A city in the Roman province of Asia which enjoyed great prosperity until laid waste by an earthquake in 60 CE. Its uncertain water supply reached it through an aqueduct in a lukewarm condition—which is how the author of Revelation (3: 16) castigates the condition of the Church there. Although there is no record of a visit of Paul to Laodicea, he apparently wrote a letter to the Church since it was to exchange their letter with one sent to Colossae (Col. 4: 16). Such a letter is not extant, though some have argued that it is the epistle to the Ephesians; but the Pauline authorship of both these epistles is widely disputed. There does exist a letter to the Laodiceans dating from the 2nd or 3rd cent. CE. It is ascribed to Paul but the pseudonymous author's purpose in writing the work is unknown. The only MSS of this letter are in Latin.