Walking Where They Walked

by Hilda Van Stallduinen

Did you ever consider what your life would be like if you did not possess the gift of memory? Real chaos, no doubt. No comprehension of meaningful people or places in your life. That thought occurred to me after we finished our Words of Hope devotional reading from Colossians 4:12-18. The mention of Hieropolis and Laodicea in verse 13 brought back to mind our visit to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor and Istanbul, now Western Turkey, in September 1997.

Paul’s letter to the Christian community in Colossae, situated near Hieropolis and Laodicea, was unique, for it was not a church planted by Paul, but very likely by the deacon, Philip (Acts 6:5).

By today’s standards, we would call Hieropolis and Laodicea twin cities, as they were joined by an aqueduct. The river Lycus, fed by cool streams from the Taurus mountains, and the thermal spring waters of Hieropolis provided plenty of water, a valuable resource for a growing community.

Strategically situated on the important trade route between Babel and Ephesus, the city of Laodicea counted more than 100,000 inhabitants in Paul’s lifetime. Industries that flourished were textiles (linen), the dying of sheep’s wool (dyed brown, it was an important export product), and the minting of coins in bronze and iron. It is of interest to note that trade and commerce were mainly controlled by the large Jewish community. Well known was the medical school, where an ointment for the treatment of eye diseases was discovered. (Eye diseases were quite common in the eastern world.) Its clinics were visited by people from all over the ancient world.

The Roman government, getting wind of the tremendous prosperity of this community, introduced many taxes. From the early tax systems, exchange and commodity markets were developed. When the city was destroyed by an earthquake in the late first century, no financial assistance was required from the Romans; they were able to rebuild with their own resources. Remains of this once great city are the Roman baths and a large arched structure resembling a fort.

The ruins of the city of Hieropolis are quite extensive. They include a cemetery called "The City of the Dead" with tombstones for one, two, or three persons, dating back to the late first century; a theatre, still pretty much intact, with wonderful acoustics; and built on a hill, the remnants of the church of Philip the deacon, who, according to secular history, worked hard in the church at Hieropolis.

An unforgettable sight is the magical and spectacular site of Pammakele (Cotton Castle), which consists of large natural formations of stalactites created by the calcareous salts and minerals from the thermal spring waters that run off the plateau. During Paul’s time at Hieropolis, Romans enjoyed the therapeutic cures of the springs, and many inns and hospitality centres were thriving. Even today, people come for cures and stay at nearby resorts.

As one gazes at this unique landscape, once traversed by the apostles Paul and John, the reality of it adds a dimension to the understanding of life and culture in their day. But there is also the realization that in 1900 years, the way of life in this part of the world has not really changed much at all, except for the loss of Christianity. This land, which contains so many roots of our early church heritage, counts only 30,000 Christians among its 60,000,000 people today. A dismal figure to the Church at large, but there are signs in this Islamic country that God is still in control.

Hilde Van Staalduinen is a member of First Reformed Church, Hamilton, Ontario.