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| When king
Attalus III died without an heir, he bequeathed his
kingdom to the Romans, under whom the city retained its
position as the preeminent artistic and intellectual
center of Anatolia but declined in political and economic
importance. The city went through the Arab, Byzantine and
finally the Turkish period in the 14th century. Pergamum
attained a high culture in the Hellenistic Age |
This small Ionian
city was not known well until 399 B.C. It was first mentioned in connection with
Lysimachos, a general of Alexander the Great and protector of the city. During emperor
Eumenes II (197-159 B.C.), the city signed an agreement with Rome and extended its
influence to the Taurus mountains in the south. In 133 B.C., Attalus III willed the empire
to Rome because of lack of heir to the throne. Under his administration, the population of
Pergamum reached 140,000 people.
The famous doctor of antiquity, Galen
worked in Asklepieion (sanatorium) of Pergamum and wrote at least 500 medical
books. Only during the Christian period, the famous Serapis temple was
converted into a basilica and dedicated to St.John. This church of Pergamum was one of the
seven apocalyptic churches of Asia Minor.
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In his book of
Revelation St.John wrote the following words of God to the church of Pergamum
Revelation (2:12-17) :
(2:12) To the angel of the church in Pergamum write : This is the message from
the one who has the sharp two-edged sword.
(2:13) I know where you live, there where Satan has his throne. You are true to
me, and you did not abandon your faith in me even during the time when Antipas, my
faithful witness, was killed there where Satan lives.
(2:14) But there are a few
things I have against you : there are some among you who follow the teaching of Balaam,
who taught Balak how to lead the people of Israel into sin by persuading them to eat food
that had been offered to idols and to practice sexual immorality.
(2:15) In the same way you have people among you who follow the teaching of the
Nicolaitans.
(2:16) Now turn from your sins! If you don't, I will come to you soon and fight
against those people with the sword that comes out of my mouth.
(2:17) If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!
To those who win the victory I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give each
of them a white stone on which is written a new name that no one knows except the one who
receives it.
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