Antioch

Ancient capital of the Greek kingdom of Syria, founded 300 BC by Seleucus I in memory of his father Antiochus, and famed for its splendour and luxury. Under the Romans it was an early centre of Christianity. St Paul set off on his missionary journeys from here. It was captured by the Arabs in AD 637. After a five-month siege in 1098 Antioch was taken by the crusaders, who held it until 1268. The site is now occupied by the Turkish town of Antakya.

Antioch

City in Phrygia, Anatolia, centre of Hellenism during the pre-Christian period. It was visited by St Paul on his first missionary journey. Under the Roman empire it became a colony.

The ruined site is near Yalvaç in modern Turkey.

Antioch

Town in Contra Costa County, north-central California, USA; population (1990) 62,200. It is situated on the San Joaquin River, south of where it joins the Sacramento River, and 43 km/27 mi northeast of Oakland. Founded in 1849 by New Englanders, it has chemical, paper, glass, and other industries, power plants, and facilities for packing and shipping agricultural products of the fertile San Joaquin–Sacramento delta region. Its population increased by over 120% in the period 1970–90.