Videos—Revelation: Smyrna
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Smyrna: Alexander the Great
The ancient city of Smyrna, the modern port of Izmir today, was well situated to be an important city with defensible territory and access to the inland trade routes of Anatolia. The old city was reestablished as new Smyrna by Alexander the Great on the slopes of Mount Pagos, where Alexander built a fortress that survives to this day.
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Smyrna: Roman Forum
The only surviving part of Roman Smyrna is the Roman agora (forum) located right in the middle of the modern city of Izmir. Archeological work has been done in this area over the last decade. What survives is no earlier than second century, because Smyrna was devastated by a severe earthquake that completely destroyed the city. The forum is outstanding. The market area was a massive, three-story complex, with one story completely underground, supported by several systems of vaulted archways.
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Smyrna: Christian Graffiti
The Smyrna Agora sits right near the ancient harbor, whose shoreline had a deeper inlet than today. Excavations at the agora revealed graffiti in the underground level of the distinctive three-story market. Some of the graffiti has clear Christian background. One speaks of “the one who has the Spirit.” Another provides gematria equating the word “Lord” with the word “faith.” A third graffiti is about the “desired lady,” a probable reference to the Virgin Mary.
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Smyrna: Clazomenae Sarcophagi
The Izmir Archeological Museum has many great holdings illustrating the world of the New Testament. One of these is an outstanding exhibit of the world-renowned, terra-cotta sarcophagi from the city of Clazomenae.
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