Cave Church of St Peter, Antioch
The grotto where tradition says the first 'Christians' met
Found 1863 — Capuchin friars restored the cave in 1863 with funds from Napoleon III; studied by the Princeton Antioch expedition (1932–1939); Turkish Ministry of Culture restoration 2013 that uncovered early mosaics
Where Mount Starius (Habib-i Neccar), Antakya, Hatay (Turkey)
Dates from Mosaic floor and frescoes 4th–5th century CE; façade 1098–1100 CE, rebuilt 1863 · Late Roman–Crusader · The assembly at Antioch (Acts 11, 13, 15; Galatians 2)
Now at In situ; museum-church administered by the Hatay Archaeology Museum (partly damaged in the February 2023 earthquake)
How Cave Church of St Peter, Antioch was found
The cave never went out of use, but the 2013 restoration cleared later floors to reveal the 4th–5th-century mosaic pavement and traces of fresco around the altar; a rock-cut tunnel at the back leads out to the mountainside.
What it is
A natural cave 13 m deep, 9.5 m wide and 7 m high cut into the mountain above Antakya, with a stone altar, a small spring, fragments of geometric mosaic floor, an escape tunnel, and a stone façade with three arches built by the Crusaders and rebuilt in the 19th century.
Why it matters for the Bible
At Antioch the followers of Yeshua were first called Christianoi (Acts 11:26), the first Gentile assembly formed, and Paul and Barnabas were sent out. Tradition since the Middle Ages names this cave as their meeting place and Peter's pulpit. Archaeology can confirm only a church here by the 4th–5th century; the great city of Acts lies mostly under modern Antakya and its Daphne suburb, whose Roman mosaics have their own entry.
The Hebrew word: mah-SHEE-ach
מָשִׁיחַ
מָשִׁיחַ is pronounced mah-SHEE-ach and means anointed one — Messiah; 'Christian' means one belonging to the Mashiach (Strong's H4899).
People this discovery connects to
- Peter (Kefa) — כֵּיפָא (kay-FAH) — Aramaic 'rock'; Greek Petros
- Barnabas — בַּר־נַבָּא (bar-nah-BAH) — 'son of encouragement'
Places
- Antioch — אַנְטִיּוֹכְיָא (an-tee-yoch-YAH) — Greek Antiocheia, named for Antiochus
Events
Disciples first called Christians at Antioch · Sending of Paul and Barnabas · Peter and Paul's dispute at Antioch (Galatians 2)
Cave Church of St Peter, Antioch in Scripture
Acts 6:5 First mention of Antioch in Scripture.
Acts 11:26 Disciples first called Christians in Antioch — the tradition places their meetings in this cave.
Galatians 2:11 Peter at Antioch, the apostle to whom the cave is dedicated.
Questions people ask
What is Cave Church of St Peter, Antioch?
A natural cave 13 m deep, 9.5 m wide and 7 m high cut into the mountain above Antakya, with a stone altar, a small spring, fragments of geometric mosaic floor, an escape tunnel, and a stone façade with three arches built by the Crusaders and rebuilt in the 19th century.
When was Cave Church of St Peter, Antioch discovered?
It was found in 1863 by Capuchin friars restored the cave in 1863 with funds from Napoleon III; studied by the Princeton Antioch expedition (1932–1939); Turkish Ministry of Culture restoration 2013 that uncovered early mosaics, at Mount Starius (Habib-i Neccar), Antakya, Hatay.
Where is Cave Church of St Peter, Antioch today?
In situ; museum-church administered by the Hatay Archaeology Museum (partly damaged in the February 2023 earthquake).
Which Bible verses does Cave Church of St Peter, Antioch relate to?
Acts 6:5, Acts 11:26, Galatians 2:11.
Is Cave Church of St Peter, Antioch authentic?
A church existed here by late antiquity; the claim that Peter preached in the cave is a medieval tradition with no first-century evidence.
Related discoveries
- כּוֹסAntioch-on-the-Orontes: Mosaics and the 'Chalice of Antioch'The city where disciples were first called Christians — and a famous silver cup that is not what it seemed
- בֵּית הָאֲסוּרִיםMamertine Prison (Carcer Tullianum), RomeThe Forum dungeon where tradition holds Peter and Paul were held before death
- צַיִדBethsaida: et-Tell and el-ArajTwo rival sites for the fishing village of Peter, Andrew and Philip
- לֹדLod (Lydda) MosaicA stunning Roman floor found under a street in the town where Peter healed Aeneas
- כֵּיפָאTomb of Peter beneath St Peter's BasilicaA 2nd-century shrine over a simple grave, with the graffito 'Petros eni'
- כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹלSt Peter in Gallicantu and the 'House of Caiaphas'Mount Zion's Byzantine church, rock-cut cells and the 'sacred pit'
Sources
- Church of Saint Peter (Wikipedia)
- Cave Church of St Peter, Turkey (Sacred Destinations)
- Antioch Excavation Field Reports, Baltimore Museum of Art archives