210 SIR W. M. RAM SAY, ON EXnORATION OF ASIA MINOR, AS BKARING 



narrative of Acts. The narrative springs direct from experience 

 of the localities and di.stricts and boundaries as they were when 

 the journeys were made. Had the scene lain only in the great 

 Province of Asia, with Ephesus as its port and its commercial 

 centre, we could not have got much clear evidence of date, for 

 the bounds and divisions of the Province of Asia remained 

 practically unchanged throughout the first three centuries. In 

 that part of the narrative we can find abundant proofs of 

 vividness in knowledge, but not directly of date. But the scene 

 lies partly in the newer Province Galatia, whose extent, 

 divisions, government and boundaries varied greatly during the 

 first two centuries. In the narrative w^e are conducted stage 

 by stage in Paul's company ; we traverse the districts of the 

 Province and feel tlie delicate, hardly perceptible indications of 

 bounds as we pass from one district to another ; and the 

 districts and limits of this Province that are shown in the Acts 

 are those of the first century. We note that the population of 

 Iconium, a Hellenic city, are called Hellenes ; but that the 

 population of Lystra and Pisidian Antioch, two Eoman colonies, 

 are styled simply " the multitude,*" a term used regularly in the 

 inscriptions of, this region to translate the Latin temi plehs. In 

 one detail after another the evidence of truth and minute accuracy 

 accumulates. The more we learn of the country, which was 

 practically a terra incognita wntW quite recently, the better do we 

 appreciate the vividness and the accuracy. There is much yet 

 to learn, and there is no doubt that future discovery will only 

 strengthen and increase the evidence already accumulated in 

 support of the book of the Acts. 



But I must conclude, and the conclusion must always be the 

 same, to express the wonder which fills me that it is so ditficult 

 to interest the Churches in the discovery of the evidence bearing 

 on this subject. We want to excavate the cities of Palestine 

 and the cities of St. Paul. There lies hid the evidence that 

 will settle numberless Biblical questions and difficulties. Why 

 is it that, if you ask for the cost of excavating a first-rate city 

 of Palestine, you will get a few hundreds, barely a tenth of the 

 money needed ; if you ask for money to excavate such a site as 

 Lystra, nothing is given ? Is it that they are afraid of the 

 results and shrink from submitting their books to the test of 

 discovery ? I do not think that is so, but they are infected too 

 deeply with what has always been the vice and the weakness of 

 the Christian Churches an(i sects, hatred of one another. That 

 hatred and disunicju has always been the main support of tlieir 

 enemies, who can always trust to find allies among some of the 



