DERBE - A city in the ethnic district Lycaonia and in the region Lycaonia-Galatica of the Roman province of Galatia. It lay on the road from the Cilician Gates to Lystra and Iconium. The city belonged for a while to Antipater, friend of Cicero, but was then annexed by Amyntas, king of Galatia in 27 BC and formed part of the province of Galatia as at first organized in 25 BC after the death of that ruler. Eventually, along with Laranda, it seems to have passed under the rule of Antiochus of Commagene. It was honoured with the prefix Claudio-. It was in that period that St. Paul visited it (Ac.14.6), and then retraced his steps to Lystra (q.v.). On his second and third journeys he came to Derbe first, coming from Cilicia. Gaius of Derbe was one of Paul's helpers (Ac.20.4). The Lycaonian tongue was still spoken at Derbe (Ac.14.11). Second cent. coins of Derbe are known. The site of the city seems now to have been recovered through an inscription found in 1956 at Kerti Hiiyiik, 13 miles from Karaman. It thus lay NNE. of Laranda, and not as close to Lystra as had been supposed. The site is in a plain that was marshy until recently. [Article: Dictionary of the Bible, J.Hastings, 2nd Ed., T&T.Clark, 1963. - A.So. - E.G.K.]