232 Robert L. Mowery The term “the Gentiles” (ta; e[qnh) occurs three times in 13,46-48. After “the Jews” contradicted Paul’s words, Paul and Barnabas declared that they were turning to “the Gentiles” (v. 46), supporting this decision with an Isaianic text, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles” (v. 47). The narrator then declared that “the Gentiles” were glad and praised the word of the Lord (v. 48). The term e[qnh seems to be used in these passages in the same way in which it was used by Greek-speaking Jews, namely, as a technical term for non-Jews (50). No attempt is made to identify the ethnic identity of the Gentiles who responded to Paul’s preaching. Acts 13,50 refers to two groups of people, “the devout women of high standing” and “the leading men of the city”. While the women are said to be “devout” (sebomevna"), the men are not. Most of the women of high standing in first century Pisidian Antioch would have been descendants of Augustus’ Italian veterans, as would most of the leading men of the city (51). But like the earlier references to Gentiles in Acts 13,14-52, this passage fails to indicate the ethnic identity of these people. The author of Acts obviously knew that the Gentiles were not a single ethnic group. Subsequent chapters, for example, explicitly identify various individuals as Romans (e.g., 16,21; 25,16), Greeks (e.g., 14,1; 16,1), and persons who spoke the Lycaonian language (14,11). Within 13,46-48, however, the author mentioned only two groups of people, Jews and Gentiles. The decision of Paul and Barnabas to “turn to the Gentiles” (13,46) is not portrayed as a decision to turn to a specific group of Gentiles but as a decision to turn to persons who were not Jews. At this point in the narrative, the specific ethnic identity of these Gentiles was not a matter of concern. The non-biblical evidence shows that there was much more ethnic and cultural diversity in first century Pisidian Antioch than Acts 13,14- 52 reveals. We are left to wonder about the ethnic identity of the Gentiles who responded to Paul’s preaching. 2. Caristanius’ vow and his faithful fulfillment of this vow testify to his belief in the power of the unidentified deity (or deities) to whom he had made this vow. While we are unable to identify this deity, we are able to explore various aspects of the religious landscape of first century Pisidian Antioch. (50) See BECHARD, Paul, 152-153, and the literature he cites. (51) See MITCHELL – WAELKENS, Pisidian Antioch, 12.