... which speaks to the picture of worthless “lukewarm” water in John’s writing to the church there: From a military standpoint, Laodicea had an excellent advantage as a city nestled in the mountains. o Colosse was known for its cold refreshing mountain stream. 3:17 I am rich. In fact, visitors praised the quality of Laodicean water: “Laodicea’s water was of good quality. from 3500 to 3000 BCE. Unraveling Revelation: Laodicea – The Nauseating Church. Moreover, the excavations in the area of the northern necropolis of Laodicea have demonstrated that the settlement had already existed in this location before the foundation of the … Laodicea had access to water from two rivers and two springs, the main one located five miles south of the city. Like the church at Sardis, Laodicea had been bitten by the bug of complacency. Because these people had retired, they concluded they had served their purpose and had reached their goal. An aqueduct brought to water fit for consumption. D. Thousands of people visited Hierapolis to bathe in the spas and drink the water due to the claims that the water had medicinal benefits. Wikipedia has a good summary of its history. Revelation 3 is making a contrast, not a comment on he city’s water supply? Since at least the early 20th century, commentators have claimed that the messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3 are packed with local allusions that the recipients would have recognized (see, for instance, W.M. Koester suggests that the imagery has to do with hospitality. It was a pipe system. More driven by trade, its builders located it where the roads crossed. Second, it was not as though Laodicea had no water supply or even a bad one (how could a Roman city flourish without a good water Supply?) Reply. It was never much of a fortress, due to the vulnerability of the water supply, ” which came principally by a vulnerable aqueduct from springs six miles away to the north in the direction of Hieropolis … Laodicea could hardly stand a determined siege.” Laodicea was a banking center with a … Laodicea is located in the Lycus River Valley of western Asia Minor, near the influential, ancient cities of Hierapolis and Colossae. Nine miles to the east of Laodicea lay the town of Colossae. The Laodiceans produced a glossy, black wool that was prized by the wealthy all over the world. Tonight, we are wrapping up our look at Revelation 1, 2, and 3. However, its greatest weakness was its dependence on an outsourced water supply. Yet, while Laodicea appeared to have everything, it actually lacked the most basic of resources — water. Jimmy; March 16, … "The lukewarmness for which, thanks to this letter, the name of Laodicea has become proverbial, may reflect the condition of the city's water supply. Craig Koester (Revelation) doesn’t think this works. However, the city had much in its favor, and of special note were its three main industries. In modern engineering, the term aqueduct is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose. An ancient Roman water law inscribed in Greek on a large marble slab has been unearthed in Laodicea, Turkey, which appointed curators to oversee the city’s water supply and set fines for people who polluted or diverted the water. This is about water. The city of Laodicea had tremendous wealth but yet they had terrible water and a poor supply system Six miles north in the city of Hierapolis were famous hot springs. The waters of neighboring Hierapolis, however, were famous as hot springs and would have provided a contrast with the tepid aqueduct water in Laodicea. The Laodiceans produced a glossy, black wool that was prized by the wealthy all over the world. . He also insults them by calling them poor, blind, and naked -- the exact opposite of what they were known for in the world. . C. The wealthy city of Laodicea was the financial headquarters for the whole area and the political center for the district. The major weakness of Laodicea was its lack of a water supply. The water came from about six miles south of the city. Down in the valley where the Lycus River joins the Maeander River, there are hot springs. The archaeology shows Laodicea had an aqueduct that probably carried water from hot mineral springs some five miles south, which would have become tepid … "The lukewarmness for which, thanks to this letter, the name of Laodicea has become proverbial, may reflect the condition of the city's water supply. At the foot of Mount Cadmus, it benefited from an endless supply of cold, freshwater coming down from the snow caps. The warm, sulphur water was nauseating to the taste and smell. Lukewarm water is an emetic, which is a nice way of saying it makes you vomit. Underground piping in Laodicea. And so it had to have its water piped in from the hot springs located six miles to the south. … More driven by trade, its builders located it where the roads crossed. Laodicea was also known for its medical school which concocted a spice nard for the treatment of ears and an eyesalve. The water traveled to a 16 foot tall water tower for distribution across the city. A water supply is, of course, the lifeblood of any ancient city, and the importance of these two rivers is emphasized on many coins issued by the city over a period of centuries. Smyrna was supposed to have died and risen, yet that imagery would have been even more appropriate for Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, all of which were rebuilt following earthquakes during the early imperial period” (233). . As such, they needed water transported in through aqueducts from a spring six miles away. The location would seemingly be ideal were it not for the city’s vulnerable water supply. The Laodiceans built an aqueduct to bring cold water down from the mountains. Jesus, in Revelation, was not pleased with the tepid Christians in Laodicea and he compares them to their lukewarm water supply. Laodicea is situated on the long spur of a hill between the narrow valleys of the small rivers Asopus and Caprus, which discharge their waters into the Lycus.The town was originally called Diospolis, "City of Zeus", and afterwards Rhodas. Being down in the valley, they had difficulty getting water in Laodicea. When it left the mountains, it was ice cold, but by the time it made that trip all the way down the mountains to Laodicea, it was lukewarm. Remember that on a separate page there are common notes for the seven messages. When it left the mountains, it was ice cold, but by the time it made that trip all the way down the mountains to Laodicea, it was lukewarm. . Jesus famously condemns the lukewarmness of the church at Laodicea, and it is claimed that this refers to the Laodicean water supply: “since Laodicea had an aqueduct, the water that flowed into the city must have been lukewarm and undesirable. by the wonderful water of the Lycus’” (337). To be offered lukewarm wine was an insult to the guest and a mark against the host. Jimmy; March 16, 2017; Nice observations, thanks. . Get updates from Leithart delivered straight to your inbox. Eye salves were produced all over the Roman empire, and other cities had reputations for medicine at least equal to that of Laodicea [339]). Laodicea lacked its own water supply, and its solution was inadequate: water flowing in by aqueduct arrived tepid and contaminated by minerals. Laodicea was the secular capital of western Asia and renowned for its prosperity. Chilled and warm wine were both popular drinks. When a guest arrived, his host might offer him wine chilled with snow, or wine mixed with warmed water. An aqueduct is a watercourse constructed to carry water from a source to a distribution point far away. Laodicea’s water was piped in via an aqueduct, from 6 miles away. This was a city with no water supply. It was a pipe system. but an essential resource that enabled the city to thrive. Also, send me the Evangelical Newsletter and special offers. It is a fair guess that this was the dried mud of the Hierapolis thermal springs, which could be mixed with water to form a kaolin poultice, an effective remedy for inflammation.5 But the major weakness of Laodicean city is its lack of water supply. . A famous medical center noted for its treatments of the eyes and ears was also located in this town. No refreshment like the cold water that originated in Colosse. This need was met by bringing water six miles north from Denizli through a system of stone pipes (another sign of Laodicea's wealth)" (Holman Bible Dictionary, 1994, Parson's Technology, "Laodicea"). Therefore, the water arrived foul, dirty, and tepid – lukewarm, just like the people in the church. not to persons alone, but also to the city's water-supply that was actually of a lukewarm temperature, this being suggestive of the spiritual condition of its Christian church. Even when they don’t leave Him outside the door knocking to get in, they haven’t been good hosts. The water came from about six miles south of the city. The Laodiceans produced a glossy, black wool that was prized by the wealthy all over the world. Water … It was a banking and financial center, which explains its available resources. Like Like. Destroyed by earthquake in 60 AD. Since his name meant ‘sweet complexioned,’ he created a wordplay that emphasized the pleasing quality of the ‘sweet-complexioned’ water being brought to the city. The Laodiceans produced a glossy, black wool that was prized by the wealthy all over the world. Unfortunately, Laodicea was not established near an adequate water supply. Laodicea was also known for its medical school [school of ophthalmology] which concocted a spice nard for the treatment of the ears and an eyesalve. The eye salve was called … Rebuilt without accepting Roman financial help. This need was met by bringing water six miles north from Denizli through a system of stone pipes [water conveyed to Laodicea through these pipes was lukewarm by the time it reached the city]" (Holman Bible Dictionary, 1994, "Laodicea"). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Masturbatory Worship and the Contemporary Church. . This is Apostel John’s letter to the Church in Laodicea, as it is on display at the church: “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of … Here is the actual piping … Not only was Laodicea located on major trade routes that connected it to important cities like Ephesus, Smyrna and Sardis, but also it was a center of textile production and banking.Perhaps not surprisingly, the church of Laodicea is noted as being wealthy in the Bible (see Revelation 3:17). They did have one inadequacy, however—their water supply. . Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. The warm, sulphur water was nauseating to the taste and smell. The water was imported to Laodicea via the system of aqueducts, pipes, and syphons, from a spring known today as Başpınar (i.e. When an earthquake destroyed parts of the city in 61 A. D., it refused aid from Rome and used its own resources to rebuild. QUESTION: Ancient Laodicea ANSWER: Ancient Laodicea isn’t much of a city anymore, but the unspoiled Roman ruins mark the countryside. Laodicea’s water supply was like that of other cities—and water from aqueducts was considered good to drink. The works of a Christian which come about through gospel transformation should exert a healing and restorative influence. This city was famous for three things: wealth, it had a lot of banking centers; a soft, black wool, which they produced; and eye salve, which was produced there to treat medical conditions for the eye. . The city was not established with a sufficient water supply for a large city. The rivers were easy to symbolize on coins; their names, Lycus (Λύκος) and Caprus (κάπρος) mean wolf and boar, respectively, in Greek. . God drew an analogy from everyday life in the city in order to make his point that the church had become spiritually lukewarm. , even though the aqueduct actually comes in from the south. Like Like. The major weakness of Laodicea was its lack of a water supply. From a considerable distance away, water had to be piped to Laodicea and likely was lukewarm on reaching the city. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. A sophisticated network of channels, pipes, reservoirs, and … This presented a problem not only because of the potential for the spring to dry up but also because an enemy could discover the underground aqueducts and cut off their supply. Jesus famously condemns the lukewarmness of the church at Laodicea, and it is claimed that this refers to the Laodicean water supply: “. The system had features like those of the water systems in other cities, including provisions for keeping the pipes free-flowing. There are seven letters, starting in chapter 2 and ending at the end of chapter 3. 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