Cappadocia
Summary
A large province in eastern Asia Minor where Jews were present at Pentecost and to whom Peter addressed his first epistle.
☩Geography and Character
Cappadocia was the easternmost province of Asia Minor, bounded by Pontus to the north, the Euphrates and Armenia Minor to the east, Mount Taurus to the south, and Phrygia and Galatia to the west. The province consisted primarily of elevated tableland with ill-defined boundaries, drained by the Halys River and intersected by great mountains, the highest being Argaeus at over 13,000 feet. The country was known for excellent wheat production, fine pastures, and exceptional breeds of horses, asses, and sheep.
☩Jewish Presence and Early Christianity
Jews from Cappadocia were among those present in Jerusalem at Pentecost, hearing the apostles speak in their own languages (Acts 2:9). These Jewish communities likely formed the nucleus of the early Christian churches in the region. Peter addressed the elect strangers of the dispersion in Cappadocia alongside those in Pontus, Galatia, Asia, and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1). The Roman period, with its construction of roads and growth of cities, facilitated the spread of both Judaism and Christianity through the region.
☩Roman Province and Later History
Cappadocia was subjugated by the Persians under Cyrus but later had its own kings, though tributary to the Seleucids. The emperor Tiberius reduced it to a Roman province in A.D. 17, including what was anciently called Lesser Armenia. Caesarea became the capital and an important early Christian center, later the birthplace and see of Basil the Great. Other cities such as Nyssa, Nazianzus, Tyana, and Samosata became celebrated in church history, producing notable theologians.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Cappadocia," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Cappadocia," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Cappadocia," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).