Pepuza
Encyclopedia
Pepuza was an ancient town in Phrygia
, Asia Minor
(in today's Turkish district of Karahallı
, Province of Uşak
, Aegean Region). Coordinates of the central terrasse of the settlement: UTM 35 S 0714926/4253954 (WGS-84), 38,408˚ N, 29,4615˚ E.
From the middle of the 2nd century CE to the middle of the 6th century, Pepuza was the headquarters of the ancient Christian church of Montanism
, which spread all over the Roman Empire. The Montanist patriarch resided at Pepouza, and the Montanists expected the heavenly Jerusalem to descend to earth at Pepouza and the nearbyby town of Tymion
. In late antiquity, both places attracted crowds of pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire. Women played an emancipated role in Montanism. They could become priests and also bishops. In the 6th century, this church became extinct.
Since 2001, Peter Lampe
of the University of Heidelberg has directed annual archaeological campaigns in Phrygia, Turkey. During these interdisciplinary campaigns, together with William Tabbernee of Tulsa, numerous unknown ancient settlements were discovered and archaeologically documented. Two of them are the best candidates so far in the search for the identification of the two holy centers of ancient Montanism, Pepuza and Tymion
. Scholars had searched for these lost sites since the 19th century.
The ancient settlement in the Karahallı area, near the village of Karayakuplu, discovered and identified as Pepuza by William Tabbernee and Peter Lampe
, was settled continuously from Hellenistic times to Byzantine times. In Byzantine times, an important rock-cut monastery belonged to the town.
Phrygia
In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges , changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the...
, Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
(in today's Turkish district of Karahallı
Karahalli
Karahallı is a town and district of Uşak Province in the inner Aegean region of Turkey. Karahallı district area neighbors those of two other districts of the same province to the north, namely Ulubey and Sivaslı, and to the south those of two districts depending Denizli Province which are Çivril...
, Province of Uşak
Usak Province
Uşak is a province in western Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Manisa to the west, Denizli to the south, Afyon to the east, and Kütahya to the north. The provincial capital is Uşak, and its traffic code is 64. The province covers an area of 5,341 km² and has a population of 335,860...
, Aegean Region). Coordinates of the central terrasse of the settlement: UTM 35 S 0714926/4253954 (WGS-84), 38,408˚ N, 29,4615˚ E.
From the middle of the 2nd century CE to the middle of the 6th century, Pepuza was the headquarters of the ancient Christian church of Montanism
Montanism
Montanism was an early Christian movement of the late 2nd century, later referred to by the name of its founder, Montanus, but originally known by its adherents as the New Prophecy...
, which spread all over the Roman Empire. The Montanist patriarch resided at Pepouza, and the Montanists expected the heavenly Jerusalem to descend to earth at Pepouza and the nearbyby town of Tymion
Tymion
Tymion was an ancient town in Phrygia, Asia Minor . Its site is located at the Turkish village of Şükranje...
. In late antiquity, both places attracted crowds of pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire. Women played an emancipated role in Montanism. They could become priests and also bishops. In the 6th century, this church became extinct.
Since 2001, Peter Lampe
Peter Lampe
Peter Lampe is a German theologian and Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.After studies in theology, philosophy and archaeology at Bielefeld and Göttingen, Germany, and Rome, Italy, he received his Ph.D. and his Dr. habil...
of the University of Heidelberg has directed annual archaeological campaigns in Phrygia, Turkey. During these interdisciplinary campaigns, together with William Tabbernee of Tulsa, numerous unknown ancient settlements were discovered and archaeologically documented. Two of them are the best candidates so far in the search for the identification of the two holy centers of ancient Montanism, Pepuza and Tymion
Tymion
Tymion was an ancient town in Phrygia, Asia Minor . Its site is located at the Turkish village of Şükranje...
. Scholars had searched for these lost sites since the 19th century.
The ancient settlement in the Karahallı area, near the village of Karayakuplu, discovered and identified as Pepuza by William Tabbernee and Peter Lampe
Peter Lampe
Peter Lampe is a German theologian and Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.After studies in theology, philosophy and archaeology at Bielefeld and Göttingen, Germany, and Rome, Italy, he received his Ph.D. and his Dr. habil...
, was settled continuously from Hellenistic times to Byzantine times. In Byzantine times, an important rock-cut monastery belonged to the town.
Literature
- W. Tabbernee/Peter LampePeter LampePeter Lampe is a German theologian and Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.After studies in theology, philosophy and archaeology at Bielefeld and Göttingen, Germany, and Rome, Italy, he received his Ph.D. and his Dr. habil...
, Pepouza and Tymion: The Discovery and Archaeological Exploration of a Lost Ancient City and an Imperial Estate (deGruyter: Berlin/New York, 2008) ISBN 978-3-11-019455-5 und ISBN 978-3-11-020859-7 - Peter LampePeter LampePeter Lampe is a German theologian and Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.After studies in theology, philosophy and archaeology at Bielefeld and Göttingen, Germany, and Rome, Italy, he received his Ph.D. and his Dr. habil...
, Die montanistischen Tymion und Pepouza im Lichte der neuen Tymioninschrift, in: Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum 8 (2004) 498-512