Lexical Summary Abiléné: Abilene Original Word: Ἀβιληνή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Abilene. Of foreign origin (compare 'abel); Abilene, a region of Syria -- Abilene. see HEBREW 'abel NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition Abilene, territory northwest of Damascus NASB Translation Abilene (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 9: ἈβιληνήἈβιληνή (WH Ἀβειλ. (see under the word εἰ)), (ῆς, ἡ (namely, χώρα, the district belonging to the city Abila). Abilene, the name of a region lying between Lebanon and Hermon toward Phoenicia, 18 miles distant from Damascus and 37 (according to the Itin. Anton. 38) from Heliopolis: Luke 3:1. Cf. Λυσανίας (and B. D. Topical Lexicon Entry: Abilene (Ἀβιληνῆς) Geographic Setting Abilene was a small tetrarchy in the northern reaches of the Anti-Lebanon range, its chief city being Abila on the Barada (ancient Abana) River, roughly midway between Damascus and Baalbek. Surrounded by rugged mountains and watered by perennial springs, the district formed a natural corridor between the Beqaa Valley and the fertile plains around Damascus. Its well-irrigated vineyards and orchards made it a valued prize on the border between Syria and the Galilee-Trachonitis regions. Historical Overview Originally part of the Seleucid sphere, Abilene came under Iturean influence after the second century B.C. Pompey’s eastern campaigns (63 B.C.) brought the area into the Roman orbit, and Rome parceled the territory among local client rulers to maintain frontier stability. By the early first century A.D. a certain Lysanias, recognized by Rome, governed Abilene with the title “tetrarch.” Although not as prominent as the Herodian house, the Lysanias line provided Rome with a buffer administration between the more turbulent Galilee and the strategic city of Damascus. Abilene in the New Testament Abilene is mentioned once, in Luke’s chronological marker for the public appearance of John the Baptist: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar — when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene — the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” (Luke 3:1 – 2) Luke thus situates the Baptist’s ministry against no fewer than six contemporary rulers: the Emperor, the governor of Judea, three Herodian tetrarchs, and Lysanias of Abilene. This geographic precision underlines the historicity of the Gospel narrative and highlights the preparatory role of John amid a complex political landscape. Chronological Synchronization The “fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar” corresponds to A.D. 27–29. Placing Lysanias in Abilene at that time has occasionally been challenged because Josephus mentions a Lysanias executed in 36 B.C. However, inscriptions from Abila record “Lysanias the tetrarch” dated to approximately A.D. 14–29, confirming Luke’s accuracy and indicating a later Lysanias—likely a descendant or namesake—who ruled concurrently with the Herodian tetrarchs. The Ruler Lysanias Unlike the Herods, Lysanias does not reappear within the New Testament. Yet his inclusion alongside the Herodian princes underscores Rome’s mosaic of petty sovereignties in the Levant. Each tetrarch held limited autonomy under imperial oversight, collecting taxes and maintaining order. Lysanias’s jurisdiction over a relatively small territory such as Abilene illustrates Rome’s practice of delegating frontier administration to local dynasts, thereby stabilizing contested regions without deploying large legions. Relevance for Gospel Studies 1. Verifiable Historical Framework: Luke’s reference to Abilene supplies an external checkpoint enabling historians to anchor the commencement of John’s ministry, and by extension Jesus’ baptism, within a narrow range of years. Ministry and Application Preachers may draw on Abilene’s fleeting mention to assure congregations that Scripture is grounded in verifiable history. God’s redemptive acts do not occur in mythic time but in datable settings, encouraging confidence in the reliability of the Gospel accounts. Additionally, the smallness of Abilene relative to Rome’s grand stage affirms that no region or individual is too marginal for divine notice. Extra-Biblical Corroboration • A bilingual inscription from Abila, discovered in 1738 and held in the Louvre, honors “Nymphaeus, freedman of Lysanias the tetrarch,” corroborating a first-century Lysanias. Summary Abilene’s single appearance in Luke 3:1, though easily overlooked, serves a vital role in anchoring the beginnings of the Gospel era within the realpolitik of the Roman Near East. Its inclusion testifies both to Scripture’s historical precision and to the breadth of God’s redemptive concern, reaching from imperial palaces to remote mountain valleys. Forms and Transliterations Αβειληνης Ἀβειληνῆς Ἀβιληνῆς Abilenes Abilenês Abilēnēs Abilēnē̂sLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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