Antioch of Syria

This photograph shows the city of Antakya in modern-day Turkey. It is the location of the ancient city of Antioch, capital of the Roman province of Syria. In the first century C.E., Antioch of Syria is said to have been the third-largest city in the Roman world, after Rome and Alexandria. Some estimate that its population was 250,000 or more. After Stephen was murdered by a mob in Jerusalem and persecution broke out against Jesus’ followers, some disciples of Jesus came to Antioch. They preached the good news with much success among Greek-speaking people. (Ac 11:19-21) Later, the apostle Paul used Antioch as a home base for his missionary tours. “It was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.” (Ac 11:26) Antioch of Syria is not to be confused with another city named Antioch, in Pisidia (central Turkey), mentioned at Ac 13:14; 14:19, 21, and 2Ti 3:11.