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{"id":71510,"date":"2025-06-29T01:09:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T05:09:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/bibleandculture\/?p=71510"},"modified":"2025-06-11T08:41:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T12:41:18","slug":"always-more-to-see-at-laodicea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/bibleandculture\/2025\/06\/29\/always-more-to-see-at-laodicea\/","title":{"rendered":"Always More to see at Laodicea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

From the outset of Paul\u2019s missionary journeys Christianity set its sights on cities, with an urban strategy of evangelist, and Laodicea was one of them as, Rev. 3. attests. The church had been there for some considerable amount of time before John wrote to them in the late 90s.\u00a0 And eventually there would be a church standing on top of a hill overlooking the impressive and fertile Lycus valley. $\"\"$ <\/a> $\"\"$ <\/a> $\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

The further excavation and covering of the Byzantine church (to preserve the mosaic floor from fading in the intense sunlight), is impressive. $\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

This was a tall building with various antechambers.\u00a0 It had a special spot for the baptistry,<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

And the fish symbol was readily used. $\"\"$ <\/a> $\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Notice the mosaic that says Polycarpos proto-diakonos.\u00a0 He was of course one of the first martyrs in the second century and part of the great chain of witnesses who gave their lives for their faith.<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a> $\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"