Patmos
Where is Patmos? A small Aegean island in Greece's Dodecanese where John received the visions of Revelation, with the chapters where it appears.
- Today
- Island of Patmos, Dodecanese, Greece
- Country
- Greece
- Status
- Inhabited island: Cave of the Apocalypse and Monastery of St John (UNESCO)
- Identification
- Certain
Patmos is a small, rocky island in the Aegean Sea, not far from Türkiye's coast. The Bible names it only once, but that single mention says a great deal: John writes that he was on this island because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Church tradition understands this as an exile under the Roman emperor Domitian. The visions of Revelation begin here, and John is told to write to the churches of seven cities that lie in Türkiye's Aegean region today.
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Where is the island of Patmos, and which country is it in?
Patmos is a small island in Greece today, part of the Dodecanese in the Aegean Sea, south of Samos and close to Türkiye's Aegean coast. John writes that he received the visions of Revelation while on this island (Revelation 1:9). Visitors today see the Cave of the Apocalypse, where tradition places the vision, and the Monastery of St John, founded in the late 11th century. Together with the town of Chora, both are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What did John do on Patmos?
John writes that he was on Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:9). On the Lord's day he saw a vision and was told to write down what he saw and send it to seven churches (Revelation 1:10-11). Church tradition holds that he had been exiled to the island.
What can you see on Patmos today?
The island has the Cave of the Apocalypse, where tradition places John's vision, and the Monastery of St John, founded in the late 11th century. Together with the surrounding town of Chora, both are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.