Who were the Galatians in the Bible? This map shows the regions of Anatolia during the first century C.E., when Paul would have traveled through the area. Recent archaeological discoveries suggest that the province of Galatia would have included the regions of Pisidia, Phrygia, Lycaonia, and Pamphylia at that time. Map: Biblical Archaeology Society.

Who were the Galatians in the Bible? The apostle Paul addressed one of his now-canonical letters to the “churches of Galatia” (Galatians 1:2), but where exactly were these churches located?

Galatia refers to a region in north central Turkey; Ankara, the capital of modern Turkey, was once a major Galatian city (Ancyra). The name of Galatia is derived from the 20,000 Gauls who settled in the region in 278 B.C.E. More than two centuries later, in 25 B.C.E., the area became a Roman province and was extended to the south. In Paul’s day, the new province included the regions of Pisidia, Phrygia, and Lycaonia. Scholars often refer to these new, southern regions as “south Galatia” and to geographic Galatia as “north Galatia.”

Yet recent archaeological discoveries suggest that Galatia extended even further south during the first century C.E.—meaning that the audience of Paul’s letter might be larger than earlier supposed.

In the Fall 2020 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Mark Wilson of the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, Turkey, examines the size of Galatia at the time that Paul visited and wrote his letter. As suggested by its title, “Galatia in Text, Geography, and Archaeology,” his article weighs all the available evidence for tracking down this province’s borders to determine the original audience of Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

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Dated to the late 40s C.E., this Latin inscription from Perga mentions Galatia and Pamphylia as a joint Roman province and names Sextus Afranicus Burrus as its procurator. Photo: Mark Wilson.

The Book of Acts records Paul’s travels through “south Galatia,” including the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13–16). Paul also visited Perga and Attalia in the region of Pamphylia on the Mediterranean coast (Acts 13–14). Three recent archaeological discoveries suggest that these cities in Pamphylia were part of Galatia when Paul visited the region:

The Stadiasmus Patarensis, a road monument from the city of Patara in the region of Lycia, dates to 46 C.E. and lists Pamphylia as a bordering province. While some scholars had thought Lycia and Pamphylia were a joint province at this time, this road monument contradicts that theory and shows that Pamphylia and Lycia were not a joint province when Paul visited the area.

Further, two Latin inscriptions, excavated from the city of Perga in Pamphylia, name Galatia and Pamphylia as a joint province during the late 40s and early 50s C.E.

These inscriptions show that the province of Galatia stretched from central Anatolia to the Mediterranean Sea during Paul’s day. Wilson concludes that the audience of Galatians would have included cities in Pisidia, Phrygia, Lycaonia, and Pamphylia. Learn more about Galatia in Mark Wilson’s article “Galatia in Text, Geography, and Archaeology,” published in the Fall 2020 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

Subscribers: Read the full article “Galatia in Text, Geography, and Archaeology” by Mark Wilson in the Fall 2020 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

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Related reading in Bible History Daily

Galatians 3:28—Neither Jew nor Greek, Slave nor Free, Male and Female

The Great Paul Debate

Who Governed the Roman Province of Lycia-Pamphylia?

All-Access members, read more in the BAS Library

On the Road and on the Sea with St. Paul

After the Flood!

Paul’s Contradictions

A version of this post first appeared in Bible History Dailyin September 2020

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The unexcavated site of Colossae sits near the modern city of Honaz at the base of Mt. Cadmus (in modern Turkey). It is located near the sites of Laodicea and Hierapolis, which also appear in the Bible.

Michael Trainor explores Colossae in his article “Colossae—Colossal in Name Only?” published in the March/April 2019 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. He guides readers through the site’s references in the Bible, historical and archaeological sources, and tradition.

Colossae in the Bible. Where is Biblical Colossae? The unexcavated site of Colossae sits near the modern city of Honaz at the base of Mt. Cadmus (in modern Turkey). Photo: Courtesy of Alan H. Cadwallader.

Colossae appears only one time in the Bible: Colossians 1:2. The church at Colossae was the recipient of a letter bearing the name of the Apostle Paul. Yet there is no indication in the New Testament that Paul ever visited the site of Colossae. In fact, in Colossians 2:1 he implies that those at Colossae and nearby Laodicea had never seen him “face to face.”

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Trainor explains that there may be another reference to Colossae and its church elsewhere in the New Testament:

Some scholars … conjecture that Colossae was the location for the receipt of Paul’s letter to Philemon and was most likely implicated in the Book of Revelation. Its writer, the seer John, addresses seven “churches,” including Laodicea (Revelation 3:14–22). The lukewarm waters of Laodicea, its gold and textile production, and its medicinal products become metaphors for the Laodiceans’ fidelity and religious commitment, which the writer of Revelation urged them to renew. The Colossians, by association and proximity to Laodicea, would have been similarly encouraged.

Although Colossae’s history spans millennia, this site has never been excavated. Yet Trainor is still able to reconstruct much of its history for BAR readers.

Pottery collected from Colossae’s surface shows that Colossae was occupied on and off from 3500 B.C.E. to 1100 C.E. (the Chalcolithic period through the Byzantine and Islamic periods). A 17th-century B.C.E. Hittite inscription might reference the site, calling it Huwalušija. Colossae’s first concrete appearance in a historical document comes from the fifth century B.C.E. when Herodotus mentions it as a “great city” visited by the Persian king Xerxes on his military campaign to Greece.

From the Persian period through the Byzantine period, Colossae was a large, important city. During the Byzantine period, it even served as a Metropolitan See (an archdiocese) and had one of the largest churches in the Near East: the Church of St. Michael, named after the archangel Michael. Known for healing the sick, St. Michael was a particularly important figure at Colossae. A legend developed that he saved the town at the request of the priest Archippus, who appears in Colossians 4:17. Trainor explains the legend:

Archippus seeks divine intervention to rescue the Christian populace of Colossae from a pagan invasion intent on diverting the waters of the Lycus River to flood and kill the city-dwellers. Michael intervenes, drives his spear into the earth, diverts the waters underground, saves the people, and creates the chasm that appears in the topography near Colossae. This story became a popular iconographic theme throughout Asia Minor and the Middle East. The etiological legend explains several topographical features of the landscape around Colossae, the movement of the Lycus River’s water underground and its healing properties, the meaning of the name given to Chonos/Honaz (meaning “plunging” or “funnels”), Colossae’s alleged relocation, and the largest church building in Asia Minor named after St. Michael.

Colossal Church? Where is the Church of St. Michael at Biblical Colossae? Although the Church of St. Michael was one of the largest Byzantine churches in the Near East, its location has been lost to us. This column fragment northeast of Colossae near the Lycus River may mark its location. Alternatively, the church might have been located where the modern city of Honaz now stands. Photo: Courtesy of Michael Trainor.

Where is the colossal Church of St. Michael in Colossae? Despite its significance, its location has been lost to us. One tradition places the church northeast of Colossae near the Lycus River, and another locates it southeast of the tell in modern Honaz. Perhaps future excavations will reveal its location. We hope this site—of colossal importance—is excavated soon!

Learn more about Colossae in the Bible, history, and tradition in Michael Trainor’s article “Colossae—Colossal in Name Only?” published in the March/April 2019 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

Subscribers: Read the full article “Colossae—Colossal in Name Only?” by Michael Trainor in the March/April 2019 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

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This article originally appeared in Bible History Daily in April, 2019.

Related reading in Bible History Daily:

Hierapolis and the Gateway to Hell

Paul’s First Missionary Journey through Perga and Pisidian Antioch

The Church of Laodicea in the Bible and Archaeology

Can A Pre-Christian Version of the Book of Revelation Be Recovered?

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The issue also includes a survey of ancient pandemics, an investigative piece on the location of Galatia (the region where the biblical letter of Galatians was addressed), and a study of manual labor in early Christian monasteries in Egypt. Explore the site of Tel Rekhesh in northern Israel, see how superheroes affect our reading and interpretation of biblical figures, and investigate life and social conflict in ancient Galilee—the backdrop of the Gospels.

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Read Biblical Archaeology Review online, explore 50 years of BAR, watch videos, attend talks, and more

Visit us online, at Bible History Daily, to see the latest news in biblical archaeology or delve into additional articles, eBooks, and videos about key Bible and archaeology topics, including virtual tours of the Priscilla Catacombs and the Catacombs of the Hebrews, in Rome. Enjoy our free eBook Recipes from the BAR Test Kitchen to cook up some ancient dishes. Explore the BAS Library, which features every article ever published in BAR, Bible Review, and Archaeology Odyssey, as well as Special Collections of articles curated by BAS editors, such as the Khirbet Qeiyafa Collection with articles about recent finds from Khirbet Qeiyafa and their implications for the Kingdom of Israel’s history.

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