Visiting the ruins of the ancient city of Aphroditus and Laodicia was a humbling experience. Laodicia sat on the hillside near another great city of Heroditus, right next to the lime capped cliffs of Pamukkale. It was one of the cities Paul wrote about in his letter to the Colossians. It's one of the seven cities John of Patmos mentioned by name in the Book of Revelations. The city was visited by Paul and mentioned by John because it was a major population center and had a significant Jewish community.
Each time we visit one of these sites, we track where this place was on Paul's journeys, and we admire the restoration of the ruins and the art and artifacts in the nearby museums. But each time there is a melancholy feeling that we touch as we contemplate the fact that these large ancient cities, with well engineered water systems, good roads, stadiums, governance systems, great art installations, and a strong economic base are gone. What brought them down?
In some cases, natural disasters beyond their control, like earthquakes. In some cases, incompetent administrations that could not see historical and economic changes coming that would change the advantages the city had always enjoyed. In many cases, wars of conquest, often fueled by fundamentalist religious ideologies, laid the city low.
We see these ancient ruins, and then back in our hotel, check the headlines on the I Pad, and read about natural disasters, incompetent administrations, and wars fueled by fundamentalist ideologies. It seems we haven't learned much in two thousand years.
Location:Loadicea, Turkey
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