Colossae was located on a trade route between Persia and the port city of Ephesus in the Lycus River Valley. It was one of a triad of cities in the area, nestled at the foot of Mount Cadmus. By the time the gospel reached the area, Colossae was in decline and had been eclipsed by her neighbors, Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Colossae was known for three things:
- a cloth from its fabric mills dyed a brilliant red color called colossinus
- streams of ice-cold water fed by the runoff from Mt. Cadmus that towered over it
- agriculture made possible by the fertile Lycus Valley soil, irrigated by mountain-fed streams
Colossae was nearly destroyed in 60 A.D. by an earthquake and over a period of time, gradually abandoned.
It’s
biblical significance lies in the fact that the book of Colossians was addressed
to the church in Colossae, and that Philemon (also a New Testament book ) lived in this city.
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