Patara

At a Glance

Patara is a biblical place name, not a theological concept. Its main significance in Scripture is geographical and historical.

Key Points

• Ancient port city in Lycia, Asia Minor
• Mentioned in Acts 21:1
• Part of Paul’s missionary travel route
• Significance is narrative and geographical, not doctrinal

Description

Patara was an important port city in the region of Lycia in Asia Minor. In the New Testament it appears in Acts 21:1 as part of Paul’s journey toward Jerusalem, where he and his companions came to Patara before boarding a ship bound for Phoenicia. Scripture does not attach special doctrinal meaning to the city; its significance is mainly as a historical and geographical setting within the account of Paul’s missionary travels.

Biblical Context

Patara appears in the narrative of Paul’s final recorded journey to Jerusalem. The mention of the city helps trace the route of the apostolic mission and the practical circumstances of travel in the first century.

Historical Context

Patara was known as a coastal harbor city in Lycia and served as a maritime point of departure and arrival in the ancient world. Its location made it relevant to regional trade and sea travel.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Patara is not a distinctly Jewish term, but its mention in Acts reflects the wider Greco-Roman world in which the early church carried out its mission.

Primary Key Texts

• Acts 21:1

Original Language Note

The name is transliterated from the Greek form of the place name Patara.

Theological Significance

Patara has no special theological doctrine attached to it. Its value is in showing the historical realism of the Acts narrative and the movement of the gospel through real places and routes.

Philosophical Explanation

As a place name, Patara illustrates how Scripture presents God’s redemptive work within actual geography and history rather than in abstraction.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not read theological symbolism into Patara beyond what the text states. Its importance is contextual, not doctrinal.

Major Views

There is no major interpretive debate about the identity of Patara in Acts 21:1; the entry is straightforwardly geographical.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Patara should not be treated as a doctrinal term, spiritual symbol, or canonical concept. Its significance remains historical and narrative.

Practical Significance

Patara reminds readers that biblical events took place in verifiable locations. This supports confidence in the historical setting of the New Testament.

Related Entries

• Acts
• Paul the Apostle
• Lycia
• Asia Minor
• Phoenicia

See Also

• Miletus
• Tyre
• Caesarea
• missionary journeys