Side
Biblical Mention and Context
Side appears in Scripture in 1 Maccabees 15:23, which records that a letter from the Roman consul Lucius was sent there, along with to many other locations, declaring Roman friendship and support for the Jewish people. This diplomatic correspondence, dated to around 139-138 BC, was part of a broader Roman effort to establish alliances and assert influence in the Eastern Mediterranean following the Maccabean Revolt. The letter instructed the recipients to treat the Jews peacefully and not to give aid to their enemies, reflecting the growing political recognition of the Jewish nation under the Hasmonean leader Simon Maccabeus.
Historical Development of the City
Founded by Greek colonists from Cyme in Aeolis (traditionally in the 7th century BC), Side occupied a strategic triangular promontory on the Pamphylian coast. Its name is believed to be of Anatolian origin, meaning "pomegranate," a symbol that appeared on its coinage. Before its conquest by Alexander the Great in 333 BC, Side had already developed into a significant settlement. Following Alexander's death, it came under the control of the Ptolemaic and later the Seleucid empires. The city reached its peak during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC as a major port and the metropolis of Pamphylia. Its wealth was derived from maritime trade and, infamously, from serving as a primary market and base for Cilician pirates who sold plundered goods and slaves there until Pompey the Great suppressed piracy in 67 BC. Under Roman rule, Side continued to prosper into the 3rd century AD.
Archaeological Remains and City Features
The extensive ruins at the site (modern Selimiye, near Antalya, Turkey) reveal a sophisticated Greco-Roman city. The landward side was protected by substantial walls with a main gate flanked by round towers. The city possessed two harbors, now silted with sand, which were protected by a sea wall. Within the walls, notable structures include a large theater—one of the largest in Pamphylia, capable of seating about 15,000 people—with a decorated stage building. A colonnaded street (portico) led from the main city gate to the public agora (marketplace) and harbors. Outside the walls, a necropolis (city of the dead) lined the approach road with numerous sarcophagi. Remains of an aqueduct, a nymphaeum (monumental fountain), temples (including to Athena and Apollo), and a Byzantine basilica attest to the city's long occupation. The ruins are largely unoccupied today, known locally as Eski Adalia ("Old Antalya").
Significance in the Biblical World
While Side is only mentioned once in the Apocrypha, its inclusion in 1 Maccabees 15:23 highlights its status as an important political entity in the region with which Jewish diplomats engaged. The city's role as a pirate hub in the 1st century BC illustrates the volatile conditions of the Eastern Mediterranean sea lanes during the late Second Temple period, a context relevant to understanding the maritime world of the New Testament. As a major port, Side would have been a node in the network of travel and communication that connected Judea with the wider Greco-Roman world, the very network used by early Christian missionaries like Paul, who traveled through the nearby region of Pamphylia (Acts 13:13, 14:24-25). Its archaeological record provides a tangible backdrop for the Hellenistic and Roman cultural milieu that forms the setting for much of the intertestamental and New Testament literature.
Biblical Context
Side is mentioned explicitly only in 1 Maccabees 15:23, within a list of states and cities to which the Roman Senate sent a decree affirming friendship with the Jewish nation under Simon Maccabeus. The book of 1 Maccabees is part of the Apocrypha, included in Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments but not in the Protestant canon. The reference is diplomatic and political, showing the reach of Roman foreign policy and the international standing of the Hasmonean kingdom in the mid-2nd century BC.
Theological Significance
The mention of Side, though brief, contributes to the biblical theme of God's providence working through international politics. The Roman decree sent there was seen by the author of 1 Maccabees as divine favor, a tool God used to secure peace and legitimacy for His people (1 Maccabees 15:24). It underscores that God's sovereignty extends over all nations and their diplomatic dealings. Furthermore, the city's history as a prosperous but morally compromised pirate haven can serve as a metaphor for worldly power and wealth built on injustice, contrasting with the biblical call for righteousness and peace.
Historical Background
Extra-biblical sources and archaeology confirm Side as a significant ancient port. Greek historians note its founding and its resistance to Alexander, who eventually took it without a fight. Later historians, like Strabo, describe its wealth and role as a pirate market. In 190 BC, a pivotal naval battle was fought off its coast where the fleet of the Seleucid king Antiochus III was defeated by the Rhodians, checking Seleucid naval power. Roman historians record Pompey's campaign against the pirates who used Side. Coins minted in Side feature the pomegranate and later, Roman emperors. The city declined after Arab raids in the 7th century AD and was largely abandoned by the 10th century.