Having visited the Sultanhan Caravansarai on the morning of Nov 4, we stopped at the ancient ruins of the Roman city of Pisidian Antioch, where Paul preached his first recorded sermon at the Synagogue (Acts 14:14-52). Paul and Barnabas visited Antioch of Pisidia in the course of Paul's first missionary journey, and Paul's sermon in the Jewish synagogue there caused a great stir among the citizens, but the ensuing conflict with the Jews led to the expulsion of the two Christian missionaries from the city. They returned later and appointed elders for the Christian community there. Paul also visited the region in both his second and third journeys. Paul's "persecutions and sufferings" at Antioch are spoken of in 2 Timothy 3:11.
It was a city in the Turkish Lakes Region, which was at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Central Anatolian regions, and formerly on the border of Pisidia and Phrygia, hence also known as Antiochia in Phrygia. The Acropolis has an area of 460,000 m2 (115 acres) and is surrounded by fortified defense walls. The Territorium of the settlement can be seen from the Temple of Men in the sanctuary of Men Askaenos on a hill to the southeast. The Territorium of the city is estimated to have been approximately 1,400 km2 in ancient times. According to the 1950 census, there were 40 villages with 50,000 people living in the area. The population during the Roman period must have been a little more than this.
The constantly irrigated fertile soil of the land is very suitable for growing fruits and for husbandry. For the veterans (retired Roman legionaries) who came from poorer parts of Italy during the Roman period, agriculture must have been the driving force for the integration of the colonies into the area. The modern town of Yalvaç is the second biggest in Isparta province with an area of 14,000 km2 The population in the center is 35,000, and the total is c. 100,000. The town is 230 km from Antalya, 180 km from Konya, 105 km from Isparta, and 50 km from Akşehir, via the main road.
사도 바울의 기록된 첫 설교말씀의 현장이었던 피시디안 안디옥의 폐허를 방문했습니다. 과거 바울이 설교했던 유대회당과 인접하여 지어진 고대교회의 폐허에서 잠깐 예배를 드렸습니다.
이게 로마식 도시 어디를 가나 있는 Main Street 입니다. 이렇게 대로가 쭉 뻗어있고 대로의 좌우에는 각종 가게가 늘어서 있었어요. 도로는 모두 화강암으로 깔려 있었고 그 위에는 군용 마차가 지나 다닌 파퀴 자국이 보입니다.
이 곳이 바울사도의 방문을 기념하여 설립된 교회자리입니다. 이 교회의 구석에 철창으로 막힌 데가 보이길래 물어 보니 바로 거기가 유대회당이 있었던 곳이라고 하네요. 아직 발굴을 하지 못했다고 해요. 아마 바울 사도가 설교했던 유대회당일거에요.
과거 원형극장이 있던 곳인데 이젠 그 흔적만 남아 있네요. 학자들의 의견에 의하면 약 만2천 명을 수용할 수 있었을 거라고 하니 꽤 큰 원형극장이었네요. 그렇다는 말은 당시 이 도시의 인구가 12만명 이상이었다는 것이지요.
