The events of this period gather around seven cities. 1. =Jerusalem.= This place has been already described. (See page 73.) 2. =Samaria= (Acts 8:5-25), the field of Philip's early ministry, was the ancient capital of the Ten Tribes (see page 87), located 30 miles north of Jerusalem, and 6 miles northwest of Shechem. It had been rebuilt by Herod the Great, and named Sebaste, in honor of Augustus. It is now a village called _Sebastiyeh_. 3. =Cæsarea= (Acts 10:1), the place where the Gentile Cornelius became a disciple, was the Roman capital of Palestine, and the residence of the procurators. It was called Cæsarea Stratonis, to distinguish it from Cæsarea Philippi, under Mount Hermon; and was located on the sea-coast, 47 miles northwest of Jerusalem; and is now a desolate, uninhabited ruin, called _Kaisarieyeh_. 4. =Joppa=, where Dorcas was raised to life, and Peter received a vision (Acts 9:36-43; 10:11), is one of the most ancient towns in the world, in all ages the principal seaport of Palestine. It lies 30 miles south of Cæsarea, and 35 miles northwest of Jerusalem; and is now a flourishing city called _Yafa_, or _Jaffa_. 5. =Damascus=, the place where Saul was converted (Acts 9:1-25), is an ancient and famous city of Syria, 133 miles northeast of Jerusalem, beautifully situated in a plain at the foot of the Anti-Lebanon mountains. Recently it had a population of 150,000, but is rapidly decaying from the diversion of the Eastern trade through the Suez Canal. Its modern name is _el Shams_. 6. =Antioch=, seat of the first missionary church (Acts 11:19-30), was the metropolis of northern Syria, situated on the river Orontes, 16-1/2 miles from the Mediterranean, and 300 miles north of Jerusalem, in a deep pass between the Taurus and Lebanon ranges of mountains. It is now a mean village of 6,000 people, called _Antakia_. 7. =Tarsus=, the home of the apostle Paul, was the capital of Cilicia, in Asia Minor, and one of the leading cities of the Roman world. It was 12 miles from the Mediterranean, the same distance from Mount Taurus, and about 80 miles northwest of Antioch, across an arm of the sea. It is now a place of 30,000 inhabitants, called _Tersous_. [Illustration: PLAN OF ANCIENT ANTIOCH.] The most important events of this period may be arranged under five journeys, which are indicated upon the map.