Contrary to popular belief, “Philadelphia” does not exactly mean “city of brotherly love”.  It was founded by Eumenes, king of Pergamum , after his brother Attalus, whose fidelity to his brother had given him the title of “Philadelphos” --  the lover of his brother.   Philadelphia overlooks a fertile plain, and was usually prosperous, but was vulnerable to earthquakes.  After the great earthquake of 17 AD, imperial funds were forthcoming to help with the repairs.  Philadelphia renamed itself “New Caesarea” in honor of the emperor Tiberius. 

Philadelphia continued to fear earthquake, and the letter to Philadelphia reflects its longing for stability and security.  The “one who overcomes” will become a pillar in the temple, and live there forever.  This image conflicts with the later statement that the New Jerusalem would have no temple, since it would be occupied by God.

Philadelphia is offered an “open door” to a world controlled by God.  The following letter – to Laodicea -- uses the opposite image, with Jesus standing outside a closed door.

The writer again warns against the “synagogue of Satan” of those “who pretend to be Jews but are not”.  This may reflect some internal division among the Jews, such as between those who supported the temple in Jerusalem and those who preferred the temple at Heliopolis.  Alternatively, the ones who “pretend to be Jews but are not” may be the Gentile Christians who were persuaded into full Jewish practices by the Judaisers of Acts 15:1.  A similar argument is put forward by Pharisaic believers in Jerusalem in Acts 15:5  New Christians who become circumcised are denounced by Paul in Galatians 5, who says that “if you are circumcised then Christ is of no use to you at all”

Sardis was a frontier city on the edge of the Persian Empire, at the end of the Royal Road from Persepolis.   It was a prosperous city – gold was said to come down the river as “golden sand”.  In peaceful times, its position gave it all the benefits of a “railhead” collecting goods for transshipment to Persia, and breaking down incoming shipments for distribution.

Its most famous king was King Croesus, who gave his name to the phrase “as rich  as Croesus”.  On learning that a Persian army was on its way to attack, he took advice from the oracle at Delphi, which told him that if he went to war, he would “destroy a great kingdom”.  However, it turned out that the kingdom he would destroy was his own.  Pictures of him pouring oil onto his own funeral pyre became iconic images, some on Greek vases which still survive.

By New Testament times, Sardis was again a flourishing commercial city.  John remarks that the Christians there “have a  name of being alive, but you are dead”.  They are commanded to “wake up” in view of the imminence of the Second Coming, which will come unexpectedly “like a thief in the night”.

As at some of the other Asian churches, John was worried about the Christians’ contamination with pagan practices, but “there are still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.”  The “conquerors” are promised white clothes, and that their names will not be removed from the book of life.

Thyatira was a flourishing commercial center, noted for its dyeing, metalwork, and woolen industry.

St. Paul met “Lydia”, from Thyatira, in Philippi.  Some commentators have found it odd that somebody who came from Thyatira, Lydia, should be called “Lydia” and suggest that Luke got his names confused.  Paul may have visited Thyatira on his third missionary journey, though this is conjecture.  Lydia is described as a “dealer in purple cloth” (Thyatira Purple is mentioned in the Iliad).  Her hospitality to Paul and Silas reflects her independence and financial status.

Thyatira appeared to have encountered libertine tendancies, perhaps centered on a leader called “Jezebel”, though possibly the name is merely polemical.  Her followers were accused of sexual misconduct and eating food offered to idols.  The first may reflect the need of business people to follow the customs of trade guilds, particularly at their celebrations; faced with the problem of participating in pagan dinners, Paul himself has a more casual approach “eat what is set before you and ask no questions” (I Cor:8), a position that would not appeal to John, with his apocalyptic polarized views.

We discussed the timing of early “heresies”.  Tom pointed out that in early churches,  common practice was more important that common belief.  We noted that Prof Ehrmann attributes the eventual dominance of the “catholic” version of Christianity to its emphasis on having a  Creed, Canon, and Clergy.

Pergamum was a great city, at one time capital of Roman Asia, until the title was taken by Ephesus.  Its shrine to Ascepelius was  famous for its healing, and the library second only to the one at Alexandria.  The Temple to Zeus was excavated at the end of the nineteenth century, and exported to Berlin, where the Pergamum Museum is named after it.

The rather cryptic letter to Pergamum contained in Revelation refers to “the seat of Satan”.  This may refer to the Temple of Zeus, or to the Roman Praesidium.

The Pergamum church was influenced by the mysterious Nicolaitans, whom we saw in the letter to Ephesus, and by those who had been taught by “Balaam”.  Balaam is a semi-legendary figure, whose name was given to all kinds of heresy and error.  The quasi-historical reference to Balaam in Numbers 22-24 is, however, somewhat sympathetic.  Here he appears as a freelance prophet, who, when hired to curse the Israelites, finds he can only pronounce words of blessing.