Bible Geography · Asia Minor (modern Turkey) · c. 300 BC – AD 1300
Pergamum
Description
Pergamum was the royal capital of the Attalid dynasty and then the first capital of the Roman province of Asia. It sat atop a dramatic 335-meter acropolis and was home to the famous Pergamum Library (second only to Alexandria), the Great Altar of Zeus, and the first temple built to the Roman Emperor in Asia.
Significance
The letter to Pergamum in Revelation 2 praises the church for holding firm to faith under persecution while rebuking compromise with idolatry and immorality. 'Satan's throne' likely refers to the altar of Zeus or the imperial cult. The city gave us the word 'parchment' (pergamena), from its famous writing material.
Key Events
The martyrdom of Antipas, described as God's 'faithful witness' in Pergamum (Revelation 2:13); the church's struggle with the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:14–15); the Great Altar of Zeus (now in Berlin's Pergamon Museum) dominating the acropolis.
Modern Context
Pergamum's ruins are found at modern Bergama in western Turkey. The acropolis, theater, and Asclepion healing complex are well preserved. The reconstructed Pergamon Altar is displayed in Berlin's Pergamon Museum and is one of Germany's most visited antiquities.