Monthly Archives: April 2011

These days Easter is celebrated in all Christendom and in many countries celebrating Easter includes colouring eggs. We are told that the word Easter has it origin in the old English ēastre which is related to the German Ostern. The … Continue reading →

During the third century Antioch became the centre of an interesting controversy. The theologians of this city found it very important to insist that Jesus from Nazareth while on earth was a real man. They had had some trouble with … Continue reading →

The French philosopher Ernest Renan (d. 1892) has described the ancient Antiochenes the following way: “Besides the Greek population, indeed, which was nowhere in the East (with the exception of Alexandria) so numerous as here, Antioch numbered among its population … Continue reading →

In good old days Antioch was the capital of the Roman province called Syria. This meant that she was more important than both Damascus and Aleppo. But with the conquest of Syria in the seventh century things started to change. … Continue reading →

People in Antioch loved entertainment. The preacher John Chrysostom found it a little too much. In Homily III he said: “The day before yesterday we set on foot our sermon concerning the Devil, out of our love for you. But … Continue reading →

It is said that the Iron Gate was built by Justinian, but he may just have improved it. It is situated at the gorge between Mount Cassius and Mount Staurin. Procopius, a Byzantine scholar from the sixth century, gives us … Continue reading →

In his book Christian Antioch – A Study of Early Christian Thought in the East (Cambridge University Press 1982) D . S. Wallace-Hadrill explains how the Christians during the first couple of centuries after the death of the apostles of … Continue reading →

As mentioned in the blog of my friend Christopher Ecclestone entitled The Dig at the Daphne Bridge (May 22, 2010) the old Daphne Bridge over the torrent Phyrminus in Antakya has been unearthed in connection with canalisation repair. At that … Continue reading →

We are told that the inhabitants of Antioch used to be a irresponsible lot. They loved entertainment and did not take rules and standards too seriously. This resulted in a superficial tolerance between the various groups and denominations of the … Continue reading →

After the conquest of Syria and Egypt by the Ottomans early in the sixteenth century the Pax Ottomania facilitated visits by Europeans. In 1629 a French priest named Philippe paid Antakya a visit. He was followed in 1667 by a … Continue reading →