Overview of the Asklepeion
The Asklepeion in Pergamum was a famous medical center built during the second century A.D., shortly after the time when John wrote about the city. It was part of a large area that included other buildings like an amphitheater that could hold 50,000 people and a theater for 30,000 people.
Medical Center of Healing
The Asklepeion was dedicated to Asklepios Soter, the god of healing. It was a medical clinic where people believed they could receive healing through a mix of medicine, religion, and superstition. Although the Asklepeion had been around for a long time, it became even more impressive during the time of Emperor Hadrian, shortly after John’s time. The facility was so magnificent that it was listed among some of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World The Library in Pergamum.
Medical Practices and Votive Offerings
The Asklepeion in Pergamum was one of the most advanced medical centers in the ancient world, ranking alongside others like the ones in Epidauros (Greece) and Cos (a Greek island). In these medical centers, people would bring votive offerings, which were small items like ceramic models of the body parts that needed healing. For example, if someone had a sick leg, they would bring a small model of a leg as an offering to the god, hoping that Asklepios would heal that part of their body Guided Turkey Tours .
Religion and Science Together
In ancient times, people did not see a conflict between religion and science. They believed that gods could help heal the body, and that medicine and religion worked together. This view is different from modern times, where people often think science and religion are separate.
