Corpus-Paul

[MillerJimE AT aol.com]

<<Jim, what is your source concerning the settlement of Jews in Anatolia by
Antiochus I? I am aware only of the settlement of just 2000 families of
Jews by Seleucid Antiochus III (Josephus Ant. 12.3). He settled them in
Lydia and Phrygia, and no mention is made of Lycaonia.>>

    First, I should mention that I am not interested in the Timothy question. 
 I have an interest in the Jewish population of central Anatolia which is 
only occasionally tangental to this newsgroup.  But I do notice that Paul 
tended to evangelize where synagogues were already established.  And somehow 
central Anatolia managed to have enough of a Jewish presence that Paul's 
preaching in a local synagogue could raise the interest of the whole city (if 
Acts 13-14 is to be believed).  So, IMHO,  Acts would have had some 
difficulty in being accepted if those synagogues were a mere fiction.  Acts 
tells us that the Jewish presence was there in Pisidian Antioch and in 
Iconium (which is in Lycaonia).  A significant Jewish presence in Lystra and 
Derbe is not specified in Acts, but the silence should not be taken as proof 
against.  It might only mean that the local Jews did not take offence at 
Paul's preaching.
    Also (assuming again that Acts is to be believed), how did Jews from 
Antioch and Iconium manage to stir up the gentiles of Lystra against Paul?  
Did they first gain the ear of some local Jewish leaders, or were they 
influential by themselves among these gentiles without a significant local 
Jewish base?  There is much that we are not told, and I find the blanks 
easier to fill if I assume a significant Jewish presence in all of these 
cities -- which are, admittedly, not nearly as large as Antioch on the 
Orontes (though I wouldn't want to specify exact numbers or ratios).
    Josephus explains how at least some of those Jews settled in central 
Anatolia.  And "2000 families" should not be counted an insignificant 
presence.  At least in the eyes of Josephus such a number is sufficient to 
pacify a troubled province and to explain the significant Jewish presence in 
central Anatolia.  For all we know Josephus made the number up and was a bit 
unclear on the exact settlement pattern.  We cannot critique the sources of 
Josephus, but I think we can assume that the first century CE Jewish 
population of central Anatolia was substantial, which is why Josephus 
explained their presence by telling us about this action of Antiochus.
    BTW, the Bronze Age peoples of south-central Anatolia were known as the 
Luwians (according to the Hittites), and that name is often used to explain 
why so many regional and city names in the area begin with "ly".  Hence 
Lydia, Lystra and Lycaonia.
Jim Miller