9, 10. Where was Lystra located, and what do we know about its inhabitants?

⁹ Paul and Barnabas headed for Lystra, a Roman colony about 20 miles (30 km) to the southwest of Iconium. Lystra maintained strong ties with Pisidian Antioch but, unlike that city, did not have a prominent Jewish community. While the inhabitants likely spoke Greek, their mother tongue was Lycaonian. Possibly because the city contained no synagogue, Paul and Barnabas began preaching in a public area.