Acropolis of Pergamon: Trajaneum, Library and Theatre
The hill-top of imperial cult and learning above 'Satan's throne'
Found 1878 — Carl Humann for the Berlin Museums (1878–1886); continued by Alexander Conze, Wilhelm Dörpfeld (1900–1911), Theodor Wiegand (1927–1939) and the German Archaeological Institute (since 1957)
Where Bergama (Pergamon), İzmir Province (Turkey)
Dates from 3rd century BCE (theatre, library) to 2nd century CE (Trajaneum) · Hellenistic–Roman · Message to Pergamum (Revelation 2)
Now at In situ (Bergama acropolis); sculpture divided between the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, and Bergama Museum
How Acropolis of Pergamon: Trajaneum, Library and Theatre was found
Humann, a German road engineer, saw marble reliefs being burned for lime and won permission to dig. The upper city was cleared terrace by terrace; the Trajaneum was re-erected by the DAI in the 1970s–1990s.
What it is
A steep citadel some 300 m above the plain holding the royal palaces, the arsenal, the sanctuary of Athena with the famous library (said to have held 200,000 scrolls), the steepest theatre of the Greek world (about 10,000 seats), and the white-marble Temple of Trajan and Zeus Philios, finished under Hadrian for the worship of the emperors.
Why it matters for the Bible
Revelation 2:13 says the assembly in Pergamum lived 'where Satan's throne is'. Besides the Great Altar (covered in its own entry), the acropolis held the first temple in Asia to the goddess Roma and Augustus (29 BCE) and, later, the Trajaneum — Pergamum was the province's centre of emperor worship. Standing among these buildings shows what pressure a believer felt when refusing to call Caesar 'lord'. The library also reminds readers that 'parchment' (pergamene) takes its name from this city.
The Hebrew word: kee-SEH
כִּסֵּא
כִּסֵּא is pronounced kee-SEH and means throne, seat of rule — the word behind 'Satan's throne' (Strong's H3678).
People this discovery connects to
- Antipas — אַנְטִיפַּס (an-TEE-pas) — Greek Antipas; the 'faithful witness' killed at Pergamum
Places
- Pergamum — פֶּרְגָמוֹן (per-GAH-mon) — Greek Pergamon, 'citadel'
Events
Message to the assembly at Pergamum · Imperial cult in Asia
Acropolis of Pergamon: Trajaneum, Library and Theatre in Scripture
Revelation 1:11 One of only 2 verses that name Pergamos.
Revelation 2:12 The letter to Pergamum is addressed to this city.
Questions people ask
What is Acropolis of Pergamon: Trajaneum, Library and Theatre?
A steep citadel some 300 m above the plain holding the royal palaces, the arsenal, the sanctuary of Athena with the famous library (said to have held 200,000 scrolls), the steepest theatre of the Greek world (about 10,000 seats), and the white-marble Temple of Trajan and Zeus Philios, finished under Hadrian for the worship of the emperors.
When was Acropolis of Pergamon: Trajaneum, Library and Theatre discovered?
It was found in 1878 by Carl Humann for the Berlin Museums (1878–1886); continued by Alexander Conze, Wilhelm Dörpfeld (1900–1911), Theodor Wiegand (1927–1939) and the German Archaeological Institute (since 1957), at Bergama (Pergamon), İzmir Province.
Where is Acropolis of Pergamon: Trajaneum, Library and Theatre today?
In situ (Bergama acropolis); sculpture divided between the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, and Bergama Museum.
Which Bible verses does Acropolis of Pergamon: Trajaneum, Library and Theatre relate to?
Revelation 1:11, Revelation 2:12.
Related discoveries
- כִּסֵּא הַשָּׂטָןGreat Altar of Pergamon ('Satan's Throne')The monumental Zeus altar many link to Revelation's 'where Satan's throne is'
- אֱלִילִיםRed Basilica (Temple of the Egyptian Gods), PergamonHadrian's giant brick temple to Serapis and Isis, later a church of St John
- רְפוּאָהAsklepieion of PergamonThe healing sanctuary where Galen trained, in the city of Revelation 2
- פּוֹשֵׁרLaodicea: Lukewarm Water and the Early ChurchCalcified pipes, the Hierapolis hot springs, and a 4th-century church in the city that was 'neither hot nor cold'
- עַמּוּדPhiladelphia (Alaşehir): Basilica of St John and City WallsThree brick pillars in a city that promised its faithful a 'pillar in the temple'
- מְלָאכָהThyatira: Tepe Mezarlığı and Hastane Höyüğü ExcavationsThe colonnaded street and mounds of Lydia's city of craft guilds
Sources
- Carl Humann (Wikipedia)
- Pergamon Acropolis site guide (Nomadic Niko)
- Google Arts & Culture / Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: What happened in Pergamon?
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