Lydia of Thyatira
Encyclopedia
Lydia of Thyatira is a character in the New Testament
. She is regarded as the first recorded convert to Christianity
in Europe
.
in Asia Minor. Though she is commonly known as “St. Lydia” or even more simply “The Woman of Purple,” Lydia is given other titles: “of Thyatira,” “Purpuraria,” and “of Phillippi (‘Philippisia’ in Greek).” “[Lydia’s] name is an ethnicon, deriving from her place of origin”. The first refers to her place of birth, which is a city in the Greek region of Lydia. The second comes from the Latin word for purple and relates to her connection with purple dye. Philippi was the city in which Lydia was living when she met St. Paul and his companions. All of these titles expound upon this woman’s background.
describes Lydia as follows:
firm in Thyatira, a city southeast of Pergamum and approximately 40 miles inland, across the Aegean Sea from Athens. Lydia insisted on giving hospitality to Saint Paul
and his companions in Philippi
. They stayed with her until their departure, through Amphipolis
and Apollonia
, to Thessalonica (Acts 16:40-17:1).
Paul, Silas
, and Timothy were traveling through the region of Philippi when they encounter “a reputable businesswoman and possibly a widow… [who] was a righteous Gentile or ‘God-fearer’ attracted to Judaism”. “[S]he was one of a large group [considered]…sympathizers with Judaism, believers in the one God, but who had not yet become ‘proselytes’ or taken the final step to conversion to Judaism” .
Because these encounters and events take place “in what is now Europe,” Lydia is considered “the first ‘European’ Christian convert”.
of the Latin Rite Catholic Church her feast day is celebrated on August 3rd , but the Orthodox Church’s sects celebrate several days. The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America remembers St. Lydia’s on May 20th while the Russian branch of the Orthodox Church observes both June 25th and March 27th as her feast day. In the Eastern Orthodox Church
her feast day is on May 20
. The Lutheran churches are also divided: ELCA commemorates St. Lydia on January 27th while LCMS does so on October 25th. Curiously, the Episcopal Church holds the belief that the correct feast day is January 27th as well .
Lydia is also commemorated with Dorcas
and Phoebe
on January 27 in the Calendar of Saints
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
and on October 25 in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
. She is honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
on January 27.
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. She is regarded as the first recorded convert to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Name
The name, "Lydia", meaning "the Lydian woman", by which she was known indicates that she was from LydiaLydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
in Asia Minor. Though she is commonly known as “St. Lydia” or even more simply “The Woman of Purple,” Lydia is given other titles: “of Thyatira,” “Purpuraria,” and “of Phillippi (‘Philippisia’ in Greek).” “[Lydia’s] name is an ethnicon, deriving from her place of origin”. The first refers to her place of birth, which is a city in the Greek region of Lydia. The second comes from the Latin word for purple and relates to her connection with purple dye. Philippi was the city in which Lydia was living when she met St. Paul and his companions. All of these titles expound upon this woman’s background.
New Testament narrative
Acts 16Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
describes Lydia as follows:
Background
Lydia was most likely a Greek even though she lived in a Roman settlement. She was evidently a well-to-do agent of a purple-dyeTyrian purple
Tyrian purple , also known as royal purple, imperial purple or imperial dye, is a purple-red natural dye, which is extracted from sea snails, and which was possibly first produced by the ancient Phoenicians...
firm in Thyatira, a city southeast of Pergamum and approximately 40 miles inland, across the Aegean Sea from Athens. Lydia insisted on giving hospitality to Saint Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
and his companions in Philippi
Philippi
Philippi was a city in eastern Macedonia, established by Philip II in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest...
. They stayed with her until their departure, through Amphipolis
Amphipolis
Amphipolis was an ancient Greek city in the region once inhabited by the Edoni people in the present-day region of Central Macedonia. It was built on a raised plateau overlooking the east bank of the river Strymon where it emerged from Lake Cercinitis, about 3 m. from the Aegean Sea. Founded in...
and Apollonia
Apollonia (Mygdonia)
For other uses, see ApolloniaApollonia was a town of Mygdonia in Macedon, south of Lake Bolbe , and north of the Chalcidian mountains, on the road from Thessalonica to Amphipolis, as we learn from the Acts of the Apostles and the Itineraries. For other uses, see ApolloniaApollonia (Greek: ) was a...
, to Thessalonica (Acts 16:40-17:1).
Paul, Silas
Silas
Saint Silas or Saint Silvanus was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who later accompanied Paul in some of his missionary journeys....
, and Timothy were traveling through the region of Philippi when they encounter “a reputable businesswoman and possibly a widow… [who] was a righteous Gentile or ‘God-fearer’ attracted to Judaism”. “[S]he was one of a large group [considered]…sympathizers with Judaism, believers in the one God, but who had not yet become ‘proselytes’ or taken the final step to conversion to Judaism” .
Because these encounters and events take place “in what is now Europe,” Lydia is considered “the first ‘European’ Christian convert”.
Profession
“Thyatira in the province of Lydia (located in what is now western Turkey) was famous for the red [variety of purple] dye”. Lydia of Thyatira is most known as a “seller” or merchant of purple cloth, which is the likely reason for the Catholic Church naming her “patroness of dyers.” It is unclear as to if Lydia simply dealt in the trade of purple dye or whether her business included textiles as well , though all known icons of the saint depict her with some form of purple cloth. Most portray this holy woman wearing a purple shawl or veil, which allows many historians and theologians to believe that she was a merchant of specifically purple cloth.Social status
There is some speculation regarding Lydia’s social status. Theologians disagree as to whether Lydia was a free woman or servant. “There is no direct evidence that Lydia had once been a slave, but the fact that her name is her place of origin rather than a personal name suggests this as at least a possibility”. Ascough states other examples of noble women named Lydia from the first or second centuries , so it is unlikely that she was actually a slave or servant.Marital status
Because women did not possess the same equality rights as modern women, it appears unusual that Lydia would be capable of inviting a group of foreign men to her house without a man’s consent. “The fact that there is no mention of a man has been used to deduce that she was a widow, but this has been challenged as a patriarchal interpretation”. Lydia’s evident social power exemplified by her control of a household and ownership of a house (which she offered to St. Paul and his companions) indicates that she was most likely a free woman and possibly a widow .Feast day
Lydia of Thyatira is recognized as a saint by several Christian denominations, though the feast day varies greatly. In the liturgical calendar of saintsRoman Catholic calendar of saints
The General Roman Calendar indicates the days of the year to which are assigned the liturgical celebrations of saints and of the mysteries of the Lord that are to be observed wherever the Roman Rite is used...
of the Latin Rite Catholic Church her feast day is celebrated on August 3rd , but the Orthodox Church’s sects celebrate several days. The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America remembers St. Lydia’s on May 20th while the Russian branch of the Orthodox Church observes both June 25th and March 27th as her feast day. In the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
her feast day is on May 20
May 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
May 19 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - May 21All fixed commemorations below celebrated on June 2 by Old Calendarists-Saints:* Saint Lydia of Thyatira , mentioned in Acts 16:14-15, * Saint Plautilla the Roman, martyr,...
. The Lutheran churches are also divided: ELCA commemorates St. Lydia on January 27th while LCMS does so on October 25th. Curiously, the Episcopal Church holds the belief that the correct feast day is January 27th as well .
Lydia is also commemorated with Dorcas
Dorcas
Dorcas was a disciple who lived in Joppa, referenced in the Book of Acts of the Bible. Acts recounts that when she died, she was mourned by "all the widows ... crying and showing the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them."...
and Phoebe
Phoebe (Christian woman)
Phoebe was a Christian woman mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Romans 16:1.Some have interpreted the Greek "diakonos" to relate Phoebe as a deacon, the most literal interpretation of the word is as a servant which is what all deacons...
on January 27 in the Calendar of Saints
Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)
The Lutheran Calendar of Saints is a listing which details the primary annual festivals and events that are celebrated liturgically by some Lutheran Churches in the United States. The calendars of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod are from the...
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
and on October 25 in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
. She is honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church in the United States of America)
The veneration of saints in the Episcopal Church is a continuation of an ancient tradition from the early Church which honors important people of the Christian faith. The usage of the term "saint" is similar to Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Those in the Anglo-Catholic tradition may...
on January 27.