Bible Locations

Derbe was a town in Lycaonia, in south-central Asia Minor, part of the Roman province of Galatia. It was on the edge of the plain, far from the coast. On their first journey, Paul and Barnabas fled there from Lystra after Paul was stoned. They "preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples" (Acts 14:21), then turned back through Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. Paul visited again on his second journey, when he met Timothy nearby (Acts 16:1). Gaius, "from Derbe," later traveled with Paul (Acts 20:4). Its location was uncertain until 1956 and 1964, when inscriptions naming Derbe were found near a mound called Kerti Hüyük and later at Devri Şehri, near the modern city of Karaman in Turkey. The site hasn't been excavated much. Derbe seems to be the only town on the first journey where Paul didn't face violent opposition.