A recently uncovered 2,500-year-old marble statue has been found in Sardis, an ancient city referenced in the Book of Revelation. The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism shared this discovery from the fifth century B.C. in August. Sardis is situated in the Salihli district of Manisa, around 45 miles east of İzmir.
Excavators carefully revealed the statue at the archaeological site. The statue, depicting a young man, stands about 7.2 feet tall and retains detailed facial features.
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Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy described the find as an “extraordinary discovery.” The statue was repurposed as paving along a street in Roman times, face down, which preserved its features.
Minister Ersoy stated that the statue’s attire reflects Lydian culture. It holds a fruit, offering insights into Sardis’s historical lifestyle and belief systems.
The statue is larger than typical examples from its period. Its clothing includes a thick himation, a thin chiton, and a garment with horizontal lines. This design is not common in other Anatolian and Greek statues, emphasizing its Lydian connection.
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Sardis was the capital of the Lydian Kingdom and later a center in the Persian Empire. It is one of the seven churches in Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation, alongside Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira, Smyrna, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Expert conservationists will examine the statue for paint traces. It is encrusted with deposits, and these will be removed carefully to preserve any paint remnants. Soil around the statue will also be tested for color traces.
Once restored, the statue will be exhibited at the Manisa Museum in western Turkey. This discovery adds to recent finds from cities mentioned in the Book of Revelation, including an ancient mosaic in Smyrna and a Roman-era marble bathtub in Ephesus.
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