The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-28

PRESENT STATE OF THE SEVEN CHURcHEl--
At recent meeting OF the Asiatic Soc ETY.,
the Secretary read a memoir by Captain J i.
Newbold, on the present condition OF the seven
ChurchNs of Asia, mentioned in the revelation,
which the writer has recently visited. He OBJ
serves that the history Of these interesting To-
calities Is well known but their present cop~
dition has been very little adverted TO. ~ s-
lie begins his account with the Church Of
Ephesu the first mentioned by St. John, hld
that which still maintains its ecclesiastical supe>
riority in giving title 10 the Greek Archbishop
while the Others have only Bishops at their head,
though it is low in statistical importance. TIE
port Of Ephesus IL now choked up by a pesiiftr r.
Gus morass, and lonely walls, tenanted only by
ljackals, occupy the site of the once popuious
city. The village of Ayasalux stands about
mile from the rnins, and contains about forty
| scattered cottages, one only tenanted by chris
tian. The mosque of the village containing
only four granite columns, said to have belonged
to the Temple of Diana, whose ruins are still VS.
IDLE near the port. The mosque is in decay,
like the Christian church, and every thing APP
pears to be in the last stage of dissolution
| Captain Newbold noticed that some of the gran
! lite which formed part of the ancient temple had
exfoliated, evidently from extreme heat, and he
suggested that this might have happened when
the temple Was consumed BY fire.
| Smyrna, the most furnishing OF the whole,
is an increasing city. Its population, which
twenty years ago was about 1000, is now
l3,oO0 and is rapidly increasing. There
i've Greek, three Latin, and two Protestant
| churches. The Greeks have numerous schools,
aud the Latins large college but the Profess
| tant schools have filled. The Greek church at
Smyrna continues in a fourishing condition.
Pergamos is the most prosperous OF tho
I..hI lr,.las affair Ssmvrnn Tho nonulatinn il
10000, of whom $4,000 are Turks, asd nearly
all the rest Christians. The Christian quar-
ter contains two Greek churches and one Arme-
! MAN.
Close to the ancient church, Captain Newbold
found Greek school, where the pupils were
seated on marble tombstones, which formed HE
pavement Of the school. lie gives copies Of
three Of the Inscriptions there, none of which
have hitherto been published.
1hyatira is still II tlourshing town. 1t had
been lost to the Christian world from the fall
of Constantinople, under the Turkish name Of
Alkhissar, until brought to light in the seven
teenth century. The population is about 10000,
of whom 1000 are Greeks, and 1900 Armcni-
ans, each having Il church; the former said to be
on the site of the apocalyptic church. Capt.
Newbold copied several inscriptions there.
Sardis the ancient capitol of Croesus, is now
more desolate than rphesus. Scarcely house
remains. The melancholy Gvroeen lake, tho
swampy plain of the Hermus and the thousand
mounds forming the metropolis of the Lydan
monarchies among which rises consPicuou.ly
the famed tumulus Of Alyattes, produce scene
of gloomy solennity. Massive ruins Of build
ings still remain, the wall Of which is made up
ofscuptured pieces of Cornthian Ionce columns
that once formed portions Of the ancient Pagan
temples. The Pactoluo, famed for its golden
sands, contains no gold, but the sparkling grains
of mica, with which the sand abounds, have pro-
badly originated the epithet. Captain Aewhold
suggests that the singular tumuli of Sardis de-
serve to be opened, and recommends the subject
to the attention of the society
Philadelphia has population of 900 Turks,
and 5000 Greeks. 1t contains twenty five
churches all small and mean, but containing
fragments of ancient sepulchres. A massive
ruin was pointed out as the church of the apo
calypso.
Laocicea, whose fate had been forgotten for
centuries, was brought to light in the seven
teenth century. 1t was, and is a mass of DESC
late ruins The hills on which il S ands have
been supposed to he volcanic, but enormously.
They are composed Of aqueous BEDS chiefly
mestone.-Church Of England Magazine.