2009 Holy Land Tour - Turkey
Part 6 – Hierapolis
Click on Photos and Charts for Larger Version
For the past several weeks, I have been telling you about our recent trip to the nation of Turkey. Last week I took you to the Lycus Valley, where we find 3 biblical cities of the 1st century. You saw the ruins of the ancient city of Laodicea, a church mentioned only in Colossians and Revelation. Laodicea was the last of seven cities mentioned in the first three chapters of Revelation. Today, we return to the Lycus Valley for a short visit. Last week, I also showed you the yet unexcavated mound of the ancient city of Colossae.
Pamukkale
Present-day Hierapolis is called Pamukkale. When we were in Cappadocia, we witnessed some very unique natural landscapes. Pamukkale, for different reasons, also provides very unique geologic formations. Before you arrive at Pamukkale (Heirapolis), you will see the side of the hills completely covered with calcified pools created over thousands of years from many hot springs.
The calcium oxide-rich waters flowing down the slopes have built deposits of white travertine. For thousands of years, these waters have been thought to have healing powers.
The mineral waters are laden with calcium salts and carbon dioxide. As the waters cool, these salts precipitate, leaving limestone deposits. These can be of various colors and shapes, and form an array of terraces with pools. Because of these hot springs, there are many tourists here, unlike the few at Laodicea. Because of their size, you can see these mineral-laden cliffs from Laodicea.
Pamukkale is located near where the Lycus and Meander Rivers come together. It is also located below one of the great sites of that region. For thousands of years mineral-water springs have formed white travertine terraces. The limestone pools along the side of the hill are continually changing. The water from the many springs remain at an almost constant 102 degree F.
Over the course of thousands of years, this site has been crowded with those seeking remedy, beauty, and health from its waters. It is popularly believed that the waters of Pamukkale are beneficial for a number of disorders. The use of this water has also been used in the process of dyeing woolen and cotton fabrics.
From below, the white limestone terrace looks like a petrified waterfall. The many springs were not all concentrated in this one area. You could drive for more than a mile with most of the hillside like these. (See photo at right) You may be interested in what the word, Pamukkale, means. Taken from these white terraces, it means “cotton castle.”
Hierapolis
While Pamukkale is located in the valley below this hillside, the ancient city of Hierapolis was located above, on a small plateau. For this reason, they have not built over the old ruins. If you know where to look, you can see some ruins. Here is the theater.
We rode our bus above the terraced hillside and viewed the limestone pools from above. You see many people wading in the pools. The photo at far right is a close-up of one of the water channels still in use today.
Let me now speak specifically about the ancient city of Hierapolis. Unlike most other areas of central and southern Anatolia, there is no indication of a presence of either the Hittites or the Persians. That is peculiar since the Hittite kingdom, whose capital of Hattuşa is 70 north of Cappadocia, dominated much of this area and elsewhere during the 2nd millennium before Christ. In the 6th century before Christ, Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered much of Turkey.
Most sources agree the city was founded by Eumenes II, King of Pergamum. The name Hierapolis means “holy city.” It was an ancient center for pagan cults until it was transformed into a Christian center.
I mentioned in our prior lesson that there was a major earthquake in Asia Minor in A.D. 17. Emperor Tiberius helped restore the city’s damages. This region is notorious for its seismic activity. Another earthquake in A.D. 60 essentially flattened Hierapolis, during the reign of Nero. This one proved to be the occasion for a rebuilding and renewal of the entire city.
Colossians 4:13 tells us that the church in this city, along with those in Laodicea and Colossae, had done a great work for the Lord. And, as I said last week, the churches in these three cities most likely were not started by Paul. They were probably started by Epaphras, who lived in Colossae. And in Colossians, chapter 1, Paul honors him and gave him his support. The new Christian faith spread rapidly through Hierapolis, probably aided by the presence of a large Jewish community living there.
When I was here in 2005, we entered Hierapolis from the north. This year, we arrived from the south – from Laodicea. Let me take you to Hierapolis by coming from the north.
When you enter Hierapolis from the north, you will see a major necropolis with sarcophagi on both sides of the modern road for a distance of about one miles. There are over 1,400 grave sites around the city, with the necropolis on the north being the largest. This is the largest graveyard in all Anatolia. Some of these sarcophagi date to the time of the apostle Paul. Over the centuries, the tombs have been invaded by robbers
Those traveling from Sardis or Philadelphia from the north would travel past the northern necropolis to the arched Gate of Domitian into the city, with Frontinus Street extending south from there. Let me show you a layout of the ancient city as it would have been in the 1st century. This model has been put together by an Italian Archaeological Group. If you looked closely at this map and the labels at the bottom, you would notice that the gate at the north end is not called Domitian Gate but Frontinus Gate.
I found that label on several web sites, and it is so labeled because Julius Sextus Frontinus is the person who paid for the construction of that gate. Beyond the gate, moving south along the colonnaded street known as Frontinus Street, to the left would be the 300 feet by 150 feet agora (marketplace). It is the large area that is surrounded by a stoa.
Frontinus Street was 13 meters (42 feet) wide, between the row of columns and it was paved with huge blocks of limestone and almost a mile in length. Since Hierapolis was a luxury resort town, it was richly adorned with magnificent sculptures.
You may remember me telling you that all Roman cities had bathhouses near the entrances to the city. The northern bathhouse is located just outside the Domitian Gate. This diagram doesn’t label the one at the south entrance, but there was one, though smaller. This map does, however, show another bathhouse above the travertine terrace. This would be for those taking advantage of the healing qualities of the mineral water. During the fourth and fifth centuries, the northern bath house was used as a church.
You will also see a theater on the hill behind the agora. That was the original Hellenistic theater and was completely destroyed in the 60 A.D earthquake. That is when they constructed the theater to the south. The theater is quite well preserved, seating fifteen to twenty thousand people. And with it situated on the hillside, you are given quite a view from the upper rows.
Between the theater and the terraced limestone hillside you will find a swimming pool taking advantage of the natural warm mineral water. It has many pieces of ruins laying at the bottom of the pool. We took a little break here before walking to the theater.
Philip’s Martyrium
After the theater, five of us climbed to the ruins of another ancient building. It is called the Martyrium of Philip. The building is approached by a broad stairway, some of which is still in place. But there is a problem – is this to commemorate the apostle Philip or Philip the evangelist. Most of us know more about Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the original 7 deacons chosen along with Stephen in Acts 6. The evangelist ministered in Samaritan multitude, and also to the individual Eunuch in the area of Gaza.
What adds to the difficulty is that both Philips had multiple daughters. Philip the Evangelist had four daughters (Acts 21:8-9), each of whom had the gift of Prophecy. Some of the early church Fathers and leaders write that the apostle Philip had three daughters.
The strongest tradition is that this building is the Martyrium for the apostle Philip, who is said to have lived in Hierapolis with his daughters and was martyred here in about 80 A.D. Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus during the second century, states in his writings that Philip was buried in Hierapolis.
It takes a 10 - 15 minute walk up the hill to the ruins of Philip’s Martyrium. The building was octagonal, and about 66 feet across. It was covered originally by a wood dome, covered with lead.
Most of what remains are the 8 large corner pillars, because in the late 5th or early 6th centuries a fire destroyed the rest of the martyrium.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE APOSTLE PHILIP?
Let me begin with a trivia note. There are four complete listings of the 12 apostles. In all four, Philip is number 5.
Another point about Philip is that except where he is named among the twelve, he appears as a distinct person only in the book of John.
Philip is the first disciple directly called by Jesus. In John 1:43, we read: “And He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’”
John 1:35 tells us that Philip was from the city of Bethsaida. It is Philip that introduces Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:45-48). He was the first to recognize Jesus was the Messiah when he said to Nathanael, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets, wrote….” (John 1:45).
In John 6:4-7, Jesus gives Philip a test. Just before feeding the 5,000 on whom Jesus had compassion, he says to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” Verse 6 says Jesus asked this to test Philip. Philip, still immersed in the work-a-day world, responded in terms of expense by saying: “Two hundred denari worth of bread is not sufficient for them,….”
In John 12:20, we read:
And there were certain Greeks among them, that came up to worship at the feast.”
The feast mentioned here is the Passover. And the reference to Greeks is referring to non-Jews who had become proselytes of the Jewish faith, and had come to Jerusalem to observe the feast. In the next verse, verse 21, these Greeks approach Philip, asking if he would introduce them to Jesus.
I find the fact that they approached Philip interesting. Why would they have asked Philip? Could they have approached him because of the disciples, only Philip and Andrew had Greek names, and they may have assumed Philip spoke Greek.
And here is an aside. Only Philip and Andrew are recorded in the Bible as bringing someone to Jesus. We don’t know if in fact Philip answered the Greeks and introduced them to Jesus.
In John 13 & 14, Jesus and the disciples were observing the Last Supper. In John 14:6, Jesus tells his disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In the next verse – verse 7 – Jesus continues talking about His Father, by saying: “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also, and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip speaks up by asking Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father and that will be sufficient for us.”
Lycus River Hotel
I can’t leave the valley without showing you our hotel. It show how we were really roughing it. The hotel decided to provide our evening meal outside by the pool.
