DERBE. - A small town of Lycaonia, visited several times by St. Paul.
Stephanus of Byzantium erroneously calls it a fortress and port of Isauria. It stood north of the Isaurian region of Taurus, about 40 km southeast of Listra, west of Larranda. The identification of D., given the numerous but slight remains of cities found in the area, is uncertain; nor is it excluded that it may have arisen subsequently in different localities. After J. R. S. Sterrett, attention has been directed toward Losta (or Zosta). W. M. Ramsay stated, more precisely, that it was Gudelissin, about 4 km northwest of Losta.
Amyntas of Galatia, having killed Antipater, tyrant of D. and friend of Cicero (Epistolae ad familiares, XIII, 73), took possession of the city, incorporating it into his kingdom, already a vassal of Rome. Upon his death (25 B.C.), it was joined, together with other territories, to the Roman province of Galatia, from which it seems to have been detached again in A.D. 38, when Caligula ceded it to Antiochus IV of Commagene (Dio Cassius, LIX, 8, 8), though only for a short time. In honour of Claudius it took the name Claudio-D. Its position on the great imperial road linking Ephesus with Antiochia of Syria gave it a certain commercial importance.
On the first apostolic journey, Paolo and Barnaba, persecuted by the Jews of Iconio and Listra, took refuge in D. (Act. 14, 6.20), which they evangelized, apparently without disturbance and with abundant fruit (Act. 14, 21). On the second journey Paolo and Sila, coming from Syria and Cilicia, first visited D. and Listra (Act. 16, 1); Timoteo joined them there, having probably already been known at Listra on the preceding journey. In the account of the third missionary journey, a visit to the community of D. is not explicitly recorded. That Caio, who accompanied Paolo on his return from the third apostolic journey (Act. 20, 4), was a native or inhabitant of D.