What can be learnt from the Acts of the Apostles about life and society in the cities of the Eastern Mediterranean in the 1st century A.D?

Acts of the Apostles, written after 65 A.D, provides insightful evidence into the growth of the most important religion in the western world, Christianity. It recounts events that took place during the apostle Paul's journeys. The Book of acts has been studied in depth by many historians because "it contains information about certain aspects of life in the 1st century for which there is little correlative evidence" . Developments to Christianity was another reason why historians …

…throughout the entire book of Acts is Paul's disputes with the Jewish community. In the four cities mentioned above, the Jewish community is strong and is willing to stand up for its beliefs and views. Robert Banks places the book of Acts in high stead. He states, "Utilization of Acts helps us to fill in certain gaps in our knowledge as well as strengthen conclusions and confirm speculations based on other literary and archaeological sources" .