Turkey is a Cradle of Civilization, as verified by early cave drawings and archeological artifacts which have been discovered in this region. Wedged between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Turkey has always been an important center of civilization and trade. Camel caravans have crossed this region for thousands of years and you can find many impressive ruins of ancient “caravan hotels”, which provided accommodations and food for camel caravans. Some of these have been restored and are used for cultural functions today. The Tigrus and Euphrates River, often mentioned in the Bible, have their beginnings in Turkey and flow through Iraq. Noah’s arc landed on Mt. Ararat (Genesis 8:1-5) and after leaving Ur, Abraham and his family lived for a while in Haran (Genesis 11:31).

Many other ancient peoples named in the Bible were entirely or partly in Turkey. The Hittite Kingdoms (Gen. 10:15; 15:19–21), are especially worth mentioning. Until the twentieth century, the Hittites were known only from biblical accounts and skeptics pointed to these references as proof of the Bible’s unreliability. Secular Egyptian and Assyrian texts have been recently found and confirmed by archaeological discoveries. The Hittites are identified as the Kheta or Hatti. Their capital was at Hattusas (modern Boghazkoµuy), east of Ankara in Turkey. Hittite history is divided into two basic periods: the Old Kingdom (to c. 1500 B.C.) and the Empire (beginning c. 1460 B.C.). The two great periods of power and influence were around 1650 until 1500 and about 1380 to 1200 B.C..

Assyrians, mentioned frequently in the biblical narrative, have vanished from the face of the earth, but in the same region lives a mysterious people without a national government or territory. These are called Kurds and the area in which they live is called Kurdistan. Kurdistan covers the same area as ancient Assyria, partly in Iraq and Syria, but most Kurds live in Turkey. One of the most fascinating unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible is found in Isaiah 19:23 25. According to this prophecy, Assyria, Egypt and Israel will become friendly allies, enjoying the Lord’s favor and worshiping together!

1,500 Year Old Bible Found in Turkey