Colossae & Hierapolis
May 5,2023
We had rain off and on most of the day today but were not deterred from seeing Colossae and Hierapolis as planned - and we all have the muddy wet tennis shoes to prove it!! Mine might see the trash can rather than the plane ride home!
Colossae, near Laodicea and Hierapolis in the Lycus valley, is still an unexcavated tell. There have been some initial surface pottery surveys and plans to begin excavating. It was much too wet and slippery to climb to the top today. Paul did not visit Colossae that we know of, but he did address the young church in the letter to Colossians. Paul asks that the church share their letter with the church in Laodicea.
We spent the rest of our day at the site of Hierapolis, located at the top of the white mineral deposited terraces of Pamukkale.
Hierapolis is an enormous site. It has the largest necropolis in the ancient world with tombs from 2nd century BC to 3&4 century AD, over a thousand excavated and likely a thousand more that have not been uncovered. It was an important city from 2nd century BC to 7th century AD when it was devastated by earthquake, as it had been at every century in the past, but this time not rebuilt. Many Jewish families lived here in the 1st century BC having been sent here from Babylon and Mesopotamia and Judea.
The Apostle Philip is said to have spent the last years of his life here. His tomb and an octagonal church dedicated to him are set high up on a hill at the edge of the necropolis and above the theater. Christians would make pilgrimages to this site to honor his life and work.
The Roman theater has been restored and has an incredible view of the valley below.
Newly restored is the Ploutonion and temple to Apollo. This site is on a fault line and has a cave from which water and lethal gases flow. The temple was built over this with an arch over the cave and with seating around it - like a small theater - where various animals, and people were sent into the cave to be overcome and die. This was considered a gateway to the underworld. Pretty gruesome!
The mist and rain today really added to the feeling of antiquity somehow. Hierapolis is a beautiful site with the valley below and wild mountains behind. The ancient road leading into the city passes first through the necropolis (cemetery)with all of the important people clearly having tried to out do each other with the grandeur of their tombs. One of the arches over the main road has a Christian symbol at the top. At one point the city had a large enough population of Christians that it is said they blocked up the ploutonion with rock.
There is a museum on site with some of the better preserved statuary and sarcophagi. There is one partial sarcophagus from the Colossae tell.
Tonight we are staying a few hours closer to tomorrow’s destination - Antioch of Pisidia. Best stop writing and read Acts 13 in preparation - read along with us!
