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PHILADELPHIA

(Gk. Philadélphia)

1. A city in the Roman province of Asia, in western Asia Minor (Rev. 1:11; 3:7-13). Since Philadelphia lies beneath the modern Turkish city of Alaşehir, it has never been systematically excavated. The city was founded in the 2nd century b.c. by Attalos II of Pergamum. It experienced severe earthquake damage in the period of the early Roman Empire; the earthquake of unparalleled magnitude which occurred during the reign of the emperor Tiberius (a.d. 17; Pliny Nat. hist. 2.86, 200; Tacitus Ann. 2.47) and destroyed several Asiatic cities also devastated Philadelphia (cf. Strabo Geog. 12.8.18; 13.4.10).

The earliest sources for Christianity in Philadelphia come from the book of Revelation and the Letter to the Philadelphians written by Ignatius of Antioch in the early 2nd century. It is clear from these that there was continuing animosity between Christianity and the local Jewish community (Rev. 3:9; Ignatius Phld. 6:1). Efforts to interpret the Johannine message to the church at Philadelphia in light of Philadelphia’s social and political history have often been very subjective.

The numerous epigraphical remains from the city and its vicinity have not been seriously investigated by NT scholars. One rather noteworthy inscription from the 1st century b.c. records the moral imperatives required of members in a cult of the pagan god Zeus. In addition to demonstrating a close connection between pagan piety and ethical standards, this lengthy inscription gives insight about pagan resistance to participation in promiscuous sexual relations, use of abortifacients, use of magical spells, and participation in pedophilia. Moreover this inscription explicitly informs us that the members of the religious guild represented “men and women, free and slave.”

Bibliography. S. C. Barton and G. H. R. Horsley, “A Hellenistic Cult Group and the New Testament Churches,” JAC 24 (1981): 7-41; C. J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting (1986, repr. Grand Rapids, 2000); D. Magie, Roman Rule in Asia Minor, 2 vols. (1950, repr. New York, 1975).

Richard E. Oster, Jr.

2. A city in the Decapolis, modern Amman.

See Rabbah.

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

PHILADELPHIA

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)