Cyrene

Originally a Greek colony on the north-eastern coast of Libya about 630 BC; it is today called Shahbat. In Roman times, it was the capital of the district of Cyrenaica and (together with Egypt) was the major bread basket of Rome. It also had a sizeable Jewish population. Simon, "a man from Cyrene" was forced by the Roman soldiers to carry the cross on which Jesus was crucified (Matt 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26). Among Jews who were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentacost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church, were men from "Egypt and the parts of Libya near (kata) Cyrene" (Acts 2:10; does this mean that no actual residents of Cyrene were present?). In the subsequent opposition to the early church, "Jews of Cyrene" were among the "Synagogue of the Freedman" who argued with Stephen, which eventually led to his martyrdom (Acts 6:10). Nonetheless, Cyrenian Christians were to play a leading role in the planting of the church in Antioch (Acts 11:20) and, one of them, "Lucius of Cyrene" became one of its key leaders (13:1).,