Antioch of Syria is located along the Orontes River in modern-day Turkey. At one time, this Hellenistic city was one of the largest in the Roman world. During the time of the New Testament, Antioch was a center of commerce and an important political power in the Roman Empire. Though Antioch is hundreds of miles from Jerusalem, a significant Jewish population had already developed there by the second century B.C.E., becoming a powerful population in the city. In the second half of the first century B.C.E., Herod the Great paved the main streets of Antioch with marble. The city also became a center for early Christianity, playing a prominent role in the ministry of the apostle Paul in the New Testament. According to the book of Acts, it was at Antioch that followers of Jesus were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26).
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Antioch Map
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