5. Gaza is thought to be the site of the first non-Jewish convert to Christianity.
In the Book of Acts, at first the Gospel was spread only to Jews. The apostles preached in temples and, imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit, converted thousands to The Way, which is what Christianity was initially called. But later, after the stoning of Stephen as the first Christian martyr, the believers scattered. Even before Peter’s vision of the Gentiles and Jews and before Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, the apostle Philip was working and preaching in Samaria.
That’s when the Bible tells us and angel visited Philip and told him, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” (Acts 8:26).
Philip obeyed and soon encountered an Ethiopian eunuch who was hungry to hear the Gospel. Philip complied, teaching and converting the man to Christianity. Then, as they came to some water between Jerusalem and Gaza, the Ethiopians asked to be baptized. As we’re told,
“Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him” (Acts 8:38).
Here, on this road to Gaza, was perhaps the first Gentile (or at least non-Jewish) convert to Christianity, a significant moment in the early church and a significant moment for all of God’s kingdom. While scholars debate whether the first Gentile convert was this Ethiopian or Cornelius, the Roman centurion converted in Acts 10 by Peter, still—it was a big moment in the faith.
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To top it all off, immediately after the eunuch’s conversion, the Bible tells us, “the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing” (v. 39). We don’t know whether this is a figurative or a literal taking away. The original Greek word used here is harpazō, which translates to catch, steal, carry off, or snatch away. Still, it is a noteworthy and quite dramatic moment, all taking place there near Gaza. And Gaza, being a port city on the Mediterranean, would have been an ideal place for Christianity to reach.
Clearly, Gaza has much biblical significance. It’s long history, its proximity to Jerusalem, its historic, and even its prophesies mark it as a place of great meaning both for Jews and for Christians. As battles continue over this stretch of land, may we all remain in prayer for the people who live there and the innocent lives affected daily.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Julie Ayers
