Lystra

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Lystra was a city in what is now modern Turkey. It is mentioned six times in the New Testament of the Bible and was visited several times by the Apostle Paul and Barnabas.

[edit] Location

Lystra is located south of Konya, a city previously known as Iconium. Lystra is situated north of the village of Hatunsaray, (which is about 15km north of a small town called Akoren 30km south of Konya). There is a small museum within the village of Hatunsaray that displays ruins of ancient Lystra.

Kilistra, a separate site has a GPS coordinate of North 37’ 40’ 0.4; East 32’ 12’ 49.2. That site has Cappodicia-like stone houses and some church ruins that were hewn out of these rocks was located about 18km outside of the village.

[edit] History

The Roman Empire made Lystra a colony in 6BC, possibly to allow better control of the tribes in the mountains to the west. Soon after, a road was built connecting Lystra to Iconium in the north.

In Christian times it had a bishop, and is still a Roman Catholic titular see.^[1]

[edit] Biblical reference

Paul preached the gospel in Lystra after he had been driven by persecution from Iconium.^[2] Here Paul healed a man lame from birth,^[3]. The man leaped and began to walk and thus so impressed the crowd that they took him for Hermes, because he was the "chief speaker", and his companion Barnabas for Zeus. The crowd spoke in the local dialect and wanted to offer sacrifices to them,^[4] when Paul and Barnabas torn their clothes and shouted that they were merely men. They used this opportunity to tell the Lystrians of the Creator God. But soon , through the influence of the Jewish leaders from Antioch, Pisidia and Iconium, they stoned Paul and left him for dead.^[5] The disciples prayed over him and when he recovered, Paul went back into the town. The next day, he and Barnabas left for Derbe; but soon returned again, through Lystra, encouraging the disciples there to steadfastness.

Paul visited this city again on his second missionary tour.^[6] Timothy, who was a young disciple there,^[7] was most likely one of those who were on the previous occasion witnesses of Paul's persecution and courage in Lystra. Timothy left Lystra and joined Paul and Silas on rest of the 2nd Missionary Journey.

[edit] References

• Easton's Bible Dictionary - Lystra
• Map of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) which shows Lystra in the province of Lycaonia
• Photos from Lystra

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