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 ulture is determined by those living in it. It
changes from country to country and even from one city to another city. It includes language, customs, and laws. In some countries automobiles are driven on one side of the
road, and in other country they may be driven on the other side. Each country has a different flag, anthem, currency, and heroes. In some countries the weekend starts on Thursday,
and in others the weekend begins with Saturday. Customs are different and so are the standards of acceptable conduct. Many of us believe that culture is neither good or bad.
But that conclusion is wrong when the people in a country, province, city, or group start determining what is moral. When men and women ignore God and start determining what
is right and wrong, the moral standards are determined by the population. The moral standards change because the men and women change.
City of Pergamum. The culture in Pergamum was like the culture in many other surrounding cities. You may soon discover that in some ways, it was
like your culture. Pergamum was a famous city and the capital of Asia Minor. It was located in a valley and received its water from the Bergama Cayl River. The business
center of the city (the acropolis) was located in a fortified stronghold on a rocky hill about 1,000 feet (305 meters) above
the valley floor.
A famous library was built in the city during the second century by Eumenes II. The library had 200,000 volumes and was a rival of the library in Alexandria, Egypt. In fact,
the city was named after the parchment used to make many of the books. The library was part of Pergamum’s culture. But this symbol of pride was given away by Mark Anthony
to his “girl friend,” Cleopatra, as a gift. The library of Alexandria became even more famous. Today, there are no ruins of this cultural symbol.
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The Temples. Pergamum was also known for its many temples. We will discover shortly that the temples in Ephesus, Sardis, and Pergamum were part of
their everyday life - their culture. When God through His apostles spoke out against these religions, He rejected more than just the events which occurred inside a few temples.
A visitor to Pergamum would have seen some fantastic temples dedicated to Asclepius, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Serapius, Trajan,
and Zeus. We consider the various religions in the city. This is important because this changes our understanding of these ancient
religions. We will see that these ancient religions are very different from the religious practices of our day. When God wants us to not be involved in other religions, He was
talking about more than just worshipping at a temple.
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The temple to Trajan honored a caesar of Rome as if he were a god. The temple was beautiful and had a Corinthian design. The temple
was on the terrace which led to the Pergamum‘s famous library. The temple to Zeus was erected when Pergamum defeated the Galatians. The temple stood on top of the acropolis.
It was very large and could be seen from the valley floor. Zeus was considered to be the “god of gods” by the Greeks and Romans. Athena was believed to be the goddess
of war, wisdom, and skill. If one had wanted success in battle, wisdom in business, or skill in trade, the person would have wanted to honor her with worship.
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One of the most significant goddesses was Demeter . She was believed to provide the human race with food. This religion had priests
and included fasting, sacrifices, singing of hymns, and the sprinkling of holy water. A person joined this religion by a secret rite of initiation. There were three steps called
the Lesser Mysteries, the Greater Mysteries, and the Epopteia. The pig was the symbol of cleanliness.
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