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Turkey in the Old Testament
Turkey (or Anatolia, or the Hittite Empire) features prominently in the Old Testament. Both the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have their source in the mountains of eastern Turkey. Also in eastern Turkey is Mt. Ararat, often identified as the place Noah's Ark came to rest. Noah's descendents became the nations that settled in the regions?Japheth's sons settled in Gomer, Magog, Madai and other places now identified as parts of modern day Turkey (Gen. 10:2).
Abraham left Ur on his God-driven journey and spent some time in Haran (Gen. 11:31-32). Jacob lived in this region for 14 years while working for Laban so he could marry Leah and Rachel.
The Hittite Empire encompassed most of Turkey in the time of the historical books of the Old Testament and its reach extended south, down into the area of Palestine?the land promised to Moses (Josh. 1:4). Bathsheba's husband Uriah was a Hittite mercenary serving in the army of King David (2 Sam. 11: 3-34).
Turkey in the New Testament
Turkey played a pivotal role in the spread of the gospel following the resurrection. Many of the major cities of the Roman Empire were in Turkey (Asia Minor) or connected to the region via the excellent road system developed by the Romans.
The Apostles Paul, Peter and John either ministered in Turkey or lived there. Patmos, the island where John wrote the Book of Revelation, is located just off the Turkish coast in the Aegean. Today, Patmos is part of Greece. The seven churches identified in Revelation are located in Turkey, mostly within driving distance of Izmir.
Christianity really took root in Turkey thanks to the tireless evangelizing of the Apostle Paul and his disciples. By 100 AD, churches had been formed in most major cities across the Roman Empire. The centre of this early Christian movement was Antioch (now Antakya) which was the Apostle Peter's base before he went to Rome. Antioch remained a key city in the Christian world?it was one of four chief bishoprics?until the Arab conquest in 642 AD.
In 110 AD, Pliny the Younger, then governor of the Roman province of Bithynia, wrote to the Emperor Trajan requesting advice on how to handle these upstart Christians in his province. The result signaled the start of persecutions that lasted 200 years, stopped only when the Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity as the religion of his empire. As a symbol of his new-found faith, Constantine adopted the cross as his symbol before his decisive win at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD.
Antioch (Antakya): This is the place where followers of Christ were first called Christians. During the time of Paul, Barnabas and Peter this was a large city and an important cog in the Roman Empire. It is where Mark decided to return home, causing a rift to develop between Paul and Barnabas with Paul continuing his ministry in Turkey while Barnabas and Mark headed back to Cyprus (Acts 15: 35-41).
During the crusades, a grotto was found at the foot of the hills. Now called St. Peter's grotto, it is believed that early Christians fled here and worshiped here during the times of persecution.
In all, 10 assemblies of the church were held in Antioch and it became the residence of the Patriarch of Asia. Two of the early bishops of Antioch, Peter and Ignatius, became well-known in church history.
Tarsus: This was the birth city of Saul who later became the Apostle Paul. When Barnabas realized he needed someone to help him, he travelled to Tarsus to meet with Paul. It was an important seaport and commercial centre.
Most of Paul's city has disappeared. A gate from the Roman period remains and some walls of the hippodrome and it is believed that parts of the Ulu Cami (mosque) are actually the remains of a Christian church.
Perge: Paul and Barnabas most likely first landed in Asia Minor (Turkey) at Perge, some 25 km from Antalya. Perge was one of the most important cities of Pamphylia and was on the main road between Pergamum and Cilicia and was a major Christian centre during the early years of the Church. Those visiting the city will see many remains, including a Greco-Roman theatre and stadium as well as the Agora, colonnaded boulevards, walls and other ruins.
The Seven Churches of Revelation
? Ephesus: Probably the most familiar Turkish site for biblical scholars, Ephesus is an ancient and at times powerful city. Located on the Aegean coast it was a trading centre and a melting pot of cultures, religions and ethnicity. When Paul arrived in Ephesus, the city was already more than 1,000 years old. Paul's evangelizing so angered the merchants?particularly those who created "souvenir? busts of the goddess Artemis, that a riot ensued. In his letter to the believers in Ephesus, Paul's last words to them were to encourage them and urge them to greater devotion to God.
Paul and his new converts, Priscilla and Aquila, ministered in Ephesus where Paul continued on his journey, leaving Priscilla and Aquila to disciple the new believers (Acts 18: 18-24). Later, he left Corinth and travelled to Ephesus by road through the interior only to arrive in Ephesus to find himself the centre of a storm of opposition (Acts 19: 1-35).
Ephesus was a sparkling jewel in the Roman Empire. It had numerous temples to various gods, a theatre seating more than 25,000, gymnasiums, public baths, fountains, aqueducts, a huge agora (marketplace) surrounded by hundreds of shops, a library with more than 15,000 volumes, and many elegant homes decorated with wall paintings and mosaics.
Over the years, war, civil unrest, disease and earthquakes crumpled Ephesus from its pedestal. In 262, the Goths destroyed much of the town. It never fully recovered. Today, its ruins are a centre of archaeological interest. Tourists flock into the ruins by the thousands to see the remains of this famous city. For more information check out www.sacreddestinations.com/turkey/ephesus.
? Smyrna (Izmir): Polycarp, one of the early bishops (115 ? 156 AD) and defenders of the faith and later a martyr during the Roman persecutions, was from Smyrna. He staunchly defended the purity of the gospel.
? Pergamum (Bergama): It was one of the principle cities of the province of Asia Minor when the Book of Revelation was written.
? Thyatira (Akhisar): Coins found in the ruins of Thyatira show that its citizens worshiped a number of gods. Today, Thyatira is a modern city with just a few remains of the old city including an ancient temple and a colonnaded road.
? Sardis (Sart): Sardis has been described as one of the most picturesque areas of any of the seven churches. It was the centre of one of the greatest kingdoms of the ancient world, Lydia. The temple of Artemis dates from 400 BC.
? Philadelphia (Alesehir): One of the key centres for the spreading new faith called Christianity, influencing people from all parts of the empire.
? Laodicea (Laodikea): Lies in ruins, described as a "large area littered with broken marble, tops of stone masonry walls and public buildings.? The city was at the crossroads of north-south traffic between Sardis and Perga and east-west traffic from Ephesus to the Euphrates.
The Roman Era
Roman domination over what we call Turkey was massive and complete. As with other parts of the Empire, administrative reorganization of the area followed military conquest. The famous Roman roads were built, linking major cities together, making it easier for trade and for the exchange of ideas, cultures and beliefs. The network of roads and communication channels was critical in the gestation of the early Church.
The kingdoms of Pergamum and Bithynia were bequeathed to Rome while Pontus and Cappadocia were conquered. Soon, Cilicia and its main city Tarsus, fell under Roman control. Anatolia, long a Hellenistic culture, moved swiftly into a Romanized colony as well. |
