Pergamum
Where is Pergamum today? Ancient Pergamon at Bergama, İzmir; Revelation's church living where Satan's throne is, with the chapters where it appears.
- Today
- Bergama, İzmir
- Country
- Türkiye
- Status
- Archaeological site: Ancient Pergamon (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Identification
- Certain
Bergama, ancient Pergamon (Pergamum), is one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation (Revelation 1:11). The letter calls the city the place where Satan's throne is; interpreters usually connect the phrase with its grand pagan temples and the worship of the emperor. In such a setting the church held fast to Christ's name and did not deny its faith, even in the days when Antipas, his faithful witness, was put to death (Revelation 2:13). Yet because some among them followed the teaching of Balaam, the church is called to repent (Revelation 2:16).
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- What Is a Church (Kilise)?
What is a church, what does the word mean and what does it refer to in the Bible? A short, neutral guide to community vs. building, its origin and its different traditions.
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Where is Pergamum today, and in which province?
Pergamum is in Türkiye today, in the Bergama district of İzmir province. In Revelation the church here is addressed as living where Satan's throne is, yet not denying its faith (Revelation 2:13). The UNESCO World Heritage site includes the acropolis, a theatre cut into the steep hillside and the Asclepion; the Red Basilica in the town is a great temple inside which a church was built in Byzantine times. The famous Altar of Zeus was taken to Berlin in the 19th century.
What is Satan's throne in Revelation?
Revelation 2:13 says the church in Pergamum lives where Satan's throne is, but it does not explain what the throne was. Interpreters most often link the phrase to the city's great Altar of Zeus, to the cult of Asclepius, or to Pergamum's role as one of the first centres of emperor worship in Asia. What they share is the picture of a church keeping its faith in a city where paganism was strong.
Who was Antipas?
Antipas is the believer called Christ's faithful witness in Revelation 2:13, who was killed in Pergamum. The Bible tells us nothing more about him. The tradition of the Eastern churches honours him as bishop and martyr of Pergamum, though the detailed accounts of his death come from much later times.