Day 03 - Hierapolis, Laodicea

Day 3: 
Our day started early with hot air balloon rides over the valley! It was incredible to watch the sunrise, see Hierapolis from above, and experience the thrill of being so high over the land!

After breakfast, we headed out to Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. The ruins seemed to go on forever, making it easy to see how large this city once was. We learned that most of the excavation has only happened in the last ten years, and wow—what a sight to behold! There were two agoras (marketplaces) and an amphitheater that seated 20,000 people!

One of the coolest spots was when Ozan took us to a house church and taught us about an ancient Christian symbol. It looked a bit like a pizza, but it was actually a secret code early Christians used to identify each other during times of persecution.

In Revelation, this church is described as neither hot nor cold. Jade took us through an amazing teaching on the geography of the land. Laodicea is located between a natural hot spring and cold springs from snow runoff. Even though John wrote Revelation from an island, God knew this imagery would make sense to the Laodiceans—to be lukewarm was to be like water that had no use. Seeing Scripture come alive through the land is amazing!

In the afternoon, we visited Colossae—but without a tour guide, we would have driven right past it. Since it has not been excavated yet, it just looks like a large hill. However, we sat at the top of the hill, read Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae, and lightly debated whether there is evidence that Paul visited the church in person or not.

Our excursions ended at Hierapolis, where we saw a statue of Hades built over what we now know to be a fault line. To the ancient people, this was considered an entrance to Hades because animals would die (from the poisonous gases rising from the earth) any time they entered this space.

Right next to Hierapolis are thermal mineral waters that cascade over the mountain. From afar, they look like snowy hills, yet as we walked through the warm waters, we could feel the minerals beneath our feet. What a wonder of nature to get to play in!

Back at the hotel, we also enjoyed luxury spas, visited local shops, and even played soccer with the local kids! The evenings together have been just as much of a highlight as the days!