Laodicea (Denizli)

Earthquakes repeatedly ruined once-prosperous Laodicea before its abandonment. A few hours north of modern Denizli, see its intricately-mosaicked, reconstructed basilicas.

The last of the seven churches of Revelation, Christ harshly rebukes this church for letting its economic wealth cause spiritual bankruptcy and prideful complacency so "lukewarm" He might "spit" it out (Revelation 3:16). Only He provides true spiritual prosperity (Revelation 3:17-18).

BLP:

We then depart for Laodicea (Denizli) yet another of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor Rev. 1:11; 3:14; Col. 2:1; 4:13-16. We will see the ancient theater, the remains of an ancient basilica and the ancient stone water pipes.

• Bible:
  • Rev 3:16-18
• Travel:
  • Turkey & Greece 2019
    • Wed 3/6
      • 11:00 — Depart Hierapolis for Laodicea (Denizli)
      • 11:15 — Snack Lunch
      • 12:30 — Tour Laodicea (Denizli)
        • On site textual lesson Reading: Rev. 3:14-22
      • 3:30 — Depart Laodicea for Kuşadası
        • Bus Devotional
• Resources:
  • Wikipedia
  • Wikimedia
  • Web
  • Map

Background

Wikipedia:

Laodicea is situated on the long spur of a hill between the narrow valleys of the small rivers Asopus and Caprus, which discharge their waters into the Lycus.

Laodicea was a rich ancient city in Asia Minor, now Turkey. It was located in the Hellenistic regions of Caria and Lydia, which later became the Roman Province of Phrygia Pacatiana. It is now near the modern city of Denizli. The ancient city lay on a major trade route and was located 17 km west of Colossae, 10 km south of Hierapolis and 160 km east of Ephesus. Has a colonnaded street.

With its large Jewish community, Laodicea very early became a sea of Christianity with a bishopric. The Epistle to the Colossians mentions Laodicea as one of the communities of concern for Paul the Apostle. Some Greek manuscripts of the First Epistle to Timothy end with the words: “Written at Laodicea, metropolis of Phrygia Pacatiana.” Laodicea is also one of the 7 churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelations.

Jesus condemned Laodicea for: proud of its wealth, but was spiritually lukewarm, a characteristic that Jesus detests. He promises to fellowship with anyone in the church who would heed His voice and welcome Him. Laodicea is the only church given no praise by Christ.

Ancient theater

asiarchitectural.com:

It was originally constructed as a sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of medicine, and was used over the next 800 years to host music and theater events dedicated to his worship.

Remains of an ancient basilica

Between the two theaters, on flat ground, there are the ruins of the North Basilica, built in the 5th century AD, and an earlier Corinthian Temple. Both buildings have been severely damaged by agricultural activities. In the area, there are numerous scattered fragments of the marble blocks.

Ancient stone water pipes

At the southern end of the site are the mains of the aqueduct and stone water pipes that brought water from a spring near Denizli into the southwest pat of the city. Note the heavy lime deposits in the pipes. They used an aqueduct and an inverted siphon system.

Title image credit

More to come...