Echoes of the Ancient New Testament Cities: Rome

Matthew James Elliott

Ancient Rome

The ancient city of Rome was located on the Italian peninsula, east of the Tiber River, and was built upon seven hills known as the Septem colles. This Wikipedia page provides insight into the significance of those seven hills. As one of the biggest cities in the world during the early church, it had one of the biggest roles in my newest release, The Hope of Inheritance. In fact, most of the book's second half took place in Rome and its surrounding areas. Researching the city took several months to nail down, and there are a lot of events that took place during the time of the early church. Speaking from a historical standpoint, Rome held power over most of the known world, and it held that power with more strength and fear than any other city I have researched so far for this series. 

One of the elements that I bring to life in my newest release is the subject of how the great city impacted those who were followers of The Way. While it would be awesome to make a Star Wars reference about The Mandalorian here, the term 'followers of The Way' was initially associated with Christians. Rome was pivotal to the spread of Christianity and was visited by several of the early church leaders. The community of believers there was booming with zeal and dedication amid some of the most difficult situations in history that I have ever researched in my quest to connect the scripture and history through my stories of Biblical Fiction. 

Great Fire in Rome

In the beginning, those who were followers of The Way were branded with suspicion, fear, hatred, and even blamed for the great fire that took place in 64 AD. Once the branding took place, these believers faced even more difficult trials. Many of them were arrested on false charges, endured persecution, and even death for what they stood for. When Christians refused to worship the Roman emperor and the gods of Rome, it was seen as a challenge to the imperial authority and a threat to the social order of things that the city stood for. I am not sure how to write this without having to place a warning banner on this post, but the things these people endured for their faith were terrifying. 

When the idea for The Hope of Inheritance came bursting through my imagination, I was quite literally shocked. Writing a book about the persecution believers faced in Rome after the great fire of 64 AD was not something I wanted to do.  I wrote the prologue before my book, The Cyprus Journal, was even an idea, and it was terrifying. I was so taken by what I had written that I just could not get past the letter Luke wrote to Apollos in the prologue.

If you look at the research, Nero was one of the worst emperors of the Roman Empire in history. He violently encouraged his army to chase down the early Christians, and was determined to end the movement. When I had to imagine what the streets of Rome would look like in the aftermath of The Great Fire, I also had to imagine what kind of scenes would grab the attention of readers. When I imagined the suffering people endured, it brought me to tears. It was a dark and painfully accurate scene that I struggled to grasp.

Paul's Prison in Rome

Rome had more of a role in the history of the early church as well. Paul was sent there after the events that took place in Caesarea and preached the message of the way while chained to Roman Soldiers. He brought many into the fold of the ongoing ministry taking place there. Biblical influencers such as Priscilla and Aquilla were originally from the city, but were deported from the city during the early days of the church there under Emperor Claudius around 49 AD. This is mentioned in Acts 18. Five or six years later, Paul sent the letter of Romans there in anticipation of his visit.  While he was released around 61 AD, only a few years after he first arrived, the message he, and others, spoke was spreading faster than the fire that came that I mentioned earlier. 

The early church continued to grow despite these things. In the shadow of the empire, those who followed The Way embraced a faith that flourished through adversity. In 66 AD and 67 AD, after Paul and Peter were martyred for that faith, many of the believers departed the city and returned to Caesarea, which you can read more about here, but some faithfully stayed behind working and ministering in those shadows. When Vespasian, the Roman General, brought on the Flavian Dynasty in 69 AD, the city began to stabilize for a season. After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, the next city on this tour, Rome, began to rebuild what was lost. 

Rome’s story in the New Testament is filled with political events and persecution. While some sought to crush the followers of The Way, Christianity became a crucial part of the way of life within the city walls. The unwavering faith of believers ensured the gospel story was spread to the very ends of the earth. There are connections from Rome to several other cities in the known world of that time, but Rome was at the center of it all in one way or another.

~ Biography ~

Matthew James Elliott (M.J. Elliott) is a passionate writer who loves to encourage and inspire others. He served in various ministry roles for over 15 years, which gave him a unique perspective on people and Biblical History. Matthew holds a degree in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, with a focus on Pastoral Care, Christian Education, and Worship.

Matthew and his wife, Traci, have three children named Leyla, Caleb, and Hannah, who bring them immense joy and inspiration. As a writer, his goal is to share love, equip others, and edify them for the greater good. He loves connecting any amount of scripture to his stories and uses his knowledge of Biblical History to do so often.

You can find Matthew's works on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, BookBub, and His Website. He has written Devotionals, An Episodic Series, Novellas, and even Commentaries for The Gospel Daily.

~ Highlighted Event~

I’ve partnered with faith-based writers across multiple genres to launch The PenWorks of the Word Blog Tour, a collaborative event running throughout October. 

This tour creates space for Christian writers to connect, create, and reflect on how Scripture reveals itself as living and active in our work and to encourage others through a message rooted in Hebrews 4:12 and 10:23–25. Each post invites readers into the spiritual depth behind storytelling, poetry, and personal reflection. 

The goal is to build meaningful relationships, learn from one another, and explore how the Word breathes through our creative expressions. Follow the journey and join the conversation through #PenWorksOfTheWord. I'd love to see you there and on my website.