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ICONIUM

(Gk. Ikónion)

A city located on a high plateau in south central Asia Minor, modern Konya, Turkey. The first literary mention of Iconium is in connection with Cyrus’ visit to the city (Xenophon Anab. 1.2.13-14). Iconium was economically prosperous because it was both agriculturally productive and strategically situated on several major trade routes. Its position on the border between the tableland of Lycaonia to the southeast and rugged Phrygia to the west caused its fluctuating ties between the two regions. Phrygians settled the city, but the Seleucids and later the Romans made it a chief city of Lycaonia.

Paul and Barnabas visited Iconium and won many converts among both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 13:51–14:21). However, social unrest caused the two missionaries to flee to Lystra and Derbe (cf. 2 Tim. 3:11). During the “second missionary journey,” Paul and Silas visited these same cities for the purpose of strengthening the believers (Acts 15:36–16:6), and Paul may have visited Iconium again on the return leg of his “third missionary journey” (18:23). According to Acts a certain Gaius was from Iconium, and Timothy, who was from the region, had a good reputation in the city. The 2nd-century apocryphal Acts of Paul sets the legendary material about Paul and Thecla in Iconium. The church at Iconium was an important early Christian center, and a church council met there in a.d. 235.

Bibliography. C. A. Hemer, The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History. WUNT 49 (Tübingen, 1989); S. E. Johnson, Paul the Apostle and His Cities (Wilmington, 1987).

Paul Anthony Hartog

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ICONIUM

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)