Lystra
Lystra is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Asia Minor in modern-day Turkey. Known today as Tel Lystra. It appears across 6 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Lystra was a Roman colony in the region of Lycaonia that became a pivotal location in the apostle Paul's missionary journeys. Paul and Barnabas first arrived at Lystra after fleeing persecution in Iconium during their first missionary journey (Acts 14:6). There Paul healed a man lame from birth, prompting the astonished crowd to proclaim the apostles as Zeus and Hermes and attempt to offer sacrifices to them (Acts 14:8-18). Paul and Barnabas urgently redirected the crowd's worship toward the living God. Shortly afterward, Jews from Antioch and Iconium turned the crowd against Paul; he was stoned and dragged outside the city, left for dead (Acts 14:19-20). Yet Paul rose and returned to the city. On his second missionary journey, Paul returned to Lystra, where he found Timothy, a young disciple whose mother was a Jewish believer and whose father was Greek (Acts 16:1-3). Paul chose Timothy as his traveling companion, circumcising him to facilitate ministry among Jews. Lystra thus gave the early church one of its most faithful leaders.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Lystra was identified in 1885 when J.R. Sitlington Sterrett discovered a Roman altar bearing the city's Latin name at a mound called Zoldera, near the modern village of Hatunsaray, approximately 30 kilometers south-southwest of Konya in central Turkey. A stone inscription reading "Lustra" confirmed the site. Limited excavation has been conducted, but surface surveys have revealed Roman-period pottery and architectural fragments. The mound rises prominently above the surrounding plain, consistent with descriptions of a Roman colonial settlement. An inscribed statue base honoring Augustus found nearby confirms the city's status as a Roman colony (Colonia Julia Felix Gemina Lustra). The remote location of the site helps explain the persistence of local Lycaonian language and customs that Luke describes.
Verse Appearances (6)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →