Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor

Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor

Last updated on: September 12, 2023 at 9:04 am by Frank Viola

0 Comments

Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor 2023-09-12T09:04:08-04:00 Frank Viola

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

One of the sources who has been a great help to me as I continue to reconstruct the story of the first-century church is Mark Wilson.

Wilson (D.Litt. et Phil., South Africa) is the founder and director of the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, Turkey and the Visiting Professor of Early Christianity at Regent University, Associate Professor Extraordinary of New Testament at Stellenbosch University, and Research Fellow in Biblical Archaeology at the University of South Africa.

He also serves as the English editor of the Turkish archaeological journals Adalya and Anmed and also blogs online for the Bible History Daily.

Recently, I caught up with Mark to discuss his book Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor.

Enjoy!

How long did it take you to the write the book from the very beginning to the time you turned the manuscript into the publisher?

I began to prepare notes for my Turkey tours and guides seminars in the early 2000s. As these expanded, I realized that there was not a comprehensive guidebook available to the Jewish and Christian sites here.

It took me about a year to finalize a draft of the book as well as to choose the photographs, all taken by me, that would illustrate the volume.

Then in 2010 we were living in Istanbul so I had the opportunity to work with my publisher on the layout of the volume. Needless to say, I was extremely pleased with the publication of Biblical Turkey and its resulting reception by scholars and students around the world.

In Acts 14:21, we are told that Paul preached the gospel in Derbe and won a large number of disciples (we know later that he planted an assembly there). My question: where do you suppose he preached in Derbe? Would he have preached in a synagogue (did Derbe have one)? Or the marketplace?

Derbe was only a minor city in Paul’s day near Laranda, the major city of the district. So Derbe would not be the natural place to evangelize.

After Paul’s stoning in Lystra he needed a safe place to recover. I think someone from Derbe heard Paul’s preaching there and invited him to Derbe to recover from his injuries.

What do we know about Titus and why doesn’t Luke ever mention him in Acts?

Titus was a Gentile most probably from Antioch (Gal 2:1, 3). Why isn’t Titus mentioned in Acts? I have puzzled this myself but still can’t come up with a satisfactory answer.

Tell us about Berea.

Berea, and its modern namesake Veria, is situated on the eastern slope of Mount Bermion (modern Vermio). Mount Olympus is much farther south.

The Roman city of Dion is located at Olympus’ eastern foot. Incidentally there is a wonderful new archaeological museum in Veria with many artifacts from ancient Berea.

Did Paul arrive in Berea during the summer? (I’m referring to his second apostolic journey).

Late summer is likely for Paul’s visit since it was still sailing season. When he was forced to leave the city, local believers took him to the coastal town of Pydna where passage was secured on a ship that brought him to a port of Athens.

Would it be accurate to describe Berea as “a resort-like town of cool hills.” Some scholars say Berea was hilly, others say it was hilly AROUND the city, but flat inside of it. Which is correct?

A visit to Berea makes this clear. One enters the town by climbing 200 feet to the terraced hillside upon which the city is built at around 500 feet asl. Sections of the level ancient cardo maximus are still visible along the modern main street.

Did the Greeks go to Berea in the summertime to cool off?

Undoubtedly so; any change in elevation from the hot and humid coast would be welcome. It’s the same situation in Antalya where I live; the locals leave for a higher elevation in the summer.

I’ve read that Berea is overlooking a river. If that’s true, which river is it?

The Haliakmon River courses just southeast of the city before flowing into the Aegean Sea.

What would you speculate the population of Berea to be? Your educated guess?

Ancient populations are hard to calculate; however, my guess is 20,000 to 25,000 people.

Would Paul have walked or taken a horse from Thessalonica to Berea?

Paul, Silas, and Timothy would have walked.

Based on all the available information we have, what is your best guestimate of the population of Iconium when Paul visited there the first time in the late 40s A.D.?”

Again, ancient demographics are difficult to calculate; maybe 20,000 to 25,000 people like Berea

I have a copy of William Ramsey’s classic work, St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen, the version you edited and that contains your added notes. You did a fantastic job with this. My final questions are about this work. Name two or three things you found in this book that shed light on the New Testament for you, particularly the story we find in Acts and Paul’s letters.

Ramsay was, of course, a pioneer in finding and documenting archaeological evidence that supports or corroborates the New Testament record. His view that the churches addressed in Galatians were the same as visited on the first journey was significant for my understanding of a South Galatian audience. His reconstruction of the sea voyage from Troas to Caesarea helped me better understand the time involved with sailing in antiquity.

Name one to three conclusions that Ramsey makes that you disagree with (if you two or three exist).

I don’t think Paul’s ship sailed up to Perga on the Cestrus River but rather landed at Perga’s port of Magydus. Also, Paul’s thorn in the flesh should not be connected to malaria but rather is related to his stoning in Lystra and its aftereffects.

Would you like to add anything else about either book?

Ramsay’s volume on the seven churches remains a classic. But his observations and conclusions must be tempered with all the new data drawn from the excavations of these cities over the past century. But his work is still a good starting point.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 10, 2023

The Grit and Grace Podcast

Next Post

September 20, 2023 Homo Novus: A Brief His-story of Tomorrow

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"I get, the more I see that every attempt to debunk it leaves the Shroud ..."

giwol42523

Interview with Leonard Sweet – More ..."

"You're referring to the way things happen in the Industrial Religious Complex. I'm speaking about ..."

Frank Viola

Passing the Torch

"Another insight is that young people want to start their own ministry and are not ..."

Derek Thompson

Passing the Torch

"You’re challenging the usual narratives and pointing us toward deeper, more nuanced perspectives. This is ..."

eva753kimson

The Origins of Human Government and ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What's the main theme of the Book of Job?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Why good people suffer Building a wall Exile and return Genealogies