City in Asia Minor; destination of exiled Jews
Sepharad
Named in 4 verses across 2 books, first in Obadiah 1:20.
סְפָרַ֑דSepharad
ΣάρδειςSardis
Also called Sardis.
The name means “a book descending.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869
About Sepharad Written by AI
Sepharad is mentioned in the Bible as a place where exiled Jews were located (Obad. 1:20). The exact location of Sepharad is uncertain, but many scholars believe it refers to Sardis, an ancient city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Sardis was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia and later became an important city in the Persian and Roman empires. In the book of Revelation, Sardis is mentioned as one of the seven churches addressed by Jesus (Rev. 1:11; 3:1, 4). The church in Sardis is rebuked for its spiritual deadness and is called to repent and strengthen what remains (Rev. 3:1-3). However, there were a few faithful believers in Sardis who had not defiled their garments, and they are promised to walk with Jesus in white (Rev. 3:4). If Sepharad and Sardis are indeed the same place, the reference in Obadiah suggests that a Jewish community existed there, possibly as a result of the Babylonian exile. The mention of Sardis in Revelation highlights the city's significance in early Christian history and the challenges faced by the church in that location.
Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.
Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897
(Obad. 1:20), some locality unknown. The modern Jews think that Spain is meant, and hence they designate the Spanish Jews “Sephardim,” as they do the German Jews by the name “Ashkenazim,” because the rabbis call Germany Ashkenaz. Others identify it with Sardis, the capital of Lydia. The Latin father Jerome regarded it as an Assyrian word, meaning “boundary,” and interpreted the sentence, “which is in Sepharad,” by “who are scattered abroad in all the boundaries and regions of the earth.” Perowne says: “Whatever uncertainty attaches to the word Sepharad, the drift of the prophecy is clear, viz., that not only the exiles from Babylon, but Jewish captives from other and distant regions, shall be brought back to live prosperously within the enlarged borders of their own land.”
M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.
38.477, 28.114 See it on a map
Where the Bible names it
- Obadiah 1:20
And the exiles of this host of the Israelites will possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath; and the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev.
- Revelation 1:11
saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
- Revelation 3:1
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of the One who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead.
- Revelation 3:4
But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white.
From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.