PATARA (pat'a-r5.), (Gr. ildrapa, fiat'ar-ah).
A port of Lycia in Asia Minor, where Paul, on his voyage to Jerusalem, changed his ship for one bound to Phcenicia (Acts xxi:t, 2). Patara was about sixty stadia southeast from the mouth of the river Xanthos, at the modern village Gele mish.
The name of Patara in ancient times was closely connected with the cultus and the oracle of Apollo; and its later coins show Apolline types, though on its earlier coinage Athena and Hermes (Greek ideals of art and trade) are the promi nent figures. The Roman poets, and the later Greeks like Lykophron, associate the epithet Pat arean with Apollo, just as they call the god Del phian. The oracle spoke only during part of the year, viz., the six winter months. (Strabo, xiv, 665; Plin. Hist. Nat. v, 28; Mela, ts; Herod. i, 182.) Patara is now in ruins, but retains its ancient name. The remains prove it to have been a city of considerable importance. Among them are a theater, some massive walls and arches, a gate of the city with three arches nearly perfect, and numerous sarcophagi. Near the theater is a deep circular pit, and a square pillar rising above it, which Lewin thinks was the seat of the oracle of Patareus Apollo. The port is completely filled with sand, and is a malarious swamp; all com munication with the sea is cut off by a sand beach, and the sand is also gradually encroaching upon the ruins. (Schaff, B2b. Dict.) In the history of Christianity Patara was of small consequence. Lycia, like Pamphylia, seems to have been slow in adopting the new religion. Patara was a bishopric, and is mentioned as such in all the Notitice. There are still considerable ruins of the city, on which see Beaufort, Texier, Fellows, Spratt, and Forbes, and, above all, the splendid work of Benndorf-Niemann on Lykia. (W. M. Ramsay, Hastings' Bib. Dict.)
PATE (pit), (Heb. kod-kode', crown of the head), formed by loss of / from "plate," which came to be applied to the crown of the head, espe cially the bald crown, from its appearance: comp. Germ. Platte, 'a plate,"bald head,' and vulgarly 'the head' occurs once in the A. V. (Ps. vii:16, 'His mischief shall return upon his own bead, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate'). (Hastings' Bib. Dia.) PATH (pith), (Heb. , o'rakh).
FiguratiVe. (t) God's " fiaths" are his works of creation (Job xl :TO, the dispensations of his providence, wherein he walks towards his creatures (Ps. xxv:to; Is. lv:8, 9), or the clouds which distil his rain (Ps. lxv:II) ; or his truths and precepts, in which he requires men to walk (Ps. xvii:4). (2) The paths of the right eous are "paths of judgment," of uprightness, and of life; his religious course is judiciously chosen, he is candid and upright in following it out ; in his present walk he has life spiritual here, and shall attain life eternal hereafter (Is. xl:t4; Prov. ii:t3; v:6). (3) God makes a "straight way" or "path," when he removes every thing tending to the hindrance of his glory and gospel (Is. xlii: 16; x1:3, 4) ; and of his people's happiness (Jer. xxxi :9). (4) Christ's "paths" are made straight, when things are prepared for his public appear ances' on earth (Matt. iii:3). (5) Men make "straight paths" for their feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, when they take care of adding to, or taking from, the rules of God's word, and study to walk exactly according to it, lest some should stumble at religion on their account (Heb. xii:t3). (6) Men do not "find their paths" when they cannot get their pur poses fulfilled (Hos. ii:6).