Laodicean

Laodicean refers to things related to Laodicea, an ancient city in the Lycus valley of western Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). It also serves as a demonym for inhabitants of Laodicea and, in Christian literature, for members of the early church there.

Laodicea on the Lycus lay between Colossae and Hierapolis in the Roman province of Asia. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods it grew wealthy from trade, banking, and industry—notably black wool textiles—and it housed a famous medical school and was known for ophthalmic preparations. The city endured earthquakes in the first century CE and was rebuilt largely by its inhabitants.

In the New Testament, the Church of Laodicea is addressed in Revelation 3:14–22, which portrays the Laodiceans as lukewarm. Colossians 4:16 mentions a letter from Laodicea, generally regarded as a lost epistle. Because of these passages, “Laodicean” has, in some contexts, become associated with complacent or tepid religiosity, though scholarly usage tends to be historical rather than prescriptive.

Today the site of Laodicea on the Lycus is an archaeological area in modern Denizli Province, Turkey, with ruins including a theater, stadium, and baths that reflect the city’s ancient urban plan.