Perga
“Possibly meaning 'earthy' or 'tower'”
Summary
Perga was an ancient and important city of Pamphylia in Asia Minor, situated on the river Cestrus, where Paul and Barnabas arrived on their first missionary journey and where John Mark departed from them.
☩Geography and History
Perga was situated on the river Cestrus, about sixty stadia (seven to eight miles) from its mouth, making it accessible by boat from the sea. The city was located on a plateau between the rivers Catarrhactes and Cestrus, and served as a center of native Anatolian religion rather than Hellenic culture. It was celebrated for the worship of the Queen of Perga, a nature-goddess who came to be identified with Artemis but more closely resembled the Artemis of Ephesus. Her temple, the Artemisium, stood on the Acropolis, overlooking the city. Alexander the Great occupied Perga after leaving Phaselis, following a difficult road between the two towns.
☩Paul's Visits
Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark arrived at Perga by sailing up the navigable Cestrus River after leaving Cyprus (Acts 13:13). At Perga, a painful incident occurred: John Mark 'departed from them and returned to Jerusalem' (Acts 13:13). Some scholars suggest Paul contracted malarial fever in Pamphylia's hot, enervating climate, compelling them to seek the cooler highlands of Pisidian Antioch—a change in plans that may have prompted Mark's departure. On their return journey, Paul and Barnabas preached in Perga (Acts 14:25), though apparently without marked or lasting results. A much-frequented northward route led from Perga over the Taurus Mountains into Phrygia.
☩Later History
Perga remained the metropolis of Western Pamphylia for centuries but was eventually overshadowed by Attalia during the Byzantine period. The ruins, now called Murtana, reveal the city's quadrangular shape with walls flanked by towers. Broad streets with porticos and water channels intersected the city. The remains include an immense theater seating 13,000 people, an agora, baths, and a stadium. On the acropolis are fragments of a large structure, possibly the temple of Leto (the goddess's Greek name).
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Perga," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Hastings (ed.), "Perga," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 3.James Orr (ed.), "Perga," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).