14. From this time Saul’s name is changed into Paul, and the other name never occurs again in Scripture. The apostle and his companions now sailed from Paphos to the city of Perga in Pamphylia, 175 miles northwest. Mark left them at Pergaand returned to Jerusalem for reasons not explained in the text.
Perga exists as a ruin six or seven miles from the seacoast and about 15 miles northeast of a seaport called Adalia by the Turks, the ancient Attalia, built by Attalus, the king of Pergamos, 159–138 B. C., and hence its name. It has at present about 8,000 inhabitants, and surrounds the port as an amphitheatre, the streets rising one above another.
15. From Perga the apostle proceeded to Antioch, now called Yalobatch, about 90 miles north of Perga. The plain upon which Perga is situated is about 20 miles wide on the seacoast, and stretches eastward for about 30 miles. East of Perga the Eurymedon River comes down through the plain into the sea, and its sources are high in the ridges north of Perga. It is probable that up the valley of this river the apostles passed to the high table-land of Pisidia upon which Antioch is placed.
16. When they had arrived at Antioch they awaited the Sabbath-gathering at the synagogue, and being, as the custom was, invited to speak to the assembled Jews and strangers, the apostle Paul presented the connection between the promises of the Old Testament and the fulfilment of these promises in the coming and the teachings of Christ.
The impression made was so important and favorable that another gathering of a great crowd assembled on the following Sabbath. At this time, however, the Jews and Jewish women created so greatand so public opposition that the apostle was led to announce that hereafter he should devote his labors to the conversion of the Gentiles and leave the Jews to the consequences of their bitter opposition to the gospel he was called to preach.
But a church was planted here in spite of the opposition, which caused the departure of the apostles across the country to Iconium, about 85 miles southeast.
ICONIUM.
17. This city is located upon the large plain which stretches eastward 80 or 90 miles with little interruption. On the southeast a solitary mountain rises at a distance of about 30 miles,“like a lofty island in the midst of the sea.”[193] The height of this mountain is nearly 4,000 feet above the plain. In March its top is generally covered with snow. Here are the ruins of many tombs, churches, and other apparently public buildings, and these ruins have given rise to the Turkish name Bin-bir-ka-lessi, or the “thousand-and-one churches.” With general consent this place is supposed to mark the site of Lystra, which became the next place of visit by the apostles after leaving Iconium. The name of this singular mountain in the Turkish is Kara-dagh, or Black Mountain.
The plain upon which Iconium is located is supposed to be 3,900 feet above the Mediterranean. Iconium was a Greek city, if we may judge from thelarge number of Greek ruins and inscriptions yet remaining, many of which are built into the walls of the town.
Here Barnabas and Saul proceeded to work as at Antioch, and addressed the Jews gathered at the synagogue in that place. But although their success was great a division of opinion resulted, and the Jews made preparations to assault their visitors, but they fled to Lystra.