June 1st Saturday woke up relaxed in Izmir after completing our visit in Ephesus, looks like our bodies are pretty much tuned to the clock of sleeping late after a devotion and waking early for a quick breakfast and begin our drive to the next archeological site per plan. With an intro about Izmir our journey began, continued by devotion and overview presentation on the visiting sites.
Today we visited Pergamum and Sardis which are referred to in Revelation 2:12-17 & 3:1-6. Pergamon is renamed currently as ‘Bergama’. Pergamon often referred to Parchment as they have restarted using the goat skin scrolls to record scripts after Egypt stopped providing papyrus scroll sheets may be because Pergamon was producing more scriptures in science and art on the papyrus which was historically recorded in the libraries. The excavation archeological findings were Acropolis, Asklepeieion, the path from Asklepeieion to Acropolis, cisterns , theatre , library , agora and other remains of the city. Asklepeieion was known to be the hospital for the people in Pergamon and around regions, people came here for healing from their sickness. The healing ways or methodologies they adapted were whispering a hope in prayer by the priests, healing with flowing spring water sounds and non-poisonous snakes. The writings on the gates were “The death is forbidden to enter in Asklepeieion as respect to Gods” and wouldn’t allow dying and pregnant women. In a way looks like they don’t want to admit patients who are in a dying state. But the people who recovered used to offer either golden or clay body parts to Zeus and other God idols installed in the temple as a vow.
Asklepeieion has a path that connects to the Acropolis (Acro means high place and polis means city ) where we have to board a cable car to reach that high place. Acropolis has the library which hosted around 200000 books / scrolls approximately was established by the Attalid King Eumenes II ( 197-159 BCE ) and was in use from the reign of Eumenes II through Byzantine period. Pergamon has a spectacular theatre on the slopes of the mountains is also a architectural wonder. Its breathtaking historical remains must see in a lifetime. Apostle John writes to Pergamon in Spirit wrote to Pergamon church about some people who though accepted Christ but still practicing the teachings of Balaam, participating in idol worship or partaking the sacrifices meat and holding on to the teachings of Nicolaitans. John warns them to repent and be reconciled so that they are not lost. The Pergamon archaeological site is a great learning experience and a time travel into history.
After a delicious Turkish lunch, we had a drive to Sardis. It’s a serene country drive through the vineyards and olive orchards. The city of Sardis dates approximately 1000BC served as the capital city of the Lydian Kingdom. The archaeological site hosted the historical remains of the synagogue, roman style public bathrooms, ancient bazaar with shops, residences, restaurants and magnificent gymnasiums along with heated swimming pools for the exercising and practicing people to soak in the hot waters to rejuvenate. It was a wealthy city of magnificence of larger constructions and mines of diluvium and gold.
Overall, both the Pergamon and Sardis archeological sites takes us back in times and present the magnificent lives our ancestors lived and learning the transformation through their faith journey.
-Lax
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