In the Fall of 2017, University of Michigan Professor Yaron Eliav traveled to Athens, Greece with a team of filmmakers – a director, camera crew, actors, and assistants. Their goal was to shoot a documentary of a kind never done before – a film that, from its very start, was intended for the college classroom.
The result is Paul in Athens, a short film (run time: c. 20 minutes) that will debut in the Fall of 2018. It is meant to open a small, yet illuminating, window into the magical landscape of the ancient Mediterranean, with its striking cities and vibrant mixture of peoples, ideas, and cultures. The film focuses on one moment in the life of one famous individual – Saint Paul and his visit to the city of Athens – but it weaves together many threads related to the Graeco-Roman world. Geography and travel, urban life and architecture, religion, sculpture, and art all make their appearance, even if only briefly, with the hope that teachers and students can use these details as a springboard for further research, exploration, and learning. This accompanying website offers a series of exercises and bibliographies to facilitate additional classroom activities.
The project was funded by a substantial grant, called Teaching and Learning for the Third Century (TLTC), from the University of Michigan as part of its bicentennial celebrations. Eliav and his team are committed to developing teaching tools that enhance our understanding of the ancient Mediterranean. Paul in Athens is one of the highlights of their work.
COME AND JOIN US ON THE STREETS OF ATHENS.
WANDER WITH US BACK ALLEYS AND VISIT THE TEMPLES,
GLIMPSE AT STATUES, CLIMB THE MONUMENTAL STAIRCASES, AND VISIT THE MARKETS,
AS WE TRACE THE FOOTSTEPS OF SAINT PAUL AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND HIS WORLD.