was a thriving bazaar area, including a Jewish section. This center was situated near the Pacteolus, on the east bank, and to the north of the city, while settlement extended to the south and east, up the hillside and away from the valley itself. Apart from its cultural significance and the presence of Melito, Sardis is of interest to students of early Christianity because it is one of the churches addressed by the seer of Revelation, and because it is also a center of Jewish civilization in Asia.