:48,115
Each layer is of a
different consistency,
592
00:31:48,157 --> 00:31:50,993
and this means that
erosion by wind and rain
593
00:31:51,076 --> 00:31:54,496
has created a remarkable,
uneven terrain.
594
00:31:54,622 --> 00:31:57,666
Early explorers thought the
shapes must have been carved
595
00:31:57,791 --> 00:31:59,960
by some ancient race.
596
00:32:00,044 --> 00:32:03,714
The buildings do show the skill
and craftsmanship of a highly
597
00:32:03,797 --> 00:32:05,299
sophisticated people.
598
00:32:05,341 --> 00:32:09,345
Their works can still be
seen, and it still impresses.
599
00:32:09,470 --> 00:32:12,056
These are some steps
there cutting into the rock,
600
00:32:12,139 --> 00:32:15,225
leading up to
somebody's habitation.
601
00:32:15,309 --> 00:32:18,437
It's an incredible
gorgeous place.
602
00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:20,648
Beautiful.
603
00:32:20,731 --> 00:32:23,442
NARRATOR: The word Cappadocia
derives from the Persian
604
00:32:23,525 --> 00:32:25,569
for land of beautiful horses.
605
00:32:25,653 --> 00:32:29,531
The Cappadocians were famed
as suppliers of prize animals
606
00:32:29,657 --> 00:32:32,576
for the Roman army.
607
00:32:32,660 --> 00:32:36,205
Down on the ground, Veronica
Kalas chooses the best form
608
00:32:36,288 --> 00:32:39,249
of local transport and
heads for the Ihlara Valley,
609
00:32:39,333 --> 00:32:41,835
a canyon cut deep into the ash.
610
00:32:44,296 --> 00:32:47,049
She finds an extraordinary
concentration
611
00:32:47,174 --> 00:32:50,719
of ancient churches
carved into the rock face.
612
00:32:50,844 --> 00:32:55,974
There are over 100 of them
in this 10-mile valley alone.
613
00:32:56,058 --> 00:33:01,146
It's clear that Paul's
message had an immense impact.
614
00:33:01,188 --> 00:33:04,733
The churches are decorated with
frescoes that depict stories
615
00:33:04,817 --> 00:33:07,820
from the New Testament.
616
00:33:07,861 --> 00:33:11,407
Veronica wants to trace
Paul's story back further.
617
00:33:11,532 --> 00:33:14,493
She heads for a settlement a
few miles north of the canyon
618
00:33:14,576 --> 00:33:19,623
to try to discover how
early Cappadocians lived.
619
00:33:19,707 --> 00:33:23,377
What Paul would have come across
was an extraordinary community
620
00:33:23,460 --> 00:33:24,628
of cave dwellers.
621
00:33:27,214 --> 00:33:29,925
This settlement has long
since been abandoned,
622
00:33:30,050 --> 00:33:33,554
but its ancient inhabitants
left behind tantalizing glimpses
623
00:33:33,637 --> 00:33:34,596
of their lives.
624
00:33:36,890 --> 00:33:41,145
It's a large, square room,
and it has a conical vault
625
00:33:41,228 --> 00:33:45,482
that leads up into
a ventilation shaft.
626
00:33:45,566 --> 00:33:46,650
NARRATOR: There's a chimney.
627
00:33:46,734 --> 00:33:48,777
They lit fires here.
628
00:33:48,902 --> 00:33:51,238
This is most likely
where they cooked.
629
00:33:51,321 --> 00:33:56,326
This is an oven with fire
burning down below and perhaps
630
00:33:56,410 --> 00:33:57,286
a grill.
631
00:33:59,913 --> 00:34:01,790
NARRATOR: To the trained
eye, another room
632
00:34:01,915 --> 00:34:04,168
reveals evidence of industry.
633
00:34:04,251 --> 00:34:05,794
VERONICA KALAS: This
is known as a pit loom.
634
00:34:05,878 --> 00:34:10,799
And this is a fine example where
you might have a wooden frame
635
00:34:10,883 --> 00:34:17,514
erected around the sitter's
lap in order to weave textiles.
636
00:34:17,598 --> 00:34:20,684
NARRATOR: There are also
pits for storing clay jugs
637
00:34:20,768 --> 00:34:22,728
or amphoras.
638
00:34:22,770 --> 00:34:26,815
Using these clues sculpted
2,000 years ago from ash,
639
00:34:26,899 --> 00:34:29,234
Veronica is building
up a picture of what
640
00:34:29,276 --> 00:34:32,196
the Cappadocians were like.
641
00:34:32,279 --> 00:34:33,405
VERONICA KALAS: The
people who lived
642
00:34:33,489 --> 00:34:36,784
here were said to
be very rugged,
643
00:34:36,867 --> 00:34:38,911
the cowboys of the empire.
644
00:34:38,952 --> 00:34:41,830
And there's a story
that when a biker would
645
00:34:41,914 --> 00:34:44,208
buy the Cappadocian,
the viper would die.
646
00:34:44,291 --> 00:34:47,377
This is how tough the
Cappadocians were.
647
00:34:47,461 --> 00:34:49,963
NARRATOR: And yet, living on
the trade route between Europe
648
00:34:50,047 --> 00:34:53,926
and Asia, these people
were becoming rich.
649
00:34:54,009 --> 00:34:59,014
The Cappadocians' lifestyle was
sophisticated and comfortable.
650
00:34:59,139 --> 00:35:02,810
A large ceremonial hall
indicates the high status
651
00:35:02,851 --> 00:35:04,770
of the people living here.
652
00:35:04,812 --> 00:35:07,523
Most of the ancient world's
freestanding buildings
653
00:35:07,606 --> 00:35:12,903
have long since crumbled away,
but Cappadocia's volcanic ash
654
00:35:12,986 --> 00:35:15,614
retains a record of
its architecture.
655
00:35:15,656 --> 00:35:19,034
It offers a unique glimpse of
the lost world in which Saint
656
00:35:19,117 --> 00:35:20,536
Paul operated.
657
00:35:20,619 --> 00:35:23,956
And there is clear evidence that
his religion gained a foothold
658
00:35:24,039 --> 00:35:25,249
here.
659
00:35:25,332 --> 00:35:26,959
This is a really nice church.
660
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:30,712
It's in a basilica style
with columns and piers
661
00:35:30,838 --> 00:35:35,175
and arcades separating this
very large barrel-vaulted nave
662
00:35:35,259 --> 00:35:36,468
from side aisles.
663
00:35:36,510 --> 00:35:38,846
And here, we're entering
into the sanctuary
664
00:35:38,887 --> 00:35:41,181
where the altar should be.
665
00:35:41,265 --> 00:35:43,559
NARRATOR: Although these columns
appear to have been built
666
00:35:43,642 --> 00:35:45,811
from bricks and mortar,
they are actually
667
00:35:45,894 --> 00:35:47,938
cut from the volcanic ash.
668
00:35:48,021 --> 00:35:51,775
Their elaborate style simply
mimics the building techniques
669
00:35:51,859 --> 00:35:53,735
of the time.
670
00:35:53,861 --> 00:35:57,072
Ash is easily worked
with simple tools,
671
00:35:57,197 --> 00:35:59,700
but hollowing out a
sophisticated home like this
672
00:35:59,741 --> 00:36:03,078
would have taken many months
and a great deal of skill
673
00:36:03,161 --> 00:36:04,621
and planning.
674
00:36:04,705 --> 00:36:08,208
Veronica has analyzed
each of the 15 rooms here,
675
00:36:08,250 --> 00:36:10,627
and now, using
computer graphics,
676
00:36:10,711 --> 00:36:15,465
we can reveal the complex
structure of this settlement.
677
00:36:15,549 --> 00:36:17,843
This residence is
the largest and most
678
00:36:17,885 --> 00:36:22,514
elaborate in Cappadocia,
covering 3,000 square yards,
679
00:36:22,556 --> 00:36:25,976
about half the size
of a football field.
680
00:36:26,059 --> 00:36:29,313
The kitchen, ceremonial
halls, and church mark it out
681
00:36:29,396 --> 00:36:31,773
as an estate for the elite.
682
00:36:31,857 --> 00:36:35,193
It was home to a large,
aristocratic, and publicly
683
00:36:35,277 --> 00:36:36,278
Christian family.
684
00:36:40,282 --> 00:36:43,201
This place is part of
Saint Paul's legacy.
685
00:36:46,330 --> 00:36:49,666
The architectural details of
the Church of Durmus Kadir
686
00:36:49,750 --> 00:36:52,252
have been remarkably
well preserved.
687
00:36:52,336 --> 00:36:55,672
They give us a rare insight
into how early Christians
688
00:36:55,756 --> 00:36:58,634
worshipped.
689
00:36:58,759 --> 00:37:00,344
VERONICA KALAS: This is
a nice representation
690
00:37:00,427 --> 00:37:04,181
of the kind of church
that emerged immediately
691
00:37:04,264 --> 00:37:06,975
after Saint Paul's times.
692
00:37:07,059 --> 00:37:10,187
There's no paintings here,
and yet, the architecture
693
00:37:10,270 --> 00:37:11,730
is very, very elegant.
694
00:37:11,813 --> 00:37:14,900
[music playing]
695
00:37:17,277 --> 00:37:19,988
You can imagine what an amazing
place this would have been
696
00:37:20,113 --> 00:37:22,783
around the fourth to
the sixth century.
697
00:37:22,866 --> 00:37:24,743
This was known as an ambo.
698
00:37:24,826 --> 00:37:26,370
That is a pulpit.
699
00:37:26,453 --> 00:37:29,581
This is a very important feature
in early Christian churches.
700
00:37:29,623 --> 00:37:33,418
So this is the closest thing we
have to the time of Saint Paul.
701
00:37:33,460 --> 00:37:35,629
They mostly stood then.
702
00:37:35,712 --> 00:37:38,340
It seems that people
prayed with their hands
703
00:37:38,465 --> 00:37:42,177
open and their chest up to
the sky, not bowing down
704
00:37:42,302 --> 00:37:44,054
and closed.
705
00:37:44,137 --> 00:37:45,722
NARRATOR: The
congregation stood around
706
00:37:45,806 --> 00:37:49,977
the ambo in the nave facing
the altar in the central apse.
707
00:37:50,018 --> 00:37:52,229
To left and right
were side aisles
708
00:37:52,312 --> 00:37:54,731
containing a baptismal font.
709
00:37:54,815 --> 00:37:58,568
Behind them was the church
entrance, the narthex.
710
00:37:58,652 --> 00:38:01,738
Today, it is lined
with empty tombs.
711
00:38:01,822 --> 00:38:04,408
But it was not always
easy for the Cappadocians
712
00:38:04,491 --> 00:38:07,369
to hold on to their
Christian faith.
713
00:38:07,452 --> 00:38:09,913
The more the early
Church grew, the more
714
00:38:09,997 --> 00:38:13,500
Rome saw it as a threat.
715
00:38:13,583 --> 00:38:16,545
So it went literally
underground.
716
00:38:16,670 --> 00:38:20,257
Next, we reveal the
extraordinary subterranean
717
00:38:20,340 --> 00:38:22,384
world created by
the Cappadocians
718
00:38:22,467 --> 00:38:25,887
to provide shelter and
safety for tens of thousands
719
00:38:26,013 --> 00:38:26,888
of people.
720
00:38:34,688 --> 00:38:36,064
For 30 years, Paul
traveled the Roman world
721
00:38:36,189 --> 00:38:39,192
spreading the message
of Christianity.
722
00:38:39,276 --> 00:38:43,530
His journey entered its
final phase in Jerusalem.
723
00:38:43,613 --> 00:38:48,618
Around 60 AD, he was arrested
for a breach of Jewish law.
724
00:38:48,702 --> 00:38:52,664
He faced death, but exercised
his right as a Roman citizen
725
00:38:52,748 --> 00:38:55,709
to go to trial in Rome itself.
726
00:38:55,792 --> 00:38:57,669
This was a dangerous gamble.
727
00:38:57,711 --> 00:39:02,049
The Roman emperor, Nero,
saw Christians as a threat.
728
00:39:02,132 --> 00:39:04,968
By the mid 60s, the situation
of the Christians in Rome
729
00:39:05,052 --> 00:39:06,553
was quite precarious.
730
00:39:06,595 --> 00:39:09,389
The Romans recognized that they
were not a sect of Judaism,
731
00:39:09,473 --> 00:39:11,850
but were a separate religion.
732
00:39:11,892 --> 00:39:15,145
NARRATOR: And when fire engulfed
the city, destroying hundreds
733
00:39:15,228 --> 00:39:18,899
of buildings, Nero
needed someone to blame.
734
00:39:18,982 --> 00:39:21,193
MARK WILSON: After the
fire in Rome in 64,
735
00:39:21,276 --> 00:39:24,154
Nero was looking for a
convenient scapegoat,
736
00:39:24,237 --> 00:39:27,991
and he pointed to the Christians
as the cause of the fire,
737
00:39:28,075 --> 00:39:31,828
and this brought
great persecution.
738
00:39:31,912 --> 00:39:34,873
NARRATOR: Paul was well-known
as a Christian leader.
739
00:39:34,956 --> 00:39:39,419
Tradition says that
Nero singled him out.
740
00:39:39,503 --> 00:39:42,881
He had him beheaded.
741
00:39:42,964 --> 00:39:46,051
But he couldn't
kill Paul's message.
742
00:39:46,134 --> 00:39:47,928
In the lands where
he had preached,
743
00:39:48,011 --> 00:39:50,180
the Christian faith
had taken root,
744
00:39:50,263 --> 00:39:53,141
and slowly, over
centuries, Christianity
745
00:39:53,225 --> 00:39:55,560
came to rule the Roman Empire.
746
00:39:58,105 --> 00:40:04,111
In 313 AD, the Roman emperor
Constantine became a Christian.
747
00:40:04,194 --> 00:40:06,738
The pagan gods were swept
aside, their temples
748
00:40:06,780 --> 00:40:11,701
destroyed, replaced with the
first Christian churches.
749
00:40:11,785 --> 00:40:14,996
And yet, that golden
age is short-lived.
750
00:40:17,833 --> 00:40:20,627
[music playing]
751
00:40:22,003 --> 00:40:27,467
It meant the fate of the empire
and the church became linked.
752
00:40:27,551 --> 00:40:30,846
Christianity grew while
Rome remained strong,
753
00:40:30,929 --> 00:40:33,431
and when Rome
declined, her enemies
754
00:40:33,515 --> 00:40:35,142
became the church's enemies.
755
00:40:38,937 --> 00:40:41,106
This shift in
fortunes was felt even
756
00:40:41,148 --> 00:40:45,694
by the remote cave-dwelling
Christians of Cappadocia.
757
00:40:45,777 --> 00:40:48,989
By the fifth century
AD, as Rome fell,
758
00:40:49,030 --> 00:40:52,492
they found themselves at
the mercy of Arab warlords.
759
00:40:52,576 --> 00:40:54,953
They had no means to fight back.
760
00:40:54,995 --> 00:40:58,999
They took an incredible
course of action.
761
00:40:59,082 --> 00:41:02,836
In their tens of thousands,
Cappadocia's Christians
762
00:41:02,919 --> 00:41:05,463
went underground.
763
00:41:05,547 --> 00:41:09,342
It wasn't until the 1960s
that this extraordinary story
764
00:41:09,384 --> 00:41:11,344
was revealed.
765
00:41:11,428 --> 00:41:15,098
The chance find of a secret
passageway led to a series
766
00:41:15,182 --> 00:41:17,309
of bizarre discoveries.
767
00:41:17,392 --> 00:41:19,811
Beneath this
landscape are hundreds
768
00:41:19,895 --> 00:41:22,606
of miles of manmade tunnels.
769
00:41:22,689 --> 00:41:25,692
Their entrances are
incredibly well-hidden.
770
00:41:25,775 --> 00:41:29,029
But opening these cunningly
concealed doorways gives us
771
00:41:29,112 --> 00:41:32,657
a new insight into the story
of the first Christian's.
772
00:41:32,699 --> 00:41:35,410
Investigations have revealed
that the tunnels formed
773
00:41:35,493 --> 00:41:39,206
self-contained settlements
with all the features
774
00:41:39,289 --> 00:41:41,333
of a sophisticated society.
775
00:41:41,374 --> 00:41:45,712
People survived down here thanks
to ingenious ventilation shafts
776
00:41:45,795 --> 00:41:48,089
carved into the rock.
777
00:41:48,173 --> 00:41:50,592
VERONICA KALAS:
It's quite amazing.
778
00:41:50,675 --> 00:41:54,054
If you stand here,
you feel a breeze.
779
00:41:54,137 --> 00:41:59,601
And we are several meters
underneath ground level.
780
00:41:59,684 --> 00:42:01,394
In fact, they reached
the water table.
781
00:42:01,478 --> 00:42:05,440
So these function both as
ventilation shaft and as wells
782
00:42:05,523 --> 00:42:08,443
to pump water from down below.
783
00:42:08,526 --> 00:42:12,072
We have a large square,
what looks like a room,
784
00:42:12,155 --> 00:42:15,951
but, in fact, it's
a den for grapes,
785
00:42:16,034 --> 00:42:18,578
and the grapes would be pressed.
786
00:42:18,662 --> 00:42:21,873
And so wine, the
liquid from pressing,
787
00:42:21,915 --> 00:42:26,962
would come through here and then
be deposited in this rock cut
788
00:42:27,045 --> 00:42:28,630
space here.
789
00:42:28,713 --> 00:42:30,966
NARRATOR: Life underground
cannot have been easy.
790
00:42:31,049 --> 00:42:34,594
It's hard to imagine how these
people survived without seeing
791
00:42:34,678 --> 00:42:36,263
the sun.
792
00:42:36,304 --> 00:42:38,640
They didn't have a sense
of day and night down there,
793
00:42:38,723 --> 00:42:41,309
and I think that must have
created some very strange
794
00:42:41,393 --> 00:42:44,020
psychology in people.
795
00:42:44,104 --> 00:42:46,690
NARRATOR: They were
clearly desperate.
796
00:42:46,773 --> 00:42:49,234
They secured the entrances
to these complexes
797
00:42:49,317 --> 00:42:51,152
with heavy wheel-like doors.
798
00:42:51,236 --> 00:42:54,072
Some remain sealed to this day.
799
00:42:56,616 --> 00:43:01,788
And 2 stories down, there's hard
proof of what drove them here.
800
00:43:04,541 --> 00:43:07,419
VERONICA KALAS: This is
what looks like an altar.
801
00:43:07,460 --> 00:43:09,587
We don't really know why
this is here in the middle.
802
00:43:09,629 --> 00:43:12,257
The altar usually
is in the apse.
803
00:43:12,340 --> 00:43:16,428
To apses side by side, that's
how we know that it's a church.
804
00:43:16,469 --> 00:43:18,054
NARRATOR: They'd been
forced underground
805
00:43:18,138 --> 00:43:19,431
because of their faith.
806
00:43:19,514 --> 00:43:24,602
It was natural that they
would build altars to worship.
807
00:43:24,686 --> 00:43:28,440
40 settlements like this
have been discovered.
808
00:43:28,481 --> 00:43:33,611
The largest is 8 stories deep,
sinking 90 yards underground,
809
00:43:33,653 --> 00:43:36,114
with 20 miles of tunnels.
810
00:43:36,156 --> 00:43:40,285
It's believed that up to 20,000
people could hide in this one
811
00:43:40,327 --> 00:43:41,828
complex alone.
812
00:43:41,870 --> 00:43:45,665
And it's believed that there are
many more such networks still
813
00:43:45,749 --> 00:43:47,125
to be found.
814
00:43:47,208 --> 00:43:50,628
It would be another five
centuries before peace return
815
00:43:50,670 --> 00:43:52,255
to this region.
816
00:43:52,339 --> 00:43:55,800
For 300 years, Christians
used these tunnels
817
00:43:55,842 --> 00:44:00,263
and endured enormous hardship
to preserve their faith.
818
00:44:00,347 --> 00:44:05,268
That faith was
Saint Paul's legacy.
819
00:44:05,352 --> 00:44:06,811
Paul's role in
early Christianity
820
00:44:06,895 --> 00:44:09,647
has been said by some
to be really the founder
821
00:44:09,689 --> 00:44:10,732
of Christianity.
822
00:44:10,815 --> 00:44:12,150
But really, the
message he proclaimed
823
00:44:12,233 --> 00:44:14,861
was that of Jesus himself.
824
00:44:14,944 --> 00:44:16,529
He wrote half of
the New Testament.
825
00:44:16,613 --> 00:44:18,698
13 books are attributed to Paul.
826
00:44:18,782 --> 00:44:22,660
He established churches all
the way from Antioch to Rome,
827
00:44:22,744 --> 00:44:26,331
and these became the foundation
for later Christianity.
828
00:44:26,414 --> 00:44:28,833
NARRATOR: Saint Paul
spent a lifetime traveling
829
00:44:28,875 --> 00:44:30,960
through the cities
of the ancient world.
830
00:44:31,044 --> 00:44:34,172
He challenged the might
of the Roman Empire.
831
00:44:34,255 --> 00:44:36,758
When he began,
Christianity was a faith
832
00:44:36,841 --> 00:44:41,179
in danger of extinction, but
through the efforts of this one
833
00:44:41,262 --> 00:44:45,433
man, it not only survived,
but flourished to become one
834
00:44:45,517 --> 00:44:47,685
of the world's major religions.
835
00:44:50,230 --> 00:44:54,025
[music playing]
68305
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