Erastus Inscription
During the reign of Emperor Claudius, around the middle of the 1st century AD and perhaps just before 50 AD, an official named Erastus paid for an area near the theater to be paved with stone at Corinth, capital of the Roman province of Achaia. The government did not always have the funds to pay for new construction, so wealthy citizens often financed or contributed to projects. To honor the patron who funded the pavement, a section of stone might be inscribed with a name, title, act, and occasionally additional information or reference to an Emperor or deity. In 1929, excavations at Corinth discovered a Latin inscription carved deep into the pavement with 7-inch-tall letters which were originally filled with bronze. Erastus pro aedilitate sua pecunia stravit. It translates as “Erastus in return for his aedileship laid [the pavement] at his own expense.” The office of aedile was a high-ranking public office in a city which functioned as the commissioner of public works. This commemorative inscription on the pavement mentions Erastus, his city office of aedile, and that he paid for the section of pavement himself. One other inscription from 2nd century AD Corinth was discovered which also mentions an Erastus, but it was a very uncommon name. After the Apostle Paul moved to Corinth in about 50 AD, he met a man named Erastus who soon became a Christian and a friend, and this Erastus was noted as the city manager of Corinth using a Greek description equivalent to the Latin aedile (Romans 16:23; Acts 19:21-22; 2 Timothy 4:20). The convergence of chronology, the uncommon name, the location, and his position as a high-ranking city official of Corinth indicates that this inscription names the Erastus recorded in Acts and two letters of Paul. Therefore, this inscription confirms the existence, position, and home of Erastus of Corinth, a Christian and friend of Paul. However, the inscription also indicates that early Christianity was not a movement which was only followed by the poor or those of low social status. Rather, evidence from the New Testament and 1st century inscriptions demonstrates that there were people from many regions, linguistic groups, religious backgrounds, financial means, and political status who became Christians.
Erastus Inscription
Dr. Titus Kennedy is a field archaeologist working primarily with sites and materials related to the Bible. He works with ColdWater Media and Drive Thru History® to maintain historical accuracy throughout their scripts and locations. Many of the archaeology blog posts are based on his publications, including Unearthing the Bible, Excavating the Evidence for Jesus, and The Essential Archaeological Guide to Bible Lands.