More on Antakya (Antioch)

HISTORY: Ruins of Turkish city of Antakya tell story of a rich past. Jewish community’s leaders died in 7.8-quake this month; city ‘can be rebuilt, but it will not be like the old one,’ resident says (SARAH EL DEEB, Times of Israel).

Antakya, known as Antioch in ancient times, has been repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt over history. But residents fear it will be a long time before it recovers from this one, and that its unique historical identity may never be fully restored. The destruction is so great, and they say the government cares little for this area.

Antioch, built in 300 B.C. by a general of Alexander the Great in the Orontes River valley, was one of the biggest cities of the Greco-Roman world, rivaling Alexandria and Constantinople. Saints Peter and Paul are said to have founded one of the oldest Christian communities here, and it’s here that the word “Christian” first came into use. It later drew Muslim and Christian Crusader invaders.

Antaka has tragically been in the news due to that dreadful earthquake. I followed a story pertaining to the city here and here.

The Book of Acts reports that ancient Antioch had a Jewish community signficant enough to make it attractive as a missions ground for first-generation Jesus followers. But some of them also began preaching to gentiles, evidently with some success. Acts says that Jesus followers were first called Christians at Antioch (11:19-30).

Incidentally, this city was Antioch on the Orontes. There were other ancient cities with the same name. Acts mentions one of them, Antioch of Pisidia (or Phrygia) (Acts 13:13-52), near Yalvaç in Isparta Province in present-day Turkey.

I wish the citizens of Aktakya all success in rebuilding their city.

UPDATE (24 February): This post by Carl Rasmussen at the Holy Land Photos' Blog is also relevant: Earthquakes in Turkey and the formation of the Jordan Valley.

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