Per'ga. (earthy). A city of Pamphylia, Act_13:13,
situated on the river Cestius, at a distance of 60 stadia, (7 1/2 miles), from
its mouth, and celebrated in antiquity, for the worship of Artemis (Diana).
Source:
Smith’s Bible Dictionary
Perga
pûr´ga (Πέργη,
Pérgē):
1. Location and History:
An important city of the ancient province of Pamphylia, situated on the
river Cestris, 12 miles Northeast of Attalia. According to Act_13:13, Paul, Barnabas and John Mark visited
the place on their first missionary journey, and 2 years later, according to Act_14:24, Act_14:25,
they may have preached there. Though the water of the river Cestris has now
been diverted to the fields for irrigating purposes, in ancient times the
stream was navigable, and small boats from the sea might reach the city. It is
uncertain how ancient Perga is; its walls, still standing, seem to come from
the Seleucidan period or from the 3rd century BC. It remained in the possession
of the Seleucid kings until 189 BC, when Roman influence became strong in Asia
Minor. A long series of coins, beginning in the 2nd century BC, continued until
286 AD, and upon them Perga is mentioned as a metropolis. Though the city was
never a stronghold of Christianity, it was the bishopric of Western Pamphylia,
and several of the early Christians were martyred there. During the 8th century
under Byzantine rule the city declined; in 1084 Attalia became the metropolis,
and Perga rapidly fell to decay. While Attalia was the chief Greek and
Christian city of Pamphylia, Perga was the seat of the local Asiatic goddess,
who corresponded to Artemis or Diana of the Ephesians, and was locally known as
Leto, or the queen of Perga. She is frequently represented on the coins as a
huntress, with a bow in her hand, and with sphinxes or stags at her side.
2. The Ruins:
The ruins of Perga are now called Murtana. The walls, which are flanked
with towers, show the city to have been quadrangular in shape. Very broad
streets, running through the town, and intersecting each other, divided the
city into quarters. The sides of the streets were covered with porticos, and
along their centers were water channels in which a stream was always flowing.
They were covered at short intervals by bridges. Upon the higher ground was the
acropolis, where the earliest city was built, but in later times the city
extended to the South of the hill, where one may see the greater part of the
ruins. On the acropolis is the platform of a large structure with fragments of
several granite columns, probably representing the temple of the goddess Leto;
others regard it as the ruin of an early church. At the base of the acropolis
are the ruins of an immense theater which seated 13,000 people, the agora,
the baths and the stadium. Without the walls many tombs are to be seen.
Source:
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Perga
The capital of Pamphylia, on the coast of Asia Minor. Paul and his
companions landed at this place from Cyprus on their first missionary journey (Act_13:13, Act_13:14),
and here Mark forsook the party and returned to Jerusalem. Some time afterwards
Paul and Barnabas again visited this city and “preached the word” (Act_14:25). It stood on the banks of the river
Cestrus, some 7 miles from its mouth, and was a place of some commercial
importance. It is now a ruin, called Eski Kalessi.
Source:
Easton’s Bible Dictionary