Hidden treasure

The discovery of hidden treasure is fairly common in and near ancient sites. Individuals may not have a bank account, but they keep the funds they have stored in what they consider a safe place.

The photo below shows a clay jar with a hoard of silver coins displayed in the Samsun (Turkey) Archaeological Museum. These coins date from the Roman Imperial Period (69-79 A.D. and 238/244 A.D.). The earliest coins are not far removed from the time of the delivery of Peter’s Epistles to saints in Pontus and other Roman provinces (1 Peter 1:1). For more information about the delivery of Peter’s Epistles, see here.

For more information about the museum, check here and here.

Roman coins displayed in Samsun Archaeological Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Photos such as this remind us of several Biblical passages. For today, consider Paul’s instruction to Timothy regarding what he was to teach those who set their hope on the uncertainty of riches.

 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV)

Restoration of historic sections of Izmir (biblical Smyrna)

Izmir is looking for local input on a restoration plan of the historic areas of Kadifekale and the agora.

On my last visit to Izmir I could see new work underway, especially in the area of the agora. The city now is developing a plan to restore an area of the city to make it more desirable for local citizens as well as tourists.

An article in Hurriyet Daily News (here) reports,

Municipal authorities in İzmir are calling for public participation amid an ambitious new project to redevelop some of the Aegean province’s most famous tourists sites in a bid to draw more visitors.

“We want to share ideas with scientists and the residents of İzmir. If we cannot get the support of citizens, it will not be possible to realize this project,” İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Aziz Kocaoğlu said.

Our first photo shows a portion of the Roman agora. The arches which appear to be at ground level are actually the lower level of a two-story building.

The Roman agora of Izmir, biblical Smyrna. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The second photo was made from the agora, with a view of Kadifekale. The word Kadifekale means velvet castle. In ancient times this hill was called Mount Pagos. The article mentions plans to include a restored area on the mountain, including the theater which was built on the hillside. Mark Wilson says the ancient theater, now build over by houses, seated 16,000 persons (Biblical Turkey, 312).

A view of Kadifekale (Mount Pagos) from the agora. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Smyrna is mentioned in the Bible as the location of one of the Seven Churches addressed in the book of Revelation (the Apocalypse).

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. (Revelation 2:8 ESV; see also 1:11)

Here’s hoping for a speedy and accurate restoration of the ancient city.

HT: Jack Sasson

Speaking at Florida College Annual Lectures

Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. I am scheduled to present an illustrated lecture on Biblical Coastal Towns of Turkey in Puckett Auditorium at the Florida College Annual Lectures. Normally in these sessions, in which I have participated in for many years, I present material on lesser-visited places that are important to Bible study.

There are several important coastal towns in Turkey that are mentioned in the Bible, mostly in connection with the journeys of Paul. These include Troas, Assos, Ephesus, Miletus, Patara, Myra, Attalia, Perga, and Seleucia. I have chosen to discuss two Black Sea cities (Sinope and Samsun) that are related to the discussion of the route of delivery of the Epistles of Peter, and to two cities on the Mediterranean Sea (Patara and Myra). I was able to visit all of these cities during the past year.

The photo below was made a few miles east of Sinope along the Black Sea (ancient Euxine). The territory is mountainous and the road is often far enough inland that the sea is not visible. Here the road runs along the sea, but still considerably above it. To the south, the mountains are much higher.

Sheep on the road east of Sinope, above the Black Sea. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Xanathos in Lycia

The photo I am sharing today was made at ancient Xanthos, a city of Lycia, now in southwestern Turkey. The city is situated in the Lycian mountains a few miles from the Mediterranean coast and the ancient city of Patara (Acts 21:1). The small town of Kinik lies in the valley below Xanthos.

Emperor Vespasian. BM. Photo by F. Jenkins

A road runs up the hill through the ancient ruins. One of the first monuments we come to is a Roman arch dedicated to the emperor Vespasian  (A.D. 69-79) by the Council and People of Xanthos. George E. Bean says,

The pavement which survives in part belongs to an ancient road which led up from Patara and the Letoum. – Lycian Turkey, 60.

Our view is made from above the arch. To the left you can see the narrow modern road leading to the parking lot at Xanthos.

Arch built by Vespasian partially below modern road level. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

This photo illustrates the build up of debris over the centuries.

Writers such as Bean tell of the time when the Persians conquered western Asia about 540 B.C. Rather than surrender, the fighting men of Xanathos placed their women, children, slaves, and property on the acropolis and set fire to it. These men then went forth and fought to the death.  This account reminds us of the one recorded by Josephus about the fall of Masada during the Jewish Wars against the Romans (The Jewish War 7.8.6).

For more information about Xanathos, and Lycia in general, see the nice Lycian Turkey website here.

Monument from Xanathos now in British Museum

The ancient Greek city of Xanthos (Xanthus) is mentioned in the Iliad as the greatest of the cities of Lycia. The site is located near Letoon, and a few miles north of Patara, the port where the Apostle Paul changed ships on the return from the Third Journey (Acts 21:1-2).

Our visit to Xanathos was limited due to the lateness of the day, but we took time to get a few photos of some significant ruins. Our first stop was what the Blue Guide Turkey calls “the few sad remains of the Nereid Monument.”

The site of the Nereid Monument at Xanathos. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Charles Fellows took statues and friezes from the Monument to the British Museum in 1841-42, where they have been reconstructed.

Nereid Monument in the British Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The sign at the original site (visible in the first photo) says,

This famous classical era monument was removed in its entirety to the British Museum in the last century [an old sign] and all that remains are a few rows of stones from the foundations and podium. This 4 by 6 columns Ionic temple style monument is embellished with reliefs and statues [sic]. The statues of twelve females between the columns are those of water spirits known as Nereids.

The Monument dates as early as 390 B.C.

“Every man under his vine…”

A biblical way of describing a time of peace and prosperity is expressed in the following passage describing the time of King Solomon.

And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:25 ESV)

It is not uncommon in the middle east to see vines used as a shade. Sometime the vine runs up the side of a house and covers a porch on the roof. When I saw this single vine by itself in front of the theater at Miletus I could not help but think of the biblical saying. I asked my traveling buddy, Leon Mauldin, to make a picture of me sitting under my vine.

I can imagine a person sitting under the vine in the late summer and enjoying the fresh grapes from the vine.

Sitting under the vine at the theater of Miletus. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Miletus is the city where the Apostle Paul met with the elders from the church at Ephesus as he returned to Jerusalem at the end of his third journey (Acts 20).

The prophet Micah used the same illustration to describe the nature of the Messiah’s kingdom.

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, 2 and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; 4 but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. (Micah 4:1-4 ESV)

Myra, home of Saint Nicholas

The town Myra is known to students of the New Testament as a place where Paul transferred ships while he was being taken to Rome for trial before Caesar (Acts 27:5).

In the centuries following, Myra became the home of a (Greek Orthodox) bishop known as Nicholas. Born in Patara, Nicholas died December 6, 343. Several legends arose around Nicholas who was noted for giving gifts to the poor and raising the dead.

Highly revered in Greece and Russia, St. Nicholas is known as the patron saint of children, sailors, merchants, and scholars. From his life of piety, kindness, and generosity arose the legendary figure celebrated today as St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, or Santa Claus. (Fant & Reddish, A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey, 256)

The ancient Myra is associated with the modern Turkish town Demre (or Kale). I thought you might enjoy seeing a few pictures related to Saint Nicholas. In the town square is a recent statue showing St. Nicholas with children. The statue was a gift of the Russian government in 2000. Many Russian tourists were visiting the day I was there.

Modern statue of Saint Nicholas at Myra. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

A few decades ago I saw an older statue near the entrance to the church. It now has a fresh coat of black paint.

Older statue of St. Nicholas near the entrance of the Byzantine church ruins.This statue depicts him carrying a bag of gifts.  Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Byzantine church dates to the 6th century A.D. Several writers point out that the sarcophagus of Nicholas was broken into by Italian merchants in the 1087 A.D., and his bones were taken to Bari, Italy.

Wilson says the church is built like a basilica “in the shape of an orthodox cross” (Biblical Turkey 88).

Ruins of the St. Nicholas Byzantine church, Myra, Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

This last photo shows one of the poorly preserved frescoes.

Fresco on the wall of St. Nicholas church in Demre. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Tourism seems to be thriving at Myra even though the town is off the beaten track. Whether there are any Christians in the town is doubtful.

For an earlier post about Myra and St. Nicholas, see here.

Acts 27 #2 — Did Paul dock at Cnidus (Knidos)? — Photo Illustration

Paul’s voyage to Rome, as it is often called, was actually a trip as a prisoner on a variety of ships from Caesarea Maritima to Puteoli in Italy (Acts 27:1 – 28:13. The trip westward from Myra, on the Mediterranean coast, took the ship near Cnidus (also spelled Knidos) (Acts 27:6-7).

We sailed slowly for many days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus. Because the wind prevented us from going any farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. (Acts 27:7 NET)

Mark Wilson says,

Paul would have passed within sight of Cnidus on his return to Jerusalem during his second and third journeys, possibly even stopping at the city (Acts 18:21-22; 21:1). The grain ship upon which Paul was traveling on his captivity voyage to Rome encountered fierce head winds as it tacked westward along the coast of Asia Minor. It is not clear if Paul’s ship was able to make port in Cnidus’ commercial harbor, but the sailing conditions probably prevented it (Acts 27:7). — Biblical Turkey, 192.

A British archaeologist excavated at Cnidus in 1957-59. A colossal marble lion that once rested on a monumental tomb was taken to the British Museum where it is displayed in the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court. The lion dates to the late 4th-early 3rd century B.C.

Colossal marble lion from Cnidus. British Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The sign in the British Museum informs us that,

This lion crowned a monumental tomb at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. The hollow eyes were probably inset with glass to catch the light.

Did Paul see this lion? More than likely, I think, during the return from the second and third journeys.

The map below shows the location of Cos, Cnidus, Rhodes and Patara. Click the image for a higher resolution.

Map showing Cnidus, Rhodes, and Patara. Made with Bible Mapper 4.

Acts 27 — Photo Illustrations — Myra in Lycia

Myra was a town of Lycia about 85 miles west of Antalya, Turkey (biblical Attalia, Acts 14:25). The town is located about two miles inland from the Mediterranean, but has a port at nearby Andriake. When Paul was being escorted by a Roman centurion from Caesarea Maritima to Rome, the ship sailed along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, and landed at Myra in Lycia (Acts 27:5). There they found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy. This was one of the many grain ships that used Andriake as a port (Acts 27:38).

We do not know whether Paul was able to see any of Myra. There are several interesting things that could have been seen.

Here is a photo of the house-type tombs in the rock cliffs at Myra dating from the 4th century B.C.

Fourth century B.C. house-type rock tombs at Myra. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The next photo shows the top seats of the 2nd century B.C. theater with the tombs in the background. The theater seated about 10,000 spectators.

Rock Tombs of Myra with Theater in the foreground. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Our last photo shows the harbor at Andriake, and walls of granaries built in the time of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-138).  This was an ideal place to find a grain ship headed for Rome, even before Hardian built the granaries.

Anriake, the harbor of Myra, Photo by Ferrell Jenkins

Turkey wants British Museum to return sculptures from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

According to an article in The Guardian (here), the town of Bodrum in Southwest Turkey wants the British Museum to return several priceless sculptures once associated with the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in the 4th century B.C.

Human rights legislation that has overturned the convictions of terrorists and rapists could now rob the British Museum of sculptures created for one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

A Turkish challenge in the European court of human rights will be a test case for the repatriation of art from one nation to another, a potential disaster for the world’s museums.

Halicarnassus is where Mausolus built a gigantic tomb in honor of himself. Leon Mauldin and I visited the site earlier in the year. You may read about our visit (with photos) here. It became known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Two of the sculptures that the town of Bodrum wants returned are through to be of Mausolus and Artemisia, his wife. Here is a photo of the marble statue thought to be Mausolus.

Statue of Mausolus in British Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The next statue is usually identified as Artemisia, wife of Mausolus.

Statue from Halicarnassus, usually identified as Artemisia, the wife of Mausolos. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Another reason to visit the British Museum soon, or Turkey later.

HT: Jack Sasson