Antioch

36°12′N, 36°10′E · On the Orontes River, Syria

Historical Overview

Antioch was the third-largest city of the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria. It was founded by Seleucus I Nicator around 300 BC and became the capital of the Seleucid Empire. Under Rome it was the seat of the governor of Syria and one of the great cities of the eastern Mediterranean.

Its population in the first century has been estimated between 250,000 and 500,000. It was a cosmopolitan city — Greek in culture, Roman in administration, and home to a large Jewish community that had been established there since the Seleucid period.

What the Archaeology Shows

Antioch was excavated by a Princeton University expedition between 1932 and 1939. The work uncovered the great colonnaded street, the baths, the theater, and portions of the city wall. Later excavations in the 1970s and 1980s, and again in the 2000s, have added to the picture.

The site is now within the modern city of Antakya in southern Turkey. Much of ancient Antioch lies beneath the modern city, and the area has been severely affected by earthquakes over the centuries, most recently in 2023.

What Happened Here

Antioch is where the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). It was the first major city where the gospel was preached to Gentiles on a large scale, and it was from Antioch that Paul and Barnabas were sent out on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:1–3).

Peter was in Antioch at some point, and Paul confronted him there over table fellowship with Gentiles (Galatians 2:11–14). The church of Antioch became one of the most important in the ancient world. Its first bishop was, according to tradition, Peter himself. Its second or third bishop was Ignatius, who was arrested around 108 AD and sent to Rome to be executed.

Antioch was also where the followers of Jesus first used the term “Catholic” — “universal” — to describe the church, as distinguished from heretical sects. It remained one of the five great sees of the ancient church, alongside Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, and Jerusalem.