The Erastus inscription is a first-century Latin pavement engraving discovered in Corinth in Greece in 1929 during excavations by the American School of Classical Studies.
It was found in a paved square near the theater, with the Latin words carved directly into the stone pavement. The style of lettering and archaeological context date it to the mid-1st century AD, aligning with the time when Paul wrote his letters from Corinth.
It reads: “Erastus, in return for his aedileship, laid (this pavement) at his own expense.”
This matches Paul’s mention of “Erastus, the treasurer of the city” in Romans 16:23 (NKJV). In Roman municipal life, an aedile was a civic official responsible for public works and finances — a role consistent with Paul’s description.
The stone strengthens the historical reliability of the New Testament by tying a named individual in Scripture to a real, archaeologically verified public official in the same city and period.
It’s a tangible reminder that the people Paul worked with were part of the real social and political life of their cities, and that the message of the Bible is grounded in real history – not fiction.
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