Thyati'ra. A city on the Lycus, founded by Seleucus Nicator, lay to the left of
the road from Pergamos to Sardis, 27 miles from the latter city, and on the
very confines of Mysia and Ionia, so as to be sometimes reckoned, within the
one and, sometimes, within the other. Dyeing apparently formed an important
part of the industrial activity of Thyatira, as it did of that of Colossae and
Laodicea. It is first mentioned in connection with Lydia, "a seller of
purple." Act_16:14. One of the
Seven Churches of Asia was established here. Rev_2:18-29.
The principal deity of the city was Apollo; but there was another
superstition, of an extremely curious nature, which seems to have been brought
thither, by some of the corrupted Jews of the dispersed tribes. A fane stood
outside the walls, dedicated to Sambatha -- the name of the sibyl who is
sometimes called Chaldean, sometimes Jewish, sometimes Persian -- in the midst
of an enclosure designated "the Chaldaeans' court."
This seems to lend an illustration to the obscure passage in Rev_2:20-21, which some interpret of the wife of
the bishop. Now, there is evidence to show that in Thyatira, there was a great
amalgamation of races. If the sibyl Sambatha was in reality a Jewess, lending
her aid to the amalgamation of different religions, and not discountenanced by
the authorities of the Judeo-Christian Church at Thyatira, both the censure and
its qualification become easy of explanation. (The present name of the city is ak-Hissar,
("white castle"). It has a reputation for the manufacture of
scarlet cloth. Its present population is 15,000 to 20,000. There are nine
mosques. -- Editor).
Source:
Smith’s Bible Dictionary
Thyatira
thī-a-tī´ra (Θυάτειρα,
Thuáteira): Thyatira was a wealthy town in the northern part of
Lydia of the Roman province of Asia, on the river Lycus. It stood so near to
the borders of Mysia, that some of the early writers have regarded it as belonging
to that country. Its early history is not well known, for until it was
refounded by Seleucus Nicator (301-281 BC) it was a small, insignificant town.
It stood on none of the Greek trade routes, but upon the lesser road between
Pergamos and Sardis, and derived its wealth from the Lycus valley in which it
rapidly became a commercial center, but never a metropolis. The name “Thyatira”
means “the castle of Thya.” Other names which it has borne are Pelopia and
Semiramis. Before the time of Nicator the place was regarded as a holy city,
for there stood the temple of the ancient Lydian sun-god, Tyrimnos; about it
games were held in his honor. Upon the early coins of Thyatira this Asiatic god
is represented as a horseman, bearing a double-headed battle-ax, similar to
those represented on the sculptures of the Hittites. A goddess associated with
him was Boreatene, a deity of less importance. Another temple at Thyatira was
dedicated to Sambethe, and at this shrine was a prophetess, by some supposed to
represent the Jezebel of Rev_2:20, who
uttered the sayings which this deity would impart to the worshippers.
Thyatira was specially noted for the trade guilds which were probably
more completely organized there than in any other ancient city. Every artisan
belonged to a guild, and every guild, which was an incorporated organization,
possessed property in its own name, made contracts for great constructions, and
wielded a wide influence. Powerful among them was the guild of coppersmiths;
another was the guild of the dyers, who, it is believed, made use of the
madder-root instead of shell-fish for making the purple dyestuffs. A member of
this guild seems to have been Lydia of Thyatira, who, according to Act_16:14, sold her dyes in Philippi. The color
obtained by the use of this dye is now called Turkish red. The guilds were
closely connected with the Asiatic religion of the place. Pagan feasts, with
which immoral practices were associated, were held, and therefore the nature of
the guilds was such that they were opposed to Christianity. According to Act_19:10, Paul may have preached there while he
was living at Ephesus, but this is uncertain; yet Christianity reached there at
an early time. It was taught by many of the early church that no Christian
might belong to one of the guilds, and thus the greatest opposition to
Christianity was presented.
Thyatira is now represented by the modern town of Ak-Hissar
on a branch line of the Manisa-Soma Railroad, and on the old Rom road 9 hours
from Sardis. Ak-Hissar is Turkish for “white castle,” and near
the modern town may be seen the ruins of the castle from which the name was
derived. The village is of considerable size; most of the houses are of mud,
but several of the buildings erected by Caracalla are still standing, yet none
of them are perfect. In the higher part of the town are the ruins of one of the
pagan temples, and in the walls of the houses are broken columns and sarcophagi
and inscribed stones. The population of 20,000 is largely Greek and Armenian,
yet a few Jews live among them. Before the town is a large marsh, fever-laden,
and especially unhealthful in the summer time, formed by the Lycus, which the
Turks now call Geurdeuk Chai. The chief modern industry is rug-making.
Source:
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Thyatira
A city of Asia Minor, on the borders of Lydia and Mysia. Its modern name
is Ak-hissar, i.e., “white castle.” Here was one of the seven churches (Rev_1:11; Rev_2:18-28).
Lydia, the seller of purple, or rather of cloth dyed with this colour, was from
this city (Act_16:14). It was and still
is famous for its dyeing. Among the ruins, inscriptions have been found
relating to the guild of dyers in that city in ancient times.
Source:
Easton’s Bible Dictionary