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Sardis and, finally, Thyatira

 The current state of the cities when you take this tour has nothing to do with the letters in Revelation 2 and 3. 

Sardis was an interesting location because of its highly Jewish theme. It was on the Royal Road:

The Royal Road is an ancient highway reorganized and rebuilt for trade in the 5th century BC Achaemenid Empire.[1] The road was built to facilitate rapid communication on the western part of the large empire from Susa to Sardis[2] and was probably perfected under Darius I. Mounted couriers of the Angarium were supposed to travel 1,677 miles (2,699 km) from Susa to Sardis in nine days; the journey took ninety days on foot.[3] 

Obviously from Wikipedia.

So Esther's messengers (to tell the Jews to defend themselves) came this way. There is a beautiful synagogue in Sardis that is being restored. There did not seem to be a modern-day city there, just the excavation sites. 



















Along with the synagogue is the gymnasium, which was  a learning center but also a "meat/meet market," if you get my drift. If not, perhaps the statement, "What happens in the gymnasium stays in the gymnasium" will make more sense. A little dog followed me there. She was the only one I wanted to bring home. 

Then there is a Temple of Artemis that was never finished because the sponsor ran out of money; the little tabs on the pillars indicate it wasn't paid for. The columns are massive. Apparently that sponsor was trying to build other temples. Building temples in honor of either gods or emperors seems to have been the main industry. 
















 Perspective on size of the column's capitals. Sardis was very Greek. Ionic capitals are Greek, Corinthian (with the tongues or leave--acanthus leaves--are Roman).

Beside the temple was later built a church to St. Mary in later centuries. It was brick, small, unassuming, but it's in better shape than the temple.  

                                             

Finally, Sardis was known for being in the shadow of Mount Tmolus, which was supposed to be impregnable and keep them from invasion. It didn't work (Cyrus the Great got over it), really, but it might be the reason for "Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you" in Revelation 3. 

Thyatira, not far from Sardis (we had finished the day at both by early afternoon) was like Philadelphia, a city block with some excavation and archaeological work. 








 

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