Cappadocia

Cappadocia is a region in the eastern interior of Asia Minor. The umbrella has a single in-scope appearance: it is one of the five provinces named in the salutation of 1 Peter as the territory of the Dispersion to which the letter is sent.

A Region of the Dispersion

Peter addresses his letter to the Christian Dispersion across a band of provinces from the Black Sea down through the Anatolian plateau: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," (1Pe 1:1). Cappadocia is the central province in the list, set between Galatia on the west and the rest of the addressees behind it. Its inclusion identifies Cappadocia as already evangelized at the time of writing — the elect there are part of the audience the apostle assumes he has.