PATMOS

OCT 14

We left Turkey shortly after noon and headed out throught the straights of Samos, where Turkey and Greece share their closest border, to the Island of Patmos. Tradition says St. John, the beloved disciple of Jesus brought Mary the Mother of Jesus here, where they lived the rest of their lives. John was exiled to the Patmos for two years. It was in a cave here that he had a vision and wrote the Book of Revelations. He then returned to Ephesus where he later was supposed to have written his Gospel.
Dave Roberts and Duane heading up a small trail that lead to the grotto of St. John
Blanche Roberts and Arleen arriving at the building that was built over the grotto. We then took stairs down to the cave which now houses a small chapel. There is a crack in the roof of the cave that is the place from which God spoke to John. There a rock ledge on which he wrote the Book and a small nook in the wall which he used for a pillow when he slept. Both are now covered in in silver filagree to mark the spot. The Chapel was a typical Greek Orthodox Chapel with numerous icons, an Icon wall which hides the alter. No pictures were allowed to be taken inside the chapel. This is the Monastery of the Apcolypse, built at the top of the highest hill, with the village that grew up around it. Do to limited time and having visited numerous monasteries, we did not climb to the top. Instead we walked down through the town to reboard our ship and head to Rhodes