Pergamon

Among Turkey's most visited sites, Pergamon has fascinating Archaic Period ruins like its Theater, Athena and Dionysus Temples, and Gymnasium. As a major political and commercial center, its citizens lived actively.

Christianity clashed with strong pagan beliefs there. In Revelation, Christ's third letter praises Pergamon believers who kept the faith despite pervasive pagan influences and false teachings (Revelation 2:13), and admonishes those who didn't, bringing religious and moral compromise (Revelation 2:14-15).

• Bible:
  • Revelation 2:13-15
• Travel:
  • Turkey & Greece 2019
    • Fri 3/8
      • 9:15 — Depart From Thyatira (Akhisar)
      • 10:20 — Tour Pergamum
        • On site textual Lesson Reading: Rev. 2:12-17
        • Acropolis
        • Altar
        • The Temple of Trajan
      • 1:30 — Snack Lunch
      • 3:00 — Depart for Çanakkale
        • Bus Devotional
• Resources:
  • Wikipedia
  • Wiki media
  • Web
  • Map

Background

Pergamon or Pergamum, also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos, was a rich and powerful ancient Greek city in Mysia. It is located 26 kilometers from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus and northwest of the modern city of Bergama, Turkey. Wikipedia

Pergamum was one of the most outstanding examples of city planning in the ancient world. It was a major center for literature, philosophy, and the arts. Extensive ruins of the city still stand; they share a site with the modern city of Bergama, Izmir Province,Turkey. Pergamum existed at least from the 5th century BC.

It was the Attalid capital (Attalid dynasty, successors of Alexander the Great). Pergamon was the protector of cities in the Hellenistic Period. It had political and artistic power and built up a very intense relationship with its contemporary civilizations. Pergamon was a major center of learning . Monumental temples, theaters, stoa, or porticoes, gymnasium, alter and library were set into the sloping terrain surrounded by an extensive city wall.

The Christian community of Pergamon was one of the earliest established in Asia Minor during the 1st century AD. It also comprised one of the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned at the New Testament Book of Revelations, written by John the Apostle.

Rev 2:12-17 - Message from Jesus to the church at Pergamum: commends the church for keeping the faith despite intense persecution and the pervading worship of Satan around them. However, some members of the church followed the teaching of Satan, and others followed the teaching of the Nicolaitans (Their doctrine was that it was all right to have one foot in both worlds and that one needn’t be so strict about separation from the world in order to be a Christian.)

Acropolis

The Acropolis of Pergamum is certainly dramatic, perched atop a high, steep-sided hill to the northeast of the modern city center.

Altar

The Pergamon Altar is a wonder of the ancient world that was built in Pergamon. The altar featured intricate carvings and was fairly large, measuring 36 meters wide and 34 meters deep with a frieze (or the middle part of a wall) 2.3 meters high and 123 meters long circling it.

The Temple of Trajan

Also called Trajaneum, is one of the most spectacular structures in Pergamon’s Upper Acropolis area. It is the only Roman monument in this location. It was started by Trajan and finished by Hadrian, his successor.

Title image credit

More to come...