The name Seleucia may denote any one of several cities in the Seleucid Empire.
Seleucia on the Tigris functioned as an early Seleucid capital city.
Seleucia in Syria functioned as the sea-port of Antioch and lay near the mouth of the Orontes. Paul and his companions sailed from this port on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4). This city was built by Seleucus Nicator, the "king of Syria." It is said of him that "few princes have ever lived with so great a passion for the building of cities. He is reputed to have built in all nine Seleucias, sixteen Antiochs, and six Laodiceas." Seleucia became a city of great importance, and was made a "free city" by Pompey. It is now a small village, called el-Kalusi.
Partly based on an article from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.
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