Seven churches

108
M. M. NINAN
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During the Mermnad dynasty (ca. 680-547 B.C.), the empire reached its greatest
geographical extent, stretching from the Aegean Sea to central Anatolia. Herodotus
credits the Lydian kings with the invention of coinage (ca. 6th c BC.) and the construction
of the great royal burial mounds at Bin Tepe, some 6 miles to the northwest of the
acropolis. Kings Gyges and Croesus were particularly renowned for lavish gifts dedicated
in Greek sanctuaries. In 547 B.C., Sardis was sacked by Cyrus the Great and remained
under Persian control until 334 B.C., when it was captured by Alexander the Great. The
city continued to flourish during Hellenistic and Roman times, when ambitious construction
projects were initiated, including the temple of Artemis and bath-gymnasium complex. A
section of the bath - gymnasium complex was later remodeled to accommodate a
synagogue. This synagogue, now partially restored by the Harvard-Cornell Expedition, is
the largest early synagogue yet excavated in the Mediterranean world.
During the early Christian period Sardis became one of the Seven Churches which were
mentioned by St. John in The Book of Revelation. Sardis was one of the legendary cities
of Asia Minor in what is today Turkey. In the seventh century B.C., Sardis was the capital
of the kingdom of Lydia. Gold was found in the river near Sardis and the kings who lived
there were renowned for their wealth. The Persians captured Sardis in the sixth century
and made it the administrative center for the western part of their empire. The fabled
"royal road" connected Sardis with the Persian cities to the east. In New Testament times,
Sardis was part of the Roman province of Asia.