ASIA fa'sh(-hi. The ancients had no divisions of the world into parts or oillArlerS; and hence the word Asia, ilk the extended modern sense, does not occur in Scripture. It does not indeed occur at all, in any sense, in the I lebrew Scriptures, but is found in the tsmiks of the Maccabees and in the New Testament. It there applies, in the /arrest sense, to that peninsular portion of Asia which, since the fifth century, has been known by the name of Asia Minor, and, in a narrower sense, to a certain portion thereof which was kiwi%it as Asia Proper. Thus it is nim: generally agreed, (I) that 'Asia' denotes the whole of Asia Minor, in the texts Acts xix:26, 27; xx 16, 18; xxvii 2, etc.; but, (2) that only Asia Proper, the Roman or Proconsular Asia, is denoted in Acts ii:o; vial; xix:io, 22; 2 Tim. i:15; Nev. i:4, (1) Asia Minor. Asia Minor comprchendeC Bithynia, Pont us, Galatia, Cappadocia, Cicilia, Parnphylia, l'isidia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, Mysia, Troas (all of which are mentioned to the New Testament), Lydia, Ionia, zEolis (which are so1.12 times included under Lydia), Caria, Doris, and Lycia.
(2) Asia Proper. Asia Proper, or Pro consular Asia, comprehended the provinces of Phrygia, Mysia, Carla. and Lydia (Cicero, l'ro Fla e. 27; Fi/M. But it is evident that St. Luke uses the term Asia in a sense still more restricted; for in one place lie counts (Acts ii:o, to), and in another Nlysia (xvi:6, 7), as provinces distinct from Asia. Hence it is probable
that in many, if not all, of the second set of refer ences the word Asia denotes only Ionia, or the entire western coast, of which Ephesus was the capital, and in which the seven churches were situated. This is called Asia also by Strabo. About A.1) 285, sia was greatly reduced in size, Caria, Phrygia. Lydia, and Mysia alellespoutus) being separated from it; and the name Asia was then restricted to the coast cities and the lower valleys of the NIzeander, C.tyster, Hermus, and Caicus. "Asia was one of the most wealthy and populous and intellectually active of the Roman provinces; hence the natural sequence of the work done by Paul an 7 Itarnabas 1)II their first journey was to in the great cities of Asia; and this was evidently St. Paul's intention on his second journey, until. he found himself prevemed from speaking the word in Asia (.1cts xv1:6). The evan gelization of Asia was reserved for the third jour ney, when, during St. Paul's residence of two years and three months in Ephesus, 'the entire population of Asia heard the word' (Acts xix:io); partly on account of the frequency with which the provincials came to Ephesus for trade, religion, law, or festivals; partly through missions of St. Paul's coadjutors to the leading cities of the prov ince." ( M. Ramsay, Hasting's Bib. Diet.)