Attalia

biblical_place theological_term standard

Attalia was an ancient port city in Pamphylia, on the southern coast of Asia Minor, mentioned in Acts as the place from which Paul and Barnabas sailed back to Syrian Antioch after the first missionary journey.

At a Glance

Attalia is a New Testament place-name, not a theological concept.

Key Points

A port city in Pamphylia
Mentioned in Acts 14:25
Linked to the return of Paul and Barnabas from the first missionary journey
Its significance is historical and geographical

Description

Attalia was a port city in the Roman province of Pamphylia, on the southern coast of Asia Minor. The New Testament mentions it in Acts 14:25, where Paul and Barnabas, after preaching in the surrounding region, came to Attalia and sailed from there to Syrian Antioch. Its biblical importance is geographical and historical: it helps locate the travel route of the apostolic mission and shows one stage in the outward movement of the gospel among the Gentiles. Attalia itself does not function as a theological theme in Scripture, but as a place that anchors the narrative of Acts in real time and space.

Biblical Context

Acts places Attalia at the end of Paul and Barnabas’s first missionary journey. The verse records their movement through the region and their departure by ship to Antioch, where they reported what God had done. The city therefore serves as part of the narrative setting for mission and return, not as a separate biblical subject of teaching.

Historical Context

Attalia was an important harbor on the coast of Pamphylia. As a seaport, it would have provided a practical departure point for travel by sea from southern Asia Minor to Syria. The mention of the city fits the historical and commercial geography of the eastern Mediterranean in the first century.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Attalia lies outside the Jewish homeland, but it appears in the context of the early Christian mission to the Gentile world. Its inclusion in Acts reflects the spread of the gospel beyond Judea and Galilee into broader Greco-Roman territory.

Primary Key Texts

Acts 14:25

Original Language Note

Greek: Ἀττάλεια (Attáleia).

Theological Significance

Attalia has no independent doctrinal meaning, but it contributes to the historical reliability and missionary geography of Acts. It shows the concrete setting in which the apostles carried the gospel into Gentile regions.

Philosophical Explanation

As a place-name, Attalia illustrates the way biblical revelation is rooted in real history and geography. Scripture is not presented as abstract religious reflection only; it narrates God’s work in identifiable locations and events.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not treat Attalia as a symbolic or allegorical term. Its significance is tied to the Acts narrative and to the historical route of Paul and Barnabas.

Major Views

There are no major doctrinal views attached to Attalia itself. Discussion is generally limited to historical geography and textual identification.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Attalia is not a doctrinal category, a spiritual practice, or a theological doctrine. It should be read as a historical place mentioned in the New Testament narrative.

Practical Significance

Attalia helps Bible readers trace the movement of the first missionary journey and appreciate the real-world settings of apostolic ministry. It also reinforces the grounded, historical character of the book of Acts.

Related Entries

Acts
Antioch of Syria
Barnabas
Paul
Pamphylia
Perga
First Missionary Journey

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Attalia