Place Old and New Testament
Greece
Also known as Greece =ESV, NIV, KJV; Grecia =KJV; Javan =ESV, KJV;, Hellenist =ESV, NIV; Grecian =KJV; Greeks =NIV
Greece (Javan), a nation and culture mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. Mentioned in 10 verses across 5 books, first at Isaiah 66:19.
Why it matters. A nation and culture, often in opposition to Israel
- Primary passages
- Location
- 37.953, 27.368 (disputed, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified. OpenBible.info places it about 319 km away (37.983, 23.733); the identification may be uncertain.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Greece
Greece, also known as Javan in the Old Testament, is mentioned several times in the Bible. In the book of Daniel, Greece is symbolized by a male goat in a vision (Dan.8.21) and is described as a kingdom that will rise after Persia (Dan.10.20; 11:2). The prophet Zechariah speaks of Judah being like a bow and Ephraim like an arrow against Greece (Zechariah 9:13). Greece is also listed among the nations to which God will send survivors to proclaim His glory (Isaiah 66:19). In Ezekiel's prophecy, Javan is mentioned as a trading partner of Tyre, providing slaves and bronze vessels (Ezk.27.13,19).
In the New Testament, Greece is mentioned as a region visited by Paul during his missionary journeys (Act.20.2). The term "Hellenist" is used to describe Greek-speaking Jews who had adopted Greek culture (Act.6.1; 9:29; 11:20). These references highlight the significant influence of Greek culture and language in the ancient world, as well as the tension between Greek and Jewish cultures during the time of the early church.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 10 verses across 5 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.