Patmos is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea where the apostle John was exiled and received the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation.
Patmos is a small Greek island located in the Aegean Sea, approximately 37 miles southwest of Miletus. It is mentioned in the New Testament in Revelation 1:9, where the apostle John states that he was on the island of Patmos "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." According to early Christian tradition, John was exiled to Patmos during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) because of his faith and preaching. While on Patmos, John received a series of visions from God, which he recorded in the Book of Revelation. These visions include messages to the seven churches of Asia Minor, prophetic imagery, and a glimpse of the heavenly throne room. The island of Patmos has since become a place of pilgrimage for Christians, with several monasteries and churches commemorating John's exile and the writing of Revelation.
Approximate location: 37.308, 26.548 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
A small rocky and barren island, one of the group called the “Sporades,” in the AEgean Sea. It is mentioned in Scripture only in Rev. 1:9. It was on this island, to which John was banished by the emperor Domitian (A.D. 95), that he received from God the wondrous revelation recorded in his book. This has naturally invested it with the deepest interest for all time. It is now called Patmo. (See JOHN.)
(Revelation 1:9) a rugged and bare island in the AEgean Sea, 20 miles south of Samos and 24 west of Asia Minor. It was the scene of the banishment of St. John in the reign of Domitian, A.D. 95. Patmos is divided into two nearly equal parts, a northern and a southern, by a very narrow isthmus where, on the east side are the harbor and the town. On the hill to the south, crowning a commanding height, is the celebrated monastery which bears the name of “John the Divine.” Halfway up the descent is the cave or grotto where tradition says that St. John received the Revelation.
PAT'MOS, a little rugged island in the AEgean Sea, 20 miles south of Samos and 24miles west of Asia Minor. Rev 1:9. It is from 15 to 25 miles in circumference, and is very rocky and barren. The coast is rock-bound, but indented with several deep bays. It has only a few large trees, among them a palm, some olives, and cypresses. The barrenness of the island made it a suitable spot for the banishment of Roman criminals. To it the apostle John was banished by the emperor Domitian, a.d. 95. Its rocky solitude well suited the sublime nature of the Revelation. There is a grotto on a hill in the southern part of the island Isle of Patmos, which tradition points out as the place where John received the Revelation. Upon the summit of the mountain is a monastery built in honor of St. John, and having a library containing about two hundred and forty manuscripts. In the Middle Ages the island was called Palmosa, and now bears the name of Patmo.
PAT'MOS, a little rugged island in the AEgean Sea, 20 miles south of Samos and 24miles west of Asia Minor. Rev 1:9. It is from 15 to 25 miles in circumference, and is very rocky and barren. The coast is rock-bound, but indented with several deep bays. It has only a few large trees, among them a palm, some olives, and cypresses. The barrenness of the island made it a suitable spot for the banishment of Roman criminals. To it the apostle John was banished by the emperor Domitian, a.d. 95. Its rocky solitude well suited the sublime nature of the Revelation. There is a grotto on a hill in the southern part of the island Isle of Patmos, which tradition points out as the place where John received the Revelation. Upon the summit of the mountain is a monastery built in honor of St. John, and having a library containing about two hundred and forty manuscripts. In the Middle Ages the island was called Palmosa, and now bears the name of Patmo.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
1 verse in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G3963
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.