Ἀττάλεια (Attaleia)
Attaleia
Attalia
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
Attaleia, known in English as Attalia, was a significant maritime city in the ancient region of Pamphylia. Located near the borders of Lycia, it served as an important port for Perga. The city was established and named by Attalus Philadelphus, a king of Pergamos, which explains its origin from the name Attalos.
In the New Testament, this location appears only once, in Acts 14:25. It marks a key stop on Paul’s first missionary journey as he and Barnabas returned to Antioch after preaching in Iconium and Lystra. The mention of Attaleia highlights the practical routes early Christians used to travel across the Mediterranean world.
While the name itself means "Jah's due season," its biblical significance lies in its role as a geographical marker rather than a theological concept. It reminds readers that the spread of the Gospel involved real places and real journeys, connecting distant communities through shared faith.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Attaleia appears just once in the New Testament, serving as a quiet waypoint on Paul and Barnabas’s return journey from their first missionary trip. This port city on the southern coast of Turkey was not where the Gospel was preached, but rather where the travelers prepared to cross the sea back to Antioch. Its inclusion reminds us that the early church moved through real geography, using established trade routes and busy harbors to carry the message of Jesus across the Mediterranean.
For your faith today, this detail offers comfort in the reality of God’s work in history. The spread of Christianity was not a vague spiritual concept but a tangible movement involving actual people, specific cities, and difficult travel. When you read about Attaleia, remember that the same God who guided Paul through these ports is present in your own daily journey. Your life, with all its stops and transitions, is part of a larger story of faith being shared across time and space.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Attalia;1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- Ἀττάλειαν·1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 14:25
When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
This verse marks the final stop before Paul and Barnabas sailed back to Antioch, highlighting Attaleia as the logistical gateway for their return journey.