Category Archives: Turkey

Earthquake shakes Eastern Turkey — the Land of Ararat

Posted on October 24, 2011 | Leave a comment

Early Sunday morning we learned that a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey around Lake Van. Today this region is occupied mostly by Kurds, but in biblical times it was known as the land of Urartia or Ararat. The region was the area where Noah’s ark is said to have rested after the flood.

and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. (Genesis 8:4 ESV)

After the sons of Assyrian king Sennacherib killed him at Nineveh, they escaped to the land of Ararat (2 Kings 19:37; Isaiah 37:38).

The kingdom of Ararat was called to participate in the overthrow of Babylon (Jeremiah 51:27).

Several times we have written about earthquakes in the Bible, and specifically earthquakes in the eastern portion of Turkey. See here and here. We wrote about the planning done by local people for earthquakes here.

Below is another photo made in June, 2007, on the road from Van to Batman. The wooden beams you see in the wall are placed there to help absorb the shock from earthquakes.

Preparing for earthquakes in Eastern Turkey between Van and Batman. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins 2007.

Preparing for earthquakes in Eastern Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins 2007.

The only photos of yesterday’s earthquake damage that I have seen has been from the cities where the buildings are made of concrete. I wonder how well these country folk have fared in this earthquake.

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Posted in Bible Lands, Bible Places, Bible Study, Old Testament, Photography, Travel, Turkey

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Tomb of Philip found at Hierapolis?

Posted on July 28, 2011 | 2 comments

Italian professor Francesco D’Andria announced the discovery of the tomb of the Apostle Philip at Hierapolis. See more, with a photo, here.

The structure at Hierapolis known as the Martyrium of Philip dates to the 5th century A.D. It is located in the distance above the theater.

Hierapolis. The Martyrium of Philip is in the distance beyond the theater. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Martyrium of Philip is in the distance beyond the theater. Photo by F. Jenkins.

Early tradition associates Philip with the city, but scholars differ over whether it was Philip the apostle (Matthew 10:3) or Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8). The brief reports of the discovery by Prof. D’Andria does not provide enough information for us to be able to draw a conclusion. The question of which Philip is addressed by Mark Wilson in Biblical Turkey and Fant and Reddish in A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey. I will leave it for the moment.

This new discovery will more likely reflect the 5th century Byzantine tradition about Philip.

Hierapolis is mentioned only once in the New Testament, as one of the cities of the Lycus River Valley.

For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. (Colossians 4:13 ESV)

Hierapolis is also known as the home of Papias (about A.D. 60 to 130) who was a disciple of the apostle John and a companion of Polycarp. Fragments of his writings about the apostles survive in Irenaeus and Eusebius.

We have commented on Hierapolis several times over the years. See here. Use the Search box to locate the other posts if you have additional interest in the city.

HT: Doy Moyer

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, New Testament, Photography, Travel, Turkey

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Monday meandering

Posted on July 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Macmillan Dictionary defines meander this way:

  • a river or road that meanders follows a path with a lot of turns and curves
  • to move slowly without a particular direction or purpose in mind
  • to talk or write for a long time, changing subjects or ideas, so that people become bored or confused

We all use the word meander, but do we know its origin? The Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary of 1913 explains the origin:

a river in Phrygia, proverbial for its many windings

The Meander River, now in Turkey, begins northeast of the Lycus River Valley and flows southwesterly past Miletus into the Aegean Sea. The Lycus River begins southeast of the valley that bears its name and flows northwesterly past Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis (Col. 4:13) until it flows into the Meander.

It would take a good aerial photo to show how the river meanders, but you can get an idea here that there are only short stretches visible at any one time before the rivers makes a turn.

Meander River near Aphrodisias, Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Meander River near Aphrodisias, Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Mark Wilson, in his outstanding Biblical Turkey: A Guide to Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor, comments on Phrygia.

In Acts 2:10 Jews from Phrygia are mentioned Mark Wilson, Biblical Turkey, coveramong those gathered in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. …

During the Roman period western Phrygia was in the province of Asia, eastern Phrygia was in the province of Galatia. Paul passed through both Galatic and Asian Phyrgia on his way to Troas on his second journey (Acts 16:6) and to Ephesus on his third journey (Acts 18:23). During Paul’s time in Ephesus churches were established in the Phrygian cities of Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae (Colossians 1:2; 4:13,16). (page 188)

Thanks for meandering through Bible lands with me. We will use the river as our new header for a while.

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A beautiful day in Galilee and at Megiddo

Posted on April 29, 2011 | 2 comments

This morning we took our group on the usual boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. We left Tiberias and sailed to near the Cove of the Sower and then turn west to Nof Ginosaur on the western coast of the Sea. Ginosaur is the English Gennesaret.

Boat approaches the region of Genesaret. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Boat approaches the region of Genesaret. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored there.  As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Jesus.  They ran through that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever he was rumored to be. And wherever he would go– into villages, towns, or countryside– they would place the sick in the marketplaces, and would ask him if they could just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it re healed.  (Mark 6:53-56 NET)

I noticed to significant things about the Sea of Galilee today.

  1. It appeared to be higher than the three or four previous times I saw it.
  2. Fishing boats were missing when I looked from my room to the Sea this morning. We have come to expect many fishing boats plying the quiet waters, but this has changed since the fishing ban was put into effect.

Indeed, the Sea level is higher. We reported December 11, 2009, that the level was 703,12 feet below Mediterranean sea level. In October , 2010, the level had risen to 701.71 feet below sea level.

Sea of Galilee guage, April 29, 2011. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Sea of Galilee gauge, April 29, 2011 shows -212.42. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

After we returned to the hotel at Tiberias, I walked down to the pier to see the current measurement. The Sea was 212.42 meters below sea level (= 696.916 feet). The rise of the water is significant. The all time low is about 704 feet below sea level. The maximum former level is about 686 feet below sea level. Look carefully and you will see jets of water streaming through the Sea gauge.

Yesterday we stopped at Megiddo to look at the model of the city, but due to the rain we decided not to visit the tel. This afternoon we returned. The view of the Jezreel Valley was good.

And, there was more…

The missing luggage for our two wayward tour members was at the hotel when we returned.

We have several tour members from Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Various ones were getting more reports of severe damage in their area back home, but none reported personal injury. For this we are thankful. The prayers of all spiritual persons is appreciated.

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Israel, New Testament, Photography, Travel, Turkey

The mosaics of the Antakya Museum

Posted on April 13, 2011 | Leave a comment

Yesterday’s post about Antakya, Turkey (biblical Antioch of Syria, Acts 11), was highly popular. We had more than 1400 hits. Thanks for your interest. We hope you will find other entries of interest as well.

Take a look at the two good comments on the previous post. One from Balagebalogh calls attention to the mosaics from Antakya that are in the Baltimore Museum of Art and to his illustration of Antioch, and another from TBrinley calling attention to the mosaics in the Antakya Museum. I haven’t had the opportunity to visit the Baltimore museum, but I have been to the Antakya Museum a few times.

I thought I would share just one of the many mosaics displayed in the Antakya Museum. These mosaics typically date to the fourth or fifth century as I recall. (I am away from home and do not have access to my usual sources.)

Our photo shows a beautifully preserved mosaic displayed on a large wall. I am taking the liberty of copying info about it from Sacred Destinations, a site we have recommended before. Regarding this mosaic the site says,

Detail of mosaic from the floor of the 5th-century Bath of Apolausis, a small suburban bath uncovered in the Antioch excavations on the slopes of Mount Silpios, east of the city. The woman depicted in the middle is Soteria (Salvation) who formed a pair with Apolausis (Enjoyment). Soteria and Apolausis were minor deities who had the power to deliver people from danger and were popularly associated in late antiquity with baths, whose warm waters could give pleasure and soothe pain. Antakya Museum.

Antakya Museum mosaic displayed on wall. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Antakya Museum mosaic displayed on wall. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Beautiful, isn’t it? Turkey is filled with similar mosaics. I recall especially those from Zeugma displayed in the Gaziantep Museum.

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Posted in Bible Places, Church History, Culture, Photography, Travel, Turkey

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Antioch of Syria, or is that Turkey?

Posted on April 12, 2011 | 2 comments

Antioch of Syria on the Orontes River was founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 B.C. Antioch became a Roman city in 64 B.C. and capital of the new province of Syria. It became the third largest city of the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria.

After Jerusalem, Antioch was the second great center of Christianity in New Testament times and where the disciples of Christ were first called Christians (Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3; 14:26-28; 15:1-41; 18:22-23; Gal. 2).

Antioch is now called Antakya and is part of the HatayProvince of Turkey, but is near the border with Syria. The area became part of Turkey in 1939.

The photo below was made from the bridge crossing the Orontes River with a view east toward Mount Silipius. Click on the photo for an image suitable for use in presentations.

Antakya, Turkey. Antioch of Syria of the New Testament. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

View east toward Mount Silpius from the Orontes River. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

A church called the Cave Church of St. Peter honors Peter’s visit to the city (Gal. 2). This is a late Roman Catholic addition to the city, having become a Catholic church in 1946. Not the best choice, I think. Peter’s association with Antioch did not turn out too well. At first he ate with the new Gentile converts, but under pressure from James of Jerusalem played the hypocrite and withdrew from the Gentiles.

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. (Galatians 2:11-13 ESV)

I suggest you read Galatians 1 and 2, for a more complete account of this event.

From here the great journeys of Paul to take the Gospel to the Gentile world began (Acts 13:1-2).

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Church History, New Testament, Photography, Travel, Turkey

Carchemish after a century

Posted on April 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

The ancient site of Carchemish was identified by George Smith in 1876, and later excavated by the British Museum beginning in 1911. The various directors included Hogarth, Thompson, Wooley, and Lawrence. Many remains of Assyrian and Neo-Hittite periods were uncovered.

Surveys of the vicinity around Carchemish revealed tombs, pottery and weapons from the Middle Bronze Age. The photo shows one such collection displayed in the British Museum.

Pottery found near Carchemish between 1911-1914. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Pottery found near Carchemish between 1911-1914. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The sign that accompanies this display of pottery says,

During the course of the British Museum’s excavations at Carchemish in north Syria between 1911 and 1914, the field directors, Leonard Wooley and T. E. Lawrence, made regular visits to various sites in the vicinity. One such site was Amarneh and it was from here that Wooley acquired large numbers of objects which had been looted from the associated ancient cemetery. The majority of the finds, consisting of pottery vessels and metal weapons, date to the third and early second millennnium BC. Although it is impossible to reconstruct the early tomb groups, it is clear from Lawrence’s notes and sketches that they were large, collective chambers, lined and roofed over with stone slabs, each tomb containing several individuals and hundreds of pots.

The border between Syria and Turkey is now immediately south of Carchemish. The tell is now in Turkey.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Old Testament, Turkey

New excavations at Carchemish

Posted on April 6, 2011 | 1 comment

Carchemish is mentioned only a few times in the Bible, but it was one of the most significant cities in the ancient Bible world.

  • Isaiah made a reference to Carchemish (Isaiah 10:9). The city had been sacked by Sargon II in 717 B.C.
  • Pharaoh Necho of Egypt went up to Carchemish on the Euphrates to assist the Assyrians against the Babylonians in 609 B.C. (2 Chronicles 35:20; Jeremiah 46:2). King Josiah of Judah tried to stop him, but was killed.

One of the Babylonian Chronicles says that Nebuchadnezzar “crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Carchemish.”

Our photo shows the tell in the distance. The tell is in Turkey today. In the far left of the photo you may see a bridge over the Euphrates River. The bridge crosses into Syria.

Cemetery at Carchemish, Tell in the distance. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Cemetery at Carchemish, Tell in the distance. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

We are informed that a new excavation will begin at Carchemish this year. The area has been cleared of 1200 land mines. A few details, along with a photo of some of the land mines, may be viewed here.

HT: Bible Places Blog.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, Old Testament, Photography, Travel, Turkey

Mark Wilson’s book on Biblical Turkey

Posted on February 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

Mark Wilson’s book on Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor is now available through Amazon. Use this Amazon link to order.
Biblical Turkey: A Guide to Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor

A little over two months ago I started a post about Wilson’s book, intending to write a brief review. I see now that A. D. Riddle has written a review over at the Bible Places Blog. I direct our readers to that post for more info about the book.

Since 2003 we have had A Guide to Biblical Studies in Greece and Turkey by Fant and Reddish. Now we have a book by Mark Wilson that is superior in several ways. Wilson includes sites not mentioned by Fant and Reddish, and his book contains an abundance of color photos. Every person who plans a trip to Turkey to visit Biblical sites should study both books.

Dr. Wilson proudly displayed his book at the SBL meeting in Atlanta last November. Mark loves Turkey and its biblical sites. For several years he has spent at least half his time studying and exploring in Turkey. If you wish to know about the biblical sites of Turkey, you will enjoy this book.

Mark Wilson shows his new book at SBL in Atlanta. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Mark Wilson shows his book at SBL in Atlanta. Photo by F. Jenkins.

Dr. Wilson spoke to one of my groups in Izmir in 2008. See here.

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Posted in Bible Lands, Bible Study, Book Review, Books, Travel, Turkey

Walking on Roman roads

Posted on February 16, 2011 | 1 comment

Gordan Franz, Life and Land Seminars, recently led the 2011 Talbot Bible Lands study tour of Turkey and Greece. He writes about the Roman roads used by Paul in his journeys. See here.

Photos are included of the following roads, portions of which still exist.

  • The Via Taurus, “a beautifully preserved road between Tarsus and the Cilician Gates” (Acts 15:36).
  • The Via Sebaste (“Emperor’s Road”) connecting Iconium and Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:51; 14:21-23).
  • The Roman Road west of Assos (Acts 20:22-23).
  • The Roman Road inside the city of Alexandria Troas leading to the harbor (Acts 16:8-11).
  • The Via Egnatia which connected Neapolis and Philippi (Acts 16:11-12; 20:6).
  • The Appian Way (Acts 28:14-16).

The link to photos made by one of the tour members is given at the bottom of the article. At this moment you will need to copy the link and paste it into your browser. There is an extra http// in the embedded code.

The photo below is one provided by friend David Padfield of the Roman road near Assos.

Roman Road near Assos. Photo by David Padfield.

Roman Road near Assos. Photo by David Padfield.

I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers… (2 Corinthians 11:26 NET)

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Greece, New Testament, Photography, Travel, Turkey

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