Where the Water Runs Lukewarm

by David Carter

First comes the discovery where someone either researches and scours the country side for signs of city limits or someone like on an episode of Law and Order is out jogging and stumbles across some rubble.  It could be a pillar, a piece of carved marble, remains of an ancient fountain.  The discovery of an archeological site causes a crash of excitement that reaches academia and echoes into our history books.

The main Roman road in Laodicea runs from east to west across Anatolia (modern day Turkey). It began in Ephesus with all the mileage numbers climbing from there and going into Syria. Paul would have walked across Anatolia on this road.

After the discovery begins the funding.  In Turkey the government subsidizes only a fraction of a projected archeological budget.  The rest needs to be privately funded by universities, gasoline providers, automotive manufacturers, and anyone else who wants their corporate logo on history.  Who ever can assemble the funds gains the rights to dig and discover.  That is why archeologists from different nations have all had their hands on places like Ephesus.  Someone before them could no longer foot the bill.

The Roman theater at Laodicea. In the background, you can see the white cliffs of Pamukkale/Hierapolis

Next, once the site is deemed visitable come the admissions booths, the water closets, the security, the vendors, and other products of hospitality.  What are you willing to pay to feel history beneath your feet? It is almost impossible to avoid looking like a tourist in a city founded thousands of years ago.  Try not to complain about the prices of ice cream.

Archeology  provides its best guess as to how the puzzle pieces of ancient rubble fit together in the past.  No one's grandparents are old enough to claim that the main agora was only "this big" and faced "that" way "back in their day."  Plenty of research goes into these best guesses, but like other sciences they can always be proven wrong. 

Laodicea, a Roman city named after Antiochus II's wife, acted as a trade center between Ephesus and Syria.  With its banking and textile industry Laodicea became wealthy establishing itself as a large city.

Even today, the modern cities built near the ancient cities of Lycian River Valley--Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae--still have a rich textile industry as we discovered when we visited this textile outlet.

It can be noted that Christianity took a strong hold there as about twenty four byzantine era churches have been found within the city limits.  Earthquakes have greatly impacted the city over time.  One earthquake in particular was recorded to have razed the city to the ground in 60 A.D.  The administrators of the city found themselves well off enough to refuse Roman financial assistance in rebuilding the city.  Laodicea rebuilt without outside assistance.

One of the many Byzantine Christian churches. It is now being renovated by archaeologists

Also of note, Laodicea contained a medical school.  Demosthenes Philalethes was a graduate who became reknown for writing an early text on opthalmology and the study of the eye.  He also produced an eye treatment cream called Phrygian powder.

Walking up the steps to Apollo's Temple in Laodicea

Some of the famous aqueduct pipes of Laodicea

Laodicea is most commonly known as one of the seven churches written to by John in the book of Revelation.  The letters text contains references to water.  Water was transported to Laodicea by Roman aqueducts from Pamukkale's hots springs and cold waters from Colossae.  Even within close proximity to Laodicea, once the water arrived from either destination poured into the city's cisterns, wells, and fountains lukewarm.  This as well as the popular eye salve from the medical school are most likely what John is alluding to in his letter.

There is still much to uncover of Laodicea.  Its stadium and two theaters remain mostly unexcavaited.  Countless mosaics lie protected beneath volcanic gravel protecting them from tourist footfalls.  Laodicea was eventually abandoned after another earthquake razed the city again in 494 A.D.  The city was abandoned and rebuilt elsewhere.

Here at this site of Turkey's old history, it's ancient past we journey.  As long as archeologists scrape together sponsors, Christian tourists make their pilgrimages, and ice cream is sold, Laodicea will have a future.

Dan, Taylor, and Dave sporting their Tutku T-shirts in the Temple of Apollo