Phoenicia is the territory of city states on the Levant coast north of Mount Carmel. It belonged to the Roman province of Syria. Jewish communities are attested in the cities of Byblos, Berytus, Dora, Ptolemais, Sidon and Tyre. From Acts 15:3 we know that there were Christians living in this area. Cyprus was an island easily reached from Caesarea, and Antioch was the capital of the Roman province of Syria. There were Christians here before the arrival of Barnabas and Paul (Acts 13:4–12).1 The fact that those who were scattered went as far as Antioch suggests that they also went to the towns and villages to the south of Antioch.2
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.