It’s interesting to learn about the ancient people who populated Asia Minor thousands of years ago. Asia Minor is where the Apostle really wanted to go and declare the Messiah Yeshua. But the time wasn’t right. The Spirit didn’t allow him:

Acts 16:7 (HNV) When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them.

Later on however, Shaul did end up traveling to Asia Minor. This is a very long journey and I imagine very dangerous. If I remember correctly, the distance from Yerushalaim (Jerusalem) to the cities in Asia Minor where Paul travelled to, is something to the tune of 1,200 miles. The terrain is mountainous and very rugged. Imagine having to venture on a trip like this!

But it was worth it!

These same Jewish communities who had been there for hundreds of years as part of the diaspora, later became known as “the churches” of Asia Minor: in Galatia, Colossae, and Ephesus.

Remember the seven churches to which the apostle John (Yochanan) wrote to when he was given the revelation of the clash between the Kingdoms and the end of history? He was able to do that because Shaul (Paul) had already laid the foundation and now there was a “Body” and a network of followers of the Messiah, the Notsrim, as they were known then (the Nazarenes).

I wonder how much of the ancient Hittite culture was left in the people of these lands and what it was like having to deal with that?

The below article on the Hittites is from Dr. Claude Mariottini, Professor of Old Testament at Northern Baptist Seminary. I have been following his work for some time. He is not a Hebraist, but he’s a good conservative academic in a field that has seen tremendous hostility from the liberal mob.

George

The Hittites were a people who established a vast empire in Anatolia in the second millennium B.C. They are also mentioned as one of the inhabitants …

The Hittites: A Historical Perspective