Cilicia
길리기아
Named at Acts 6:9: some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen. Acts 15:23 gives the letter of “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia,” and at 15:40–41 Paul chooses Silas and goes through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies. Acts 21:39 says that Paul told the commanding officer, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city.” Acts 22:3 reads, in the defense made in the Hebrew language: “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.” At 23:34, when the governor has read the letter, he asks what province Paul is from and understands that Paul is from Cilicia. Acts 27:5 says, “When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.”
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Collection & rightsSource evidence (8)
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- ACT 6:8–15, engwebp
8Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
9But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.
10They weren’t able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
11Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
12They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, then brought him in to the council,
13and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.
14For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
15All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.
- ACT 15:22–29, engwebp
22Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.
23They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.
24Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment;
25it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth.
28For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things:
29that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”
- ACT 15:36–41, engwebp
36After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
37Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.
38But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work.
39Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,
40but Paul chose Silas and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God.
41He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.
- ACT 21:37–40, engwebp
37As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he asked the commanding officer, “May I speak to you?” He said, “Do you know Greek?
38Aren’t you then the Egyptian who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?”
39But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”
40When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,
- ACT 22:1–5, engwebp
1“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”
2When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,
3“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.
4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,
5as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
- ACT 23:31–35, engwebp
31So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks.
33When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
34When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,
35“I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.
- ACT 27:1–8, engwebp
1When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.
2Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us.
3The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.
4Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.
7When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.
8With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
- GAL 1:18–24, engwebp
18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.
19But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother.
20Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying.
21Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
22I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ,
23but they only heard, “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”
24So they glorified God in me.
AI-assisted, human review pending, 2026-09-25
Machine comparison on 2026-10-07: the wording raised none of the 3 rules against the passages this entry cites. No person has read it.
Geographic sources & candidates
Matched to OpenBible.info’s “Cilicia” by name and 8 shared verses. The leading identification is Cilicia (confidence 1000 of 1000). The dataset gives no point for it, only the region, river or route it lies in or along, so no point is drawn for it.
AI-assisted source review; human approval pending, 2026-09-29
- Cilicia
OpenBible.info confidence 1000 of 1000 (current scholarship)
36.91303, 34.89206
OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, “Cilicia” (CC BY 4.0)
Original editorial notes; linked source texts retain their own rights. Candidate lists are not exhaustive.
All 2 relationships: AI-assisted, human review pending
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Narrated location (2) — Paul and Barnabas separate over John called Mark, The writer went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter
A relationship with an event rests on the passages the event cites: each event’s page has them.
Verses tagged with this entry
Names in the World English Bible text that carry this entry’s tag. They are carried over from the tags on the Korean Revised Version, which are matched by name inside chapters that already have collected evidence, and a verse where the English says “he” carries none. All await human review. They are a separate list from the source passages above. An empty list does not mean the entry is absent from the text.
But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.
They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.
He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.
But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”
“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.
When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,
When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
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[Bibliadatum entry report] Entry: Cilicia (place-cilicia) Address: https://bibliadatum.org/en/wiki/place/cilicia Current wording: Named at Acts 6:9: some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen. Acts 15:23 gives the letter of “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia,” and at 15:40–41 Paul chooses Silas and goes through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies. Acts 21:39 says that Paul told the commanding officer, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city.” Acts 22:3 reads, in the defense made in the Hebrew language: “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.” At 23:34, when the governor has read the letter, he asks what province Paul is from and understands that Paul is from Cilicia. Acts 27:5 says, “When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.” Cited evidence: ACT 6:8–15, engwebp / ACT 15:22–29, engwebp / ACT 15:36–41, engwebp / ACT 21:37–40, engwebp / ACT 22:1–5, engwebp / ACT 23:31–35, engwebp / ACT 27:1–8, engwebp / GAL 1:18–24, engwebp Review state: ai-assisted / human-review-pending What looks wrong: (not written yet) --- This collection records what the text says and does not settle interpretation. A report about a reading that divides opinion may be registered as an unresolved issue rather than corrected.