Daniel 2 · 8 days · Ankara – Izmir

The World Empires of Daniel – from Gordion to Sardis

“He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.”Daniel 2:21

8 days7 nights

AnkaraStart

IzmirEnd

Price on requestPrice

Reading path Enquire →

Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream an image of gold, silver, brass and iron, which a stone cut out without hands broke in pieces. Daniel interpreted it as a succession of kingdoms, followed by a kingdom of God that shall stand for ever. Hardly any landscape shows this rise and fall of powers as clearly as central and western Anatolia between Ankara and the Aegean.

Along the way you meet the Phrygians at Gordion and at Midas City, the Persians at Kelainai, where Xerxes halted before his campaign against Greece, and the gold of the Lydians in the museum of Uşak. At Sardis you stand in the largest ancient synagogue of Asia Minor and at the church that the Book of Revelation called to watchfulness. Near Magnesia the Seleucid Empire lost Asia Minor to Rome.

Your guide shows how Jews and Christians have read Daniel through the centuries – from Josephus and Jerome to modern scholarship – and lets the interpretations stand side by side. Extra-biblical sources such as Herodotus, Xenophon or the Sibylline Oracles are identified as such. Christians of all denominations who wish to understand the Bible within world history are warmly welcome.

The Bible reading path

Passages you will read on site

Dan 2:31–45Ankara (welcome evening)

The image of four metals and the stone cut out without hands – with the history of its interpretation.

Luke 2:1–5Temple of Augustus

The decree of Caesar Augustus – in front of his own record of deeds.

Dan 7:1–14Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

The four beasts and the Son of man – among lions and hybrid creatures of ancient Near Eastern art.

Gal 1:2; 3:1Ankara (evening discussion)

To the churches of Galatia – and the question of where they were.

Dan 8:1–8, 20–22Gordion

The ram of Media and Persia and the he-goat of Greece.

Dan 11:3–4Pessinus

A mighty king whose kingdom is divided toward the four winds.

1 Pet 2:4–5Ayazini

Lively stones – read in a church hewn from the rock.

Esth 1:1–4Kelainai

Ahasuerus, king over 127 provinces, and the splendour of his court.

Luke 23:39–43Kelainai

Paradise – a Persian word at the cross of Jesus.

Isa 44:28–45:7Citadel of Sardis

Cyrus, the anointed, before whom the gates open.

Obadiah 20Synagogue of Sardis

The captivity of Jerusalem in Sepharad – probably the Semitic name of Sardis.

Rev 3:1–6Church at the Temple of Artemis

The letter to the church that has a name that it lives.

Dan 11:18–19Plain of Magnesia

The king whose reproach a prince brings to an end.

Dan 7:13–14Izmir (closing)

To the Son of man is given a kingdom that shall not pass away.

Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together.
Bible quotations: King James Version.

Day by day

Itinerary

Day1

Arrival in Ankara – the image of four metals

Ankara Airport → Ankara

Your tour guide welcomes you at Ankara Airport and takes you into the city that in Roman times was the capital of the province of Galatia. After a break to settle in, you gather for the welcome evening. To begin, you read Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: the image of gold, silver, brass and iron, and the stone that comes down without hands. Your guide presents the two main readings – the sequence Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, widespread since Jerome, and the sequence Babylon, Media, Persia, Greece, common in modern scholarship. Both readings accompany you through the week without either being declared the only valid one. What they share is the confession: God removes kings and sets up kings.

Dan 2:31–45Overnight: Ankara

Day2

Ankara – the emperor of Luke 2 and the churches of Galatia

Ankara → Temple of Augustus → Museum → Ankara

Early in the morning you stand before the temple of Roma and Augustus. After the emperor’s death in AD 14 his record of deeds was carved here, in Latin in the porch and in Greek on the outer wall – the most complete surviving version. In it Augustus mentions three censuses of Roman citizens; the census of Luke 2 is not one of them, yet here you read the Christmas story face to face with the emperor whose decree led to Bethlehem. After the Roman Baths, the Column of Julian and the citadel comes the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with finds of the Hittites, Phrygians and Urartians. Among lions and hybrid creatures you read Daniel 7. In the evening the question is: to which churches did Paul write the Epistle to the Galatians?

Luke 2:1–5Dan 7:1–14Gal 1:2; 3:1Overnight: Ankara

Day3

Gordion and Pessinus – the king of Grecia

Ankara → Gordion → Pessinus → Eskişehir

West of Ankara the great burial mound of Gordion rises above the plain. Inside lies a wooden tomb chamber, built around 740 BC and long attributed to King Midas – today scholars tend to think of one of his predecessors. In the spring of 333 BC Alexander came here; according to Arrian he undid the knot on which rule over Asia was said to depend. You read Daniel 8: the he-goat that the text itself calls “the king of Grecia”, and the great horn that is broken when it is strongest. Daniel 11 speaks of a kingdom divided toward the four winds. In the afternoon you visit Pessinus with the sanctuary of Cybele – and hear the word that all flesh is grass.

Dan 8:1–8, 20–22Dan 11:3–4Isa 40:6–8Overnight: Eskişehir

Day4

Phrygia – Midas City and the rock churches of Ayazini

Eskişehir → Midas City → Ayazini → Afyonkarahisar

At Yazılıkaya the rock façade of the Midas Monument rises some 17 metres, with a geometric pattern and a Phrygian inscription naming Midas. Through these highlands Paul went “throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia” when the Spirit forbade him to preach in Asia. In the afternoon you reach Ayazini, where in Byzantine times Christians carved a domed church and entire dwellings into the tuff. Here you read the word about the lively stones that are built up a spiritual house. In the area of Afyonkarahisar, at Ipsus in 301 BC, the decision was made that finally divided Alexander’s empire among his successors – a quiet echo of the four horns of Daniel 8.

Acts 16:61 Pet 2:4–5Overnight: Afyonkarahisar

Day5

Kelainai and the gold of the Lydians – Persians, paradise and Esther

Afyonkarahisar → Dinar → Uşak

Kelainai lay at the springs of the Marsyas near Dinar. Herodotus reports that Xerxes halted here on his way to Greece; he is usually identified with the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther, who reigned “from India even unto Ethiopia”. At Kelainai Xenophon describes the park of Cyrus, a paradeisos – the Persian word for an enclosed garden, which the Greek Bible uses for Eden. Under the Seleucids the city was called Apamea; its later coins show Noah in the ark, inspired by the extra-biblical Sibylline Oracles. In the museum of Uşak you see the gold of the Lydians. In the evening you read the word of Jesus to the thief: “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Esth 1:1–4Luke 23:39–43Overnight: Uşak

Day6

Sardis – Croesus, Cyrus and the church that is to wake up

Uşak → Sardis → Bin Tepe → Manisa

At Sardis you first stand in the great synagogue beside the gymnasium, which in late antiquity held more than a thousand people. Obadiah speaks of the captivity of Jerusalem “in Sepharad”, and many interpreters recognise Sardis in this name. Above the city rises the citadel hill of Croesus, which Cyrus took around 547 BC – according to Herodotus because a soldier scaled the unguarded cliff. Isaiah calls this Cyrus the LORD’s anointed. At the Temple of Artemis, with the small church at its corner, you read the letter with its call to watchfulness and its word about coming as a thief – addressed to a city that had twice been taken by surprise. In the afternoon you visit the royal tombs of Bin Tepe.

Obadiah 20Isa 44:28–45:7Rev 3:1–6Overnight: Manisa

Day7

Magnesia and Erythrae – Rome enters the stage

Manisa → Akpınar → Erythrae → Izmir

Outside Manisa the plain of the Hermus opens up. Here in 190 BC the Romans under Lucius Scipio, together with King Eumenes of Pergamum, defeated the army of Antiochus III; in the Peace of Apamea the Seleucid Empire lost all of Asia Minor this side of the Taurus. Jerome already applied the “prince” of Daniel 11:18 to the Roman general – whether the chapter is read as prediction or as retrospect is still judged differently today. On Mount Sipylus you see the Bronze Age Akpınar relief. In the afternoon you reach Erythrae, the city of the Sibyl whose alleged verses Augustine quotes. In the evening you read of the Son of man, to whom is given a kingdom that shall have no end.

Dan 11:18–19Dan 7:13–14Overnight: Izmir

Day8

Departure from Izmir

Izmir → Izmir Airport

Depending on your flight time, there may still be time in the morning for a walk along the Kordon, Izmir’s waterfront promenade, or through the old Kemeraltı bazaar. Then the transfer takes you to the airport. In these days you have seen the traces of Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Alexander and Rome – empires that the Book of Daniel sees come and go. What remains is the Word that has outlasted them all. If you would like to stay longer, you can extend with beach days on the Aegean or with the seven churches of Revelation from Izmir.

The route

On the map

1Ankara Airport2Ankara3Gordion4Pessinus5Eskişehir6Midas City (Yazılıkaya)7Ayazini8Afyonkarahisar9Dinar (Kelainai)10Uşak11Sardis12Bin Tepe13Manisa (Magnesia ad Sipylum)14Erythrae15Izmir16Izmir Airport

Inclusions & price

What the tour price includes

Price on request

The tour price depends on dates, group size and room allocation. You will receive your personal offer – free of charge and without obligation.

Enquire →

⛔ No shopping stops: carpet, jewellery or leather showrooms are not part of this tour.

Included

7 nights in good mid-range and 4-star hotels with half board
All journeys in an air-conditioned coach, airport transfers in Ankara and Izmir
State-licensed tour guide
Admission fees as per programme
On-site introduction to the history of interpretation of the Book of Daniel
Welcome and farewell evening

Not included

Flight
Lunches and drinks
Tips
Travel insurance
Personal expenses

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Which interpretation of the Book of Daniel is presented?

None is passed off as the only correct one. Your guide presents the traditional reading (written in the 6th century BC, fourth kingdom Rome) and the historical-critical reading (final form around 164 BC, fourth kingdom Greece) side by side and shows what the sites contribute to both.

Is this a tour for specialists?

No. No prior knowledge is required; the key texts are read on site and placed in their history in an accessible way.

How demanding is the tour?

The route runs through the highlands of central Anatolia at an altitude of about 800–1,000 metres; Days 3 and 5 involve longer drives. The paths at the excavations are uneven; a normal level of fitness is sufficient.

When is the best time to travel?

April to June and September to October. In high summer Lydia is very hot, and in winter the highlands are cold.

Is the flight included in the price?

No. You fly into Ankara and out of Izmir. On request we can look into a suitable connection for you.

How much does the tour cost?

The price depends on the dates, group size and room allocation. After your enquiry you will receive a personal quotation – free of charge and without obligation.

Can the tour also be booked privately?

Yes. The tour is planned for churches and groups on the dates of their choice, but is also available as a private tour for families or small circles.

In which language is the tour guided?

A state-licensed tour guide accompanies you – in English or in any of 25 languages. We have been guiding guests since 1989.

Enquiry & booking

Enquire about this tour

The World Empires of Daniel – from Gordion to Sardis

The World Empires of Daniel – from Gordion to Sardis

Passages you will read on site

Itinerary

Arrival in Ankara – the image of four metals

Ankara – the emperor of Luke 2 and the churches of Galatia

Gordion and Pessinus – the king of Grecia

Phrygia – Midas City and the rock churches of Ayazini

Kelainai and the gold of the Lydians – Persians, paradise and Esther

Sardis – Croesus, Cyrus and the church that is to wake up

Magnesia and Erythrae – Rome enters the stage

Departure from Izmir

On the map

What the tour price includes

Price on request

Included

Not included

Frequently asked questions

Enquire about this tour

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