Patmos, the Place of Exile
Patmos, the Place of Exile Revelation 1:9 Excerpt In Revelation 1:9 John says that he was on the island of Patmos “on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” He also indicates that he is a fellow participant in their “tribulations.” The Roman historian Tacitus informs us that the Romans used some of the Aegean islands as places of banishment and exile during the 1st century ( Annals , 3:68; 4:30; 15:71 ). Thus the language of the author and the evidence of Tacitus, joined to Christian traditions from the 2nd and 3rd centuries about John’s banishment, support the likelihood that Patmos was a place of exile or political confinement. More Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. “Patmos.” Baker encyclopedia of the Bible 1988 : 1620. Print.