Eleven years or more after his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul along with Barnabas began his first missionary journey.
After traveling through Cyprus, they crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Asia Minor and probably continued eight miles up the river Kestros to Perga. They then began the difficult and often dangerous ninety-mile trip through the mountains to Antioch of Pisidia, whose altitude was about 3,600 feet. Antioch was the most important town in southern Galatia. Immediately Paul began preaching to the Jews and Gentiles (see Acts 13:14-49). It was also Paul's custom to support himself by pursuing his trade as a tentmaker; he did not necessarily make tents, but worked in leather and wool. Soon the Jews, concerned about his successful preaching, forced Paul and Barnabas to depart.
They traveled east on the Roman road that crossed a high pass through the mountains to the city of Iconium, a ninety-mile trip through what was known as the Treeless Region. Iconium was a major trading center, extremely fertile, surrounded by plum and apricot orchards. Here they resumed their preaching, but again the stir they created forced them to depart.
