Cilicia
Summary
A Roman province in southeast Asia Minor, home to the city of Tarsus and birthplace of the apostle Paul.
☩Geography and Character
Cilicia was a maritime province at the southeast angle of Asia Minor, bordered by the Taurus mountains on the north, the Mediterranean on the south, Pamphylia on the west, and Syria on the east. The province divided naturally into two regions: Cilicia Tracheia (the Rough), a mountainous western portion, and Cilicia Pedeia (the Flat), a broad fertile plain in the east. The famous Cilician Gates, a mountain pass through the Taurus range, provided the major route connecting Asia Minor with Syria and the East.
☩Tarsus and Jewish Presence
Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia Pedeia, was a major center of learning and commerce. Paul proudly identified himself as 'a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city' (Acts 21:39). Jews had settled in the region and established synagogues; those from Cilicia were among those who disputed with Stephen before his martyrdom (Acts 6:9). The region's strategic position on trade routes made it a meeting point of Greek, Roman, and Eastern cultures.
☩Early Christian Activity
After his conversion, Paul spent time in Syria and Cilicia before being brought to Antioch by Barnabas (Galatians 1:21). The letter from the Jerusalem Council was addressed to Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia (Acts 15:23), indicating early Christian communities in the region. On his second missionary journey, Paul and Silas traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches (Acts 15:41). Paul later sailed across the sea of Cilicia during his voyage to Rome.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Cilicia," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Cilicia," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Cilicia," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).