Skip to main contentAccessibility feedback
Dear catholic.com visitors: This website from Catholic Answers, with all its many resources, is the world’s largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. A fully independent, lay-run, 501(c)(3) ministry that receives no funding from the institutional Church, we rely entirely on the generosity of everyday people like you to keep this website going with trustworthy, fresh, and relevant content. If everyone visiting this month gave just $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. If you’ve never made a gift, now is the time. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar this week only. Thanks and God bless.
Dear catholic.com visitors: This Catholic Answers website, with all its free resources, is the world’s largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. We receive no funding from the institutional Church and rely entirely on your generosity to sustain this website with trustworthy, accessible content. If every visitor this month donated $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. If you’ve never made a gift, now is the time. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar this week only. Thanks and God bless.

Patmos

A small volcanic island in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Asia Minor

Click to enlarge

Patmos, a small volcanic island in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Asia Minor, to the south of Samos and west of Miletus, in lat. 37° 20′ N. and long. 26° 35′ E. Its length is about ten miles, its breadth six miles, and its coastline thirty-seven miles. The highest point is Hagios Elias (Mt. St. Elias), rising to over 1050 feet. The island was formerly covered with luxuriant palm-groves, which won it the name of Palmosa; of these groves there remains but a clump in the valley called “The Saint’s Garden”. The ancient capital occupied the northern (Ruvali) isthmus. The modern town of Patmos lies in the middle part of the island. Above it towers the battlements of St. John’s monastery, founded in 1088 by St. Christobulus. The Island of Patmos is famous in history as the place of St. John’s exile: “I, John… was in the island, which is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus” (Apoc., i, 9); there according to general belief the Beloved Disciple wrote the Apocalypse, the imagery of which was in part inspired by the scenery of the island. The spot where St. John was favored with his revelations is pointed out as a cave on the slope of the hill, half way between the shore and the modern town of

CHARLES L. SOUVAY


Did you like this content? Please help keep us ad-free
Enjoying this content?  Please support our mission!Donatewww.catholic.com/support-us