▁the ▁Act s ▁of ▁the ▁Apost les ▁noted ▁the ▁difference ▁between ▁the ▁Th ess al oni ans ' ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁g ospel ▁and ▁the ▁Bere ans ' ▁response : ▁the ▁Bere ans ▁were ▁' open - mind ed ' ▁ ▁or ▁' f air - mind ed ' ▁ ▁and ▁willing ▁to ▁' ex am ine ▁the ▁script ures ▁to ▁see ▁if ▁Paul ▁and ▁Sil as ▁were ▁teaching ▁the ▁truth '. ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁Bere ans ▁believed , ▁both ▁men ▁and ▁women , ▁but ▁when ▁the ▁Jewish ▁Th ess al onian ▁non - bel ie vers ▁heard ▁about ▁this , ▁they ▁came ▁to ▁Bere a , ▁stir ring ▁up ▁crow ds , ▁starting ▁ri ots , ▁and ▁ens uring ▁that ▁Paul , ▁Sil as ▁and ▁Tim othy ▁could ▁not ▁pre ach . ▁Then ▁the ▁bel ie vers ▁sent ▁Paul ▁to ▁the ▁coast , ▁while ▁Tim othy ▁and ▁Sil as ▁stayed ▁behind . ▁Paul ▁was ▁taken ▁to ▁Ath ens , ▁and ▁word ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁Tim othy ▁and ▁Sil as ▁to ▁join ▁him ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁possible . ▁() ▁ ▁Location ▁Bere a ▁was ▁located ▁in ▁south western ▁Mac ed onia , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁province ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁emp ire ▁in ▁its ▁time . ▁No ▁one ▁has ▁verified ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁city , ▁although ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁from ▁the ▁Mac ed oni ans ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁P yd na ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 ▁B . C