Ancient mosaic from Antioch

According to the New Testament Palestinian Christians brought the Gospel to Antioch very early and preached there to both Jews and Gentiles. Here the followers of Jesus were first called "Christian." The first mission to Gentiles that did not demand circumcision was organized at Antioch. Local leaders of this church commissioned Paul and Barnabas to undertake their mission to Cyprus and Asia Minor and representatives of the Antiochene church were present at the council in Jerusalem. Traditions according a unique role of leadership to the Apostle Peter also early emanated from Antioch. In the early second century the bishop and theologian Ignatius of Antioch argued for both the integrity and the unity of the divine and the human in Christ. Ignatius also emphasized the importance of church order and is one of the progenitors of the monarchical episcopate of the early catholic church. Modern scholars have associated the name of this city with the so-called Antiochene theology. Antioch was sacked by Persians in 540 and overrun by Arabs in the seventh century, but an Antiochian Orthodox Church exists to the present.