SPAIN

The country situated on the Iberian Peninsula in SW Europe, the southern part of which was evidently called Tarshish in ancient times. After visiting the Roman Christians, the apostle Paul hoped to be escorted part way there by his fellow believers in Rome. (Rom. 15:23, 24, 28) Whether the apostle ever reached Spain is not certain. However, Clement of Rome stated (c. 95 C.E.) that Paul “came to the extreme limit of the W[est],” which could have included Spain. If he reached that land, the visit probably occurred between Paul’s release from his first imprisonment in Rome (c. 61 C.E.) and his imprisonment there once again in c. 64 C.E. At that time Spain was under Roman rule.—See TARSHISH No. 1.