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At a scholarly conference in ancient Ephesus in 2008, Dr. Glen Thompson, an early-church historian then serving as professor at Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, Wis., met Dr. Mark Wilson, a New Testament scholar living in Turkey. They began discussing the inaccuracies of Bible atlases in showing the routes the apostle Paul followed on his missionary journeys.
“Even the best maps of Paul’s journeys weren’t very accurate,” says Thompson. “They would just draw a line from A to B. Even the most detailed ones did not incorporate the vestiges of the Roman roads or consider the local geography.”
A question began to form in Thompson’s head. What if, using modern mapping technology, Paul’s routes could be plotted more accurately? Thompson recalls, “I said [to Wilson], ‘Couldn’t we use GPS equipment to evaluate exactly what roads Paul could have taken?’ ”
Thompson presented his idea to WELS members Jerry and Kay Fischer, who were excited to provide financial support for what is now known as the Roman Roads Project.
So in 2010, a small group led by Thompson and Wilson and their wives set out on their first research trip. Accompanied by the Fischers and three students from Wisconsin Lutheran College, the group followed the route of Paul’s first missionary journey in Galatia as recorded in Acts 13 and 14.
Using the biblical account as their starting point—and utilizing old maps, ancient writings, and modern archaeological research—the team documented still-existing ancient Roman roads, bridges, and mile markers along Paul’s path.
In conjunction with their work on the ground, they also used satellite photography and drone footage to identify ancient roads from the air. “You see things from the air that you can’t see on the ground,” explains Thompson.
“We took precise GPS readings, uploaded them to Google Earth, and then connected the dots,” he continues. “Not only did this result in a more accurate map of the road’s path but it enabled the team to discover new road remains between those already documented.”
After the first successful trip in 2010, subsequent research trips followed in 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2023 to study Paul’s other journeys—all supported by the Fischers. Students from Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn.; Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis.; and Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong have also participated in the trips.
The experience has impacted these students not only educationally but also spiritually. “It helped bring Paul and his travels home to my heart,” remembers Orie Thomford, who participated in 2018 and is now pastor at Our Savior, Burlington, Iowa. “Paul brought God’s truth to actual people in the Mediterranean world. Those same truths apply to us today.”
As Thompson and Wilson publish scholarly articles regarding their findings, the information is changing biblical maps moving forward. “Our research has been accepted as cutting-edge research in this field,” Thompson says. “Increasingly, scholars who are working in this area consult our latest research.”
The next trip with students from Martin Luther College and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary is planned for this spring.
Thompson thanks God and the Fischers for giving him the opportunity to combine his passion for history with his faith. “It has been . . . a gift from God,” he says. “You dream about getting your papers published, with a few scholars reading them. That [our work] is actually having this impact is a wonderful blessing.”
Learn more about the 2018 Roman Roads trip in Thompson and Wilson’s book, In This Way We Came to Rome: With Paul on the Appian Way, available at amazon.com.
Author: FIC
Volume 112, Number 01
Issue: January 2025
