What was Paul doing between his disappearance from the biblical account in Acts 9 and his reappearance in Acts 11? Biblical scholar and archaeologist Mark R. Fairchild has spent years in the field searching for the answer, trekking some of the most rugged terrain in Turkey to find it.

In Unearthing Paul's Forgotten Mission, Fairchild makes a groundbreaking case that Paul's earliest and longest ministry unfolded first in the remote, largely forgotten landscape of Rough Cilicia, Paul's home province. Drawing on firsthand archaeological fieldwork, careful engagement with ancient historical literature, and the biblical accounts in Acts and Paul's letters, this is the first book to identify, describe, and contextualize the ancient settlements where Paul first began evangelizing and establishing churches.

In Unearthing Paul's Forgotten Mission, Fairchild:



- Investigates the roughly nine-year gap between Acts 9 and Acts 11, arguing that Paul was engaged in active, fruitful ministry throughout Rough Cilicia before joining Barnabas in Antioch.

- Examines archaeological evidence of a Jewish presence in Rough Cilicia and documents visible archaeological remains at sites throughout the area.

- Includes the author's drone images of the area to inform our understanding of Paul's journeys and the earliest Christian communities established there.

Unearthing Paul's Forgotten Mission is essential reading for New Testament and Pauline scholars, students of early Christianity, and those who want a deeper understanding of the full arc of Paul's ministry and its place in early Christian mission. If you have ever wondered what the apostle was doing during the years Acts passes over in silence, this book provides the most rigorous and visually rich answer yet available.



Mark R. Fairchild (PhD, Drew University) is a retired professor and Fulbright Senior Research Scholar from Huntington University who has traveled and researched Anatolia for the last 26 years. He is the author of Christian Origins in Ephesus and Asia Minor, The Underwater Basilica of Nicaea (IVP Academic) and Paul's Enslavement: The Early Life of Saul the Zealot. Fairchild received research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities at both Yeshiva University and the University of Chicago and has published articles in New Testament Studies, Journal of Ancient Judaism and the Biblical Archaeology Review.



1. Introduction



2. Geography and History of Rough Cilicia



3. Paul's Earliest Christian Journeys: Arabia and Syria



4. Paul's Mission in Cilicia



5. The Consequences of Paul's Cilician Ministry



6. Conclusions: Architectural Distinctiveness of Rough Cilicia and Paul's Cilician Legacy



Appendix: Ancient Cities, Towns, and Villages Between the Lamos and Calycadnus Rivers



Appendix: Map of Rough Cilicia



Appendix: Chart of Rough Cilician Settlements and Their Structures



Appendix: GPS Coordinates of Ancient Sites: Turkey



Bibliography