The agora

The Politarch Inscription from Thessalonica serves as a "greatest archaeological defense" for the Book of Acts, specifically validating Luke's description of city officials. The inscription, nearly six feet long and found etched into the Vardar Arch in Thessalonica, lists city officials using the Greek term Polyaru a tone, meaning "those serving as polyarks". This term appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in Acts chapter 17, where Luke recounts a mob dragging Jason before the *polyarks*. For years, critics used the apparent lack of evidence for this specific title to question Luke's historical accuracy, but the discovery of this inscription—and subsequently **over 60 known inscriptions** using the term, with approximately half found in Thessalonica itself—proved that Luke "got it precisely right". This finding affirms the historicity and reliability of the Bible, demonstrating that Luke's writings were "rooted in first century reality" with the goal of strengthening faith through historical truth.Read more