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Seven Churches Region: Pergamum

 Pergamum does not get a good grade in the letter in Revelation 2. "Where Satan dwells" is possibly a reference to all the pagan temples, to Zeus first of all, and Dionysus by the theatre, and Artemis (or a version of her) and all the emperors. After a while the sheer number of temples and columned buildings in Western Turkey (and Rome and Greece) makes one realize that was one of the major industries. The building materials did fall down over the centuries due to earthquakes and general disrepair, but they were also hauled off for other buildings (mostly mosques). 

Archaeology is a relatively new science, younger than 200 years, and as our guide told us, at first was a lot about propaganda--"look how grand our past was." Carl Humann was a German engineer and architect who was hired to build for the Ottoman Empire and began to find artifacts; the temple of Zeus near current Bergama was one of his first. The temple is now in Berlin. Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark is not that far from the truth. Germany wanted these materials for intellectual and sometimes occultic reasons.  Turkey seems to be okay with them having a whole statue; at least Lord Elgin just took the frieze figures! (and Greece wants them back!)


Site where Temple of Zeus "was."




These scenes of an ampitheater are very meaningful. We met some Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and Singaporean Christians there, singing. We met the same group in Smyrna later that day!













Pergamum is on a high slope; taxis took us up there. Great view; many remains of the emperor cult temples allows one to realize how taxed the people were to support the emperors' egos. 









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