Phrygia

The term "Phrygia" (literally, parched, dry, barren) geographically refers to a vaguely defined interior region of central-western part of what is now Turkey, or ancient Asia Minor. The term may lack precise geographical boundaries for two reasons - the geographical limits changed dramatically from the original migration of the Phrygians until biblical times, and the term originally referred to a people, not a place. Josephus alleges that this people group originally descended from Japheth, through his son Gomer and grandson Togarmah (Gen 10:3; cf. Ezek 27:14). According to Herodotus, this people group migrated from Thrace, where they were called Bryges, through the Hellespont, as allies of Troy, into a vaguely defined zone in central-western Asia Minor, where they came to be called Phrygians. The exact era of the original migration is not known, but is before the 12th century B.C. The Phrygian language is similar to Greek. Plato, for example, noted the similarity of Greek and Phrygian words in Plato's Cratylus (401a). Neo-Phrygian clearly utilizes the Greek script.

The Phrygians reached their zenith in approximately the 8th century B.C., with the reigns of Gordion and Midas. Midas is depicted in Greek mythology as having the ears of a donkey, and gifted by the gods to turn whatever he touched into gold, including his own children. Later conquered by the Kingdom of Lydia, the region came under Persian control under Cyrus, through Cyrus' defeat of the Lydian King, Croesus, in 546 B.C. Alexander then took the region in 334 B.C., which remained under Alexander's general Seleucus and his descendants' control until the Peace of Apamea in 188 B.C. where Pergamum, under Eumenes II (197-158 B.C.) as an ally of Rome, took control of the region from Antiochus III. The last king of Pergamum ceded his entire kingdom and territories, including Phrygia, to Rome in 133 B.C.

Phrygia, centered around the Lycus River valley, includes the sites of three nearly adjacent cities significantly named in Scripture - Colossae, Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22), and Hieropolis (Col 2:1; 4:13; modern Pammukale).

Three times the term Phrygia appears in the Bible, in Acts, 2:10, 16:6, and 18:23. Additionally, a subscript appended to 1 Timothy 6:21 appears in the Textus Receptus (upon which the KJV derived, hence its appearance in the KJV) stating that 1st Timothy "was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana." Pacatiana refers to Phrygia Prima, whose chief city was Laodicea, in distinction to Phrygia Secunda (Salutaris). These two provinces comprised Phrygia as a whole under the Roman imperial administrative rezoning of provinces under Diocletian in about A.D. 295.

Acts 2:10 describes the presence of Phrygians at Pentecost, hearing in their "own language the mighty works of God." During the second missionary journey (Acts 15:36-18:22), Paul passed through Phrygia and Galatia in Acts 16:6. Paul's third missionary journey (Acts 18:23-21:16) begins with his orderly excursion through "all the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples" (Acts 18:23).

Significantly, there was a thriving Jewish population in Phrygia, making the region a logical missionary target for the Apostle Paul (cf. Acts 13-22), who began church-planting enterprises by preaching Christ in the synagogues (as per Acts 13:15). Even in Obadiah's time (cf. vs. 20), around the time of the destruction of the First Temple in 586 B.C., Jewish exiles resided in the Lydian capital of Sardis (an Aramaic inscription in Sardis matches the Hebrew transliteration of "Sepharad" of Ob. 20). Josephus reports that Seleucus I (312-281 B.C.) granted "full civic rights" to Jews, and moreover, Antiochus II (261 B.C.-246 B.C.) planted Jewish colonies in Ionia, while Antiochus III (222–187 B.C.) ordered his satrap (regional governor) Zeuxis to allow 2000 Jewish families to settle in Phrygia with free cultivable lands and a tax-free status for ten years. Jews of the region paid their half-shekel "temple tax" to support the Temple of Jerusalem, until it was confiscated by Lucius Valerius Flaccus in 62 B.C. (it was reinstituted under Flaccus' successor). The amount of money confiscated by Flaccus indicates a quite large Jewish population in the region. In A.D. 2-3, even Augustus posted a full declaration of Jewish rights in this part of the Empire in Ancyra, the capital of Galatia. Accordingly, Paul targeted a center of Jewish presence and prosperity in his missionary enterprises (cf. Rom 1:16; 9:3).

Ezekiel 27 (WEB)

1Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, 2“You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; 3and tell Tyre, ‘You who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, the Lord Yahweh says:

“You, Tyre, have said,

‘I am perfect in beauty.’

4Your borders are in the heart of the seas.

Your builders have perfected your beauty.

5They have made all your planks of cypress trees from Senir.

They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

6They have made your oars of the oaks of Bashan.

They have made your benches of ivory inlaid in cypress wood from the islands of Kittim.

7Your sail was of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt,

that it might be to you for a banner.

Blue and purple from the islands of Elishah was your awning.

8The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers.

Your wise men, Tyre, were in you.

They were your pilots.

9The old men of Gebal

and its wise men were your repairers of ship seams in you.

All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you

to deal in your merchandise.

10“‘“Persia, Lud, and Put were in your army,

your men of war.

They hung the shield and helmet in you.

They showed your beauty.

11The men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around,

and valiant men were in your towers.

They hung their shields on your walls all around.

They have perfected your beauty.

12“‘“Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches. They traded for your wares with silver, iron, tin, and lead.

13“‘“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They traded the persons of men and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.

14“‘“They of the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, war horses, and mules.

15“‘“The men of Dedan traded with you. Many islands were the market of your hand. They brought you horns of ivory and ebony in exchange.

16“‘“Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks. They traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies.

17“‘“Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded wheat of Minnith, confections, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise.

18“‘“Damascus was your merchant for the multitude of your handiworks by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool.

19“‘“Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were among your merchandise.

20“‘“Dedan was your merchant in precious saddle blankets for riding.

21“‘“Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favorite dealers in lambs, rams, and goats. In these, they were your merchants.

22“‘“The traders of Sheba and Raamah were your traders. They traded for your wares with the best of all spices, all precious stones, and gold.

23“‘“Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad, were your traders. 24These were your traders in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in cedar chests of rich clothing bound with cords, among your merchandise.

25“‘“The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise.

You were replenished

and made very glorious in the heart of the seas.

26Your rowers have brought you into great waters.

The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.

27Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,

your mariners, your pilots, your repairers of ship seams,

the dealers in your merchandise,

and all your men of war who are in you,

with all your company which is among you,

will fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your ruin.

28At the sound of the cry of your pilots,

the pasture lands will shake.

29All who handle the oars,

the mariners and all the pilots of the sea,

will come down from their ships.

They will stand on the land,

30and will cause their voice to be heard over you,

and will cry bitterly.

They will cast up dust on their heads.

They will wallow in the ashes.

31They will make themselves bald for you,

and clothe themselves with sackcloth.

They will weep for you in bitterness of soul,

with bitter mourning.

32In their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you,

and lament over you, saying,

‘Who is there like Tyre,

like her who is brought to silence in the middle of the sea?’

33When your wares came from the seas,

you filled many peoples.

You enriched the kings of the earth

with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise.

34In the time that you were broken by the seas,

in the depths of the waters,

your merchandise and all your company fell within you.

35All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at you,

and their kings are horribly afraid.

They are troubled in their face.

36The merchants among the peoples hiss at you.

You have come to a terrible end,

and you will be no more.”’”