What historical evidence supports the journey described in Acts 14:24? Text of the Passage “And after passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.” (Acts 14:24) Geographic and Political Setting Pisidia and Pamphylia were adjoining districts in south-central Asia Minor (modern Turkey). In the mid-first century AD both lay inside the Roman province of Galatia, reorganized under Claudius in AD 41-53. Pisidia’s mountain spine (the Taurus range) stood just north of the Pamphylian coastal plain. A well-engineered Roman highway—the Via Sebaste—linked the interior city of Antioch in Pisidia to the Pamphylian ports of Perga and Attalia. Luke’s terse note in Acts 14:24 fits this geography: a descending journey, roughly three days on foot, from the high Anatolian plateau to the Mediterranean. Contemporary Historical Sources 1. Strabo, Geography 12.6.1-4, describes Pisidia’s elevated terrain and its descent toward Pamphylia’s fertile coastal strip. 2. Pliny the Elder, Natural History 5.27, identifies Perga, Side, and Attalia as Pamphylia’s principal ports, echoing the itinerary of Acts 14:25-26. 3. The Itinerarium Antonini (Roman road register, mid-second century AD) lists the same route: Antiochia—Perga—Attalia—Patara, giving distances that match an average day’s travel. While later than Paul, it preserves the first-century network. Archaeological Corroboration • Antioch in Pisidia: Excavations (1924-present) have uncovered a first-century Augustus Temple, cardo maximus, and an inscription (“Res Gestae Divi Augusti”) carved in Latin and Greek. This confirms the city’s colonia status and its attraction for travelers and preachers. • Via Sebaste milestones: Over forty inscribed milestones between Antioch and Perga bear dates from AD 6-50, establishing an all-weather military road in operation precisely when Paul traveled. • Perga: The Hellenistic gate, stadium, and baths exhibit first-century refurbishments. An inscription (CIL III 6814) honors a pro-consul of Galatia active c. AD 50, demonstrating Roman administrative presence during Acts 14. • Attalia (modern Antalya): Underwater archaeology in the old harbor has produced first-century amphorae from the Levant, indicating active maritime traffic for Paul’s later voyage to Syrian Antioch (Acts 14:26). Numismatic Evidence Coins minted at Antioch in Pisidia during Claudius show a double-axis anchor—symbol of the city’s status on a major inland-to-coast artery. Pamphylian Perga coinage of the same reign depicts Artemis of Perga flanked by river god Kestros, visual confirmation of Luke’s “down to Perga” language (Acts 13:13; 14:25). Road Networks and Travel Logistics The Via Sebaste descended 3,200 ft (975 m) over roughly 150 km. Milestone inscriptions document regular mutationes (horse stations) at Selge, Adada, and Aspendos. A party on foot covering 20-25 km per day would indeed “pass through” in the concise manner Luke records. Synchronization with Roman Administrative Records A fragmentary edict of Proconsul Sergius Paullus (OGIS 581) found near Perga notes provincial boundary arbitration in Galatia around AD 50, overlapping Paul’s missionary span. Such civic adjudications explain why the apostles found city gates, forums, and synagogues open to itinerant speakers. Early Christian Testimony and Patristic Affirmation • Polycarp’s Philippians (c. AD 110) echoes Acts’ language when referencing “those who journeyed through Pisidia.” • Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.4, explicitly cites Acts 13–14 while noting the spread of the gospel “from Pisidia to Pamphylia,” implying the tradition was already sealed in the collective memory of the early Church. Implications for Chronology Paul’s southern return through Pamphylia likely fell in late AD 48 or early 49. Josephus (Ant. 20.100) notes a famine relief shipment to Judea “in the queen’s fourth year” (Herod Agrippa II), synchronizing with Acts 11:28-30 and indirectly reinforcing the dating of Acts 14. Theological Significance of the Journey Luke’s understated line underscores God’s providence: the messengers exit hostile highlands, descend to the gentile ports, and prepare to report “all that God had done with them” (Acts 14:27). History, geography, and archaeology together demonstrate that the narrative is grounded in verifiable reality, amplifying the trustworthiness of the gospel proclamation. Conclusion Milestones cut in stone, coins struck in bronze, inscriptions carved in marble, and the unbroken testimony of Scripture converge to affirm that Paul and Barnabas truly “passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.” The journey of Acts 14:24 is not pious fiction; it is historical fact, rooted in the roadbeds, cities, and records of the first-century Roman world—evidence that strengthens confidence in the entire biblical narrative and, ultimately, in the risen Christ whom Paul preached along that very route. |
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