Bible Geography · Syria (modern Turkey/Syria border) · c. 300 BC – AD 638
Antioch in Syria
Description
Antioch on the Orontes was the third-largest city in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria. Founded by Seleucus I around 300 BC, it became a cosmopolitan metropolis and a major center of Hellenistic culture and later early Christianity.
Significance
Antioch is where believers were first called Christians, marking the emergence of a distinct identity for followers of Jesus. It was the home church that commissioned and sent Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey, making it the birthplace of cross-cultural Christian mission.
Key Events
Believers first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26); Barnabas brings Saul to Antioch to teach (Acts 11:25–26); the Holy Spirit commissions Paul and Barnabas for the first missionary journey (Acts 13:1–3); Peter's confrontation with Paul at Antioch (Galatians 2).
Modern Context
Ancient Antioch corresponds to modern Antakya in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border. Though much of the ancient city lies beneath the modern one, ongoing excavations have uncovered magnificent Roman-era mosaics. The city suffered devastating damage in the 2023 earthquake.