Bible Lexicons

φιλαδελφία

(Rec. -έλφεια ), -ας , ἡ ,

Philadelphia, a city of Lydia: Revelation 1:11; Revelation 3:7.†

";light-bringing"; : thence as a subst. ";daystar"; (probably the planet Venus). In Biblical Greek the word is found only in 2Pe. 1:19 (see Mayor’s note), applied metaphorically to the rising of the kingdom of God in the heart. An interesting ex. of the word is found in BGU II. 597.32 (A.D. 75), where on the verso of a private letter there has been added inuncial characters the hexameter line—Φωσφόρε φωσφορεοῦσα φι ̣λων (l. φίλον) φῶς φῶς φέρε λαμπάς. The words, according to Olsson (Papyrusbriefe. p. 139), are probably an extract from an Orphic hymn. The same epithet is found in the magic P Lond 46.175 .300 (iv/A.D.) (= I. pp. 70, 74) φωσφόρ᾽ ϊαω. In P Rein 108 (B.C. 111) it is applied to the priestess of Queen Cleopatra—φωσφόρου βασιλίσσης Κλεοπάτρας, ";sous la phosphore (prêtresse) de la reine Cléopâtre"; : cf. Otto Priesler ii. p. 320.

For φωσφόριον, ";a window,"; see P Ryl II. 162.26 (A.D. 159), and P Hamb I. 15.8 (A.D. 209).