Pisidian Antioch

If you go to Acts 13:13 and following you will know where we have been today.

Paul sets sail to Perga and then goes up to Pisidian Antioch. There he goes to the Synagogue and preaches his first recorded sermon.

"You Isrealites and others who fear God listen ........"

I can't tell you how exciting it is to stand on the very spot he gave that sermon.




Here I am in the Synagogue in Antioch in Pisidia. This Antioch is on the hill looking over the valley. I can see why the Romans built there.




Roman road still looks good!





So much of this Antioch is still has 5 feet of dirt over it. Here they are doing the excavation. They work during the summer only.





This is the kind of mountains that Paul would have walked through. It is 200 miles from Perga on the coast to Antioch. Our bus took 4hours, Paul would need 10 days. In Acts it sounds like an afternoon walk. Paul was tough!





This is our tour guide Halit. He is wonderful. He used to be a professor, but he enjoys running tours like ours. The bus is his rolling classroom and we are his students. While we travel he gives lectures on all kinds of topics about Turkey. For example the other day we learned about shepherding both sheep and goats. He tells us about the agriculture, economics, history and politics of Turkey. We learned about Syria and the refugees on the southern boarder of Turkey.

In back of him is Perga, the coast town where Paul landed.








The Roman baths in Perga.




Kay in Perga. I thought the sign was funny.




Marvin and Kay in the theatre where the Romans had chariot races. This one held 20,000 people.


Here is the stadium from a distance. I am taking this at the other end of the stadium.





Last night we had the Whirling Dervish show us what they do and why. We were not allowed to take pictures. But we went to a museum and these wax figures are true to what we saw. They spin to bring Gods blessings, one hand facing up to take Gods blessings and one hand facing down to give the blessing to the congregation. God's blessing is passing through them. The spinning and the music put the spinners in the right spiritual mind. I will not be doing this when I get home.

Tonight we are in a very nice hotel in Antayla on the Mediterranean. We will be here two nights ... Very nice. Lots of stories to share when we get home. Miss you all and very sad to hear of Doris, what a loss to us all. I will miss her!

Blessings
Dave and Karen