Ancient Corinth

Ancient Corinth

Coordinates: 37°54′19″N 22°52′49″E / 37.9053455°N 22.8801924°E / 37.9053455; 22.8801924

Corinth, or Korinth (Greek: Κόρινθος, Kórinthos) was a city-state (polis) on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece, roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta. The modern town of Corinth is located approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northeast of the ancient ruins. Since 1896, systematic archaeological investigations of the Corinth Excavations by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens have revealed large parts of the ancient city, and recent excavations conducted by the Greek Ministry of Culture have brought important new facets of antiquity to light.

Two of the books in the New Testament, First Corinthians and Second Corinthians are letters written to the early Christian churches in Corinth; they are among the books in the New Testament whose authorship by Paul the Apostle is generally regarded by scholars as being undisputed. First Corinthians includes one of the most famous and beloved passages in the Christian Bible, 1 Corinthians 13.