Chapter Three

Sardis, the capital of Lydia under the great king Croesus, was the first city to mint gold and silver coins. According to tradition, sheep skins were placed in the river Pactolus to catch gold carried by the current. Perhaps this was the origin of Jason's "golden fleece."

Pactolus River

The area was extremely rich... Darius later carried out $600 million. When the wise Greek Solon visited the city, Croesus pointed out all the wealth and pleasures of the city. "Call no man happy until he is dead," Solon replied.

According to the Oracle of Delphi, Croesus would destroy a great kingdom by crossing the Halys River. When the Persian Cyrus approached in 546 B.C., Croesus eagerly crossed the river to meet him in battle. What the Lydian king didn't know was that it was his own great kingdom that was to be destroyed. Defeated on the battlefield, Croesus retreated to the fortress above Sardis. After 14 days of looking at the city, Cyrus offered a reward to any soldier who could find a way to enter the city.

Hill where fortress was located.

Hyeroeades saw a Sardian soldier drop his helmet, appear below to recover it, then reappear on the wall. This told him that there might be a way into the city. Working their way along a fault that night, a group of Persian soldiers found their way into city and opened the gate. The fortifications were totally unguarded, since there was no way for an enemy to even get close (or so they thought).

After Alexander seized the city in 334 B.C., his general Antiochus III was faced with a situation similar to that of Cyrus when his enemy retreated into the stronghold. The fortification was besieged for a year before a soldier named Lagoras repeated the feat of his Persian counterpart.

Over the years, the stronghold became more of a robbers' refuge than a place inhabited by civilized men. The area was known for its wool business and for fruit production.

Synagogue at Sardis

It was devastated by an earthquake in A.D. 17, and not even a gift of 10 million sesterces from Tiberius could restore the city to its former state.

During its history, the city had a reputation of being alive. But the walls that supposedly assured safety were actually the walls of a tomb.

Unlike some of her sisters, this congregation was failing on both counts. They had neither the spirit nor the truth. As they rested in their complacency and imagined security, they were to be visited by a thief in the night. How well they knew this story!

Only a few had not soiled their garments and could be clothed in white (a reference to their production of wool products).

Attalus II was known as "Philadelphus" because of his devotion to his brother Eumenes. So the city founded by Attalus was named "Philadelphia."

Wrecked by the earthquake of A.D. 17, the city suffered from quakes for the next 20 years. Tiberius helped rebuild the city, so the name was changed briefly to "Neocaesarea." It was later called "Flavia" after Flavius Vespasian and his wife.

Its position on major trade routes made it a doorway to commerce in the area.

But Jesus recognizes a more important doorway. The faithfulness of the Christians made it a doorway for evangelism.

Ruins of early church building

Verse 12 is obviously a reference to the city's history of name changes.

Nothing negative is said about this congregation.

Proud Laodicea was founded by Antiochus II (261-246 B.C.) and was named for his wife Laodice.

It was an extremely wealthy banking center. After the earthquake of A.D. 60 the city refused help from Rome.

The city manufactured black wool products, including cloaks and carpets. It was also the home of a medical school and exported a powder to be used as eyesalve.

Pipeline to Laodicea

Colossians 4:13-16 mentions this congregation along with its sister in Hierapolis. Water was piped from Hierapolis to Laodicea, but there is some doubt that this mineral-laden water was fit for drinking. Another pipeline to the other direction may have supplied drinking water. Either way, the inhabitants of the city knew what it was like to drink lukewarm water. The water from Hierapolis was warm to start with, and the pipeline to the other direction would have warmed the water along the way.

Pool at Hierapolis

The Lord, through His association with Laodicea, also knew what it was like to drink lukewarm water. And He didn't like it. He has nothing good to say about congregation here, not even about a small group of its members.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."