Col 2:1; Col 4:13-16; Rev 1:11; 3:14
Laodicea (Gr. Laodikeia, perhaps “people’s court”, “justice trial of the people” or “a people judged”). Important city in western Asia Minor, in Phrygia. It was located on the edge of the Lico river valley, a tributary of the Meandro, in the middle of mountains that range between 2,440 and 2,750 m in height. It was probably founded by Antiochus II (261-246 BC), who in honor of his sister and his wife, Laodice, gave it that name and populated it with Syrians and Jews transplanted from Babylon. The city did not rise to prominence until it became part of the Roman province of Asia, organized in the 2nd century BC. It was famous in NT times as a trade center for shiny black wool and locally made clothing, items that were exported to many countries. Also well known throughout the Eastern world was its “Phrygian powder”, medicinal, for the eyes. Map XX, B-4. The city considered itself so rich that when an earthquake destroyed it in AD 60, its inhabitants, unlike those of other cities, refused help from Rome and rebuilt it with their own resources. The city changed hands several times in the following centuries, and was finally destroyed by the Turks in the 13th century. Since that time it has lain in ruins, and has been quarried to obtain building materials for the neighboring city of Denizli. The site is named after Eski Hissar, which means “698 old castle”. The ruins remained unexplored until an expedition from Université Laval, Quebec, Canada, excavated the ancient Nynfaeum from 1961 to 1963. It was discovered that this structure was destroyed by an earthquake in the 5th century AD Part of it was converted into a Christian house of worship, while other parts continued to serve the citizens of Laodicea. 304. Unexcavated rows of seats in the ancient theater of Laodicea. A Christian church existed in the city when Paul wrote his epistle to the Colossians (c AD 62), but the apostle had apparently never been there before (Col 2:1). Epaphras, a native of neighboring Colossae, may have been the founder of Christianity in that region (1:7; 4:12). A letter from Paul reached the Laodiceans at the same time as the letter to the Colossians (4:16). That letter was lost, as well as other epistles of the apostle (cf. 1Co 5:11). Since the time of Marcion (c AD 150) it has often been suggested that the epistle to the Ephesians is the lost letter to the Laodiceans, because the words “at Ephesus” (Eph 1:1) have little attestation in the manuscripts. An apocryphal letter of Paul to the Laodiceans from the 4th century AD, which exists in Latin and Arabic translations, is composed of a mixture of passages from Galatians and Ephesians. 305. Ruins of Laodicea One of the 7 letters to the churches in Revelation is addressed to Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22). The rebukes contained in it indicate that his spiritual condition was not good. References to wealth, eye drops and white clothing are explained by the history of the city, its economic importance, its pride and its industrial production. Eb.: SE Johnson, BA 13 (1950):1-18; PW 2:2455; CBA 7:105, 106, 227, 777-779.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
city in the Lycus Valley, Asia Minor, southwest of Phrygia.
Founded by Antiochus II who gave it the name in honor of his wife Laodice. It was a very prosperous city, Rev 3, 17. It was one of the first to have a Christian community, founded, perhaps, by Epaphras, a disciple of the apostle Paul, Col 1, 7; 4, 12. L., Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis and Philadelphia, were the seven churches of Asia, Rev 1, 11. The letter mentioned by Saint Paul, Col 4, 16, addressed to the inhabitants of the church de L. was possibly lost. This gave rise to one of the letters of the Apocalypse, in which the misconduct of the city is severely judged, Rev 3, 14-22.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
A wealthy city in Asia Minor founded by Antiochus II (261-246 BC), and chief city of the “circuit” of the seven churches that are in Asia (Rev 1:4). The city was on one of the great Asian trade routes and this gave it the security of commercial prosperity.
Laodicea stood out as a banking center. She was rich and had grown rich and had no need (Rev 3:17). The Lico valley produced a shiny black wool, the main element of cloaks and rugs that made the city famous. In Laodicea there was also a medical school and the production of collyrium, a famous eye ointment. The figures presented in the message to Laodicea reflect all of these activities, as well as the vomiting qualities of warm, soda-filled water from the nearby city of Hierapolis, the original source of the water supply for Laodicea.
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
Laodicea, a city at the southwestern end of the Phrygian section of Asia Minor, is situated in the Lycus Valley, a tributary of the Maeander River. The city was built on an ancient road that led from Ephesus east to Syria. Sixteen miles east of Laodicea was Colossae.
Laodicea was founded ca. 250 BC JC, by the Seleucid governor Antiochus III who named it in honor of his wife Laodice. After 190 B.C. BC, it was ruled by Pergamum and suffered decline but when the Romans took the city (133 BC) they made it the center of a judicial district returning to prosperity.
The area around Laodicea is fertile. Black wool sheep grazed in the fields and woolen clothing and rugs were woven in the city. Laodicea became a financial center. At the beginning of the second century Laodicea minted its own coins. The population included Greek-speaking Syrians, Romans, Romanized natives, and Jews.
Laodicea, along with its neighboring Colossae and Hierapolis (Col. 2:1; 4:13-16), was evangelized very early, but knowledge of Christianity during apostolic times here is limited to biblical evidence. The book of Revelation describes the Laodicean church as rich in material matters but lukewarm in matters of the spirit (Rev. 3:14-22). By the fourth century, Laodicea was the most prominent bishopric in Phrygia and the secular capital of western Phrygia. Under the Seljuks and the Turks the city suffered, and immediately after the 13th century it was abandoned. The modern city of Denizili was built near the ruins of Laodicea, known in Turkish as Eski Hissar.
The lines of the old city walls can still be traced. An inscription states that the triple eastern gate was dedicated to Vespasian. The stadium, also dedicated to Vespasian (AD 79), had two semicircular ends from ca. 305 meters of length. Gladiatorial combat was exhibited in Laodicea as early as the first century BC. by JC
Near the stadium there is a large building with arches, pillars and columns that have been terribly affected by time. It may have served as a gymnasium or baths and is thought to date from the time of Hadrian. Two theaters are better preserved. The water was brought to the city by means of an aqueduct that took water from a spring near Denizili. An arched aqueduct carried the water part of the way, but stone pipes were used to carry the water up and down the slopes of the mountains.
Although visitors have frequently described the ruins of Laodicea, the site has not been scientifically excavated and final identification of many of these buildings cannot yet be given.
Source: Archaeological Biblical Dictionary
City in the Valley of Lico, in Asia, center of medicine.
– Christ wrote his Seventh Letter to him in Rev 50:11, Rev 3:14-22, and condemns his Church, for its lukewarmness.
– Paul names it in his letter to the Colossians: (Rev 2:1, Rev 4:13-16).
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
City of Asia Minor. It was the capital of Phrygia. Located at the confluence of the Lico and Halis rivers. It was founded by Antiochus II, who named it after his wife. Located at a crossroads of famous Roman roads, it had no drinking water, which was brought through pipes from hot springs in Hierapolis. The water was lukewarm, which is probably related to the mention in Rev 3:15. It was very wealthy, known for its production of black wool cloth and its trade, especially banking. It also had a medical school that was very famous for its emphasis on ophthalmology. Its wealth caused that when it was affected by an earthquake in 60 AD, it achieved its recovery without any help from Nero’s Rome. Christian preaching came relatively early to L. Paul mentions it in his letters, but there is no evidence that he visited it. He says that he had sustained “a great struggle…for those who are in L.† œ (Col 2:1). The church of L. maintained a close relationship with that of Colossae, where Epaphras was from, who exercised the ministry in L. and Hierapolis, since Paul gave † testimony that he has great concern” for them too (Col 1:7; Col 4 :12-13). The letter mentioned in Col 4:16, which was to be read by the Colossians, was lost. Many think that it was a copy of the epistle to the Ephesians. The allusions that the Lord makes to the church of L. in the book of Revelation speak of her spiritual lukewarmness, arising from a sense of self-sufficiency due to her supposed wealth, for which she is exhorted to buy from the Lord “gold refined in fire”. …and white garments…eyesalve† (Rev 3:18).
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
tip, CITY IGLE
sit, a9, 396, 213
vet, Called at first Diospolis, city of Zeus. Probably enlarged by Antiochus II (261-246 BC), who named it after his wife Laodice. Capital of Pacatian Phrygia, in Asia Minor, somewhat south of Colossae and Hierapolis on the Licus tributary of the Meander. In Laodicea, fabrics were made with black wool from sheep raised in those places. There was a medical center there where the famous Phrygian powder was prepared for the treatment of ophthalmia. Laodicea was home to numerous Jews (Ant. 14:10, 20). Epaphras, probable founder of the church in Laodicea, worked in this city (Col. 4:12, 13). Paul waged intense spiritual combat on behalf of the Laodiceans (Col. 2:1). He sent them his greetings (Col. 4:15). There are those who believe that the epistle mentioned in verse 16 could be a copy of the epistle to the Ephesians. Laodicea is one of the seven churches in Asia addressed in Revelation. The lively reproaches that are launched refer in particular to the wealth and products of the city (Rev. 1:11; 3:14-22). Around the year 60 AD an earthquake destroyed Laodicea, Colossae and Hierapolis. The Laodiceans rebuilt their city without resorting to Roman help. Its ruins are found in Eski Hissar, 88 km to the east-southeast…