About Antioch in Pisidia
They continued their journey from Perga and reached Pisidian Antioch. Onthe Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. (Acts 13:14)
Antioch of Pisidia (Antiochia), founded in the 3rdcentury BCE by Antiochus I, was re-founded as Caesareia by Emperor Augustus in25 BCE. A Roman colony and regional capital, it became one of the earliest Anatolian centres of Christianity.
Geography and Strategic Significance
Antioch lay on the southern foothills of the Sultan Mountains by the Yalvaç (Anthius) River, spread across seven hills. Its natural defence, fertile lands, and strategic location made it vital for both military control and commerce.
Church of St Paul
Paul lived in Antioch of Pisidia for two years as a tentmaker, using it as a base for his missions. A large Byzantine church, built over a 1st-century synagogue believed to be where Paul preached (Acts 13:13-52), stands among the earliest monumental churches in Anatolia.
Archaeological Findings
Archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of a thriving city, complete with theatre, baths, temples, stadium, nymphaeum, paved streets, and aqueduct.
- The city was sometimes called Pisidian Antioch (see Acts 13:14), meaning “Antioch near Pisidia”, as a way of distinguishing it from other cities named Antioch.
- Augustus had a copy of his famous Res Gestae, the list of his accomplishments, inscribed on his sanctuary in the city.
- In the church, a mosaic floor has been found with Psalm 42:4 inscribed on it.
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