Ephesus

Ephesus lay at the mouth of the Cayster River, astride an important north-south trade route and at the end of an east-west one. It was probably built before Ionian times, which means that in the first century CE, it was more than 700 years old.

At the time of the writing of the Book of Revelation, Ephesus probably had a population of about 250,000, making it the fourth largest city of the Empire (after Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch of Syria). Today, it is known as Efes and lies about two miles from the Turkish city of Selçuk (2000 population: 30,539).

Ephesus was famous for its temple of Artemis (the Diana of the Romans), built in the fifth century BCE on the site of an earlier cult site, probably devoted to Cybele, the mother goddess. The original structure, destroyed by fire in 356 BCE, was rebuilt entirely of marble on a grand scale: 110 × 55 m. (361 × 180.5 ft.), with 127 pillars, each 18.3 m. (60 ft.) high. This was the largest structure in the Greek world and was included among the Seven Wonders of the World.

The Artemision (as it was called) had the privilege of sanctuary, which means that criminals remaining within its bounds were safe from capture or prosecution. (We can compare the sanctuary Artemis provided–it made Ephesus worse and worse–with the sanctuary the Ephesian church offered–because of repentance and forgiveness, it made citizens better and better.)

Of the Seven Cities, Ephesus is one of the most thoroughly excavated. The site is confusing, however, because second-century and even Byzantine structures stand among ruins of the first century. Nevertheless, many buildings dating back to the time of Revelation are available for examination, including a gymnasium, a stadium, luxurious baths, the agora (marketplace), a brothel, and the theater in which the riot of Acts 19:23-41 occurred.

Ephesus also featured a huge temple and altar to the emperor Domitian, built on a terrace 100 × 50 m. (328 × 164 ft.). Domitian’s temple included a colossal statue of the emperor, four times larger than life size. After Domitian’s assassination, the citizens of Ephesus apparently tore down the statue, but its head and forearm have survived.

According to Acts 19:9-10, Paul spent more than two years in Ephesus. Near the end of his time there he stated that “a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (1 Cor. 16:9). The opponents even started a riot, endangering Paul and the lives of the other Ephesian Christians.

Shortly after the riot, Paul left Ephesus, perhaps never to return. The next spring he did manage to stop at nearby Miletus to meet with the elders of Ephesus, warning them of troubles to come, even from their own number (Acts 20:17-38).

All of this was nearly twenty years before the writing of Revelation (assuming the middle date of about 75 CE). In about 63 Paul wrote to the Ephesians from Rome where he was under house arrest (Acts 28:30-31; Eph. 6:20). Released from his first Roman imprisonment, Paul traveled about, perhaps visiting Ephesus again. The First Epistle to Timothy (c. 65) was also apparently intended for the Ephesian congregation (see 1 Tim. 1:3; 3:14-15). Timothy was probably still in Ephesus when he received Paul’s second epistle a year or two later (see 2 Tim. 1:16-18; 4:19).

Many scholars also believe that John’s three epistles originated from or concern the Ephesian church, though their date is uncertain. If we also include the Fourth Gospel, this means that a considerable portion of the New Testament involves the church of Ephesus, over a period extending from the early 50s to perhaps as late as the 90s.

Maintaining the navigability of the Cayster was a constant challenge, as the river deposited more and more silt at its mouth. At one time, the waters of the Aegean washed against the docks of Ephesus.

Today, its ruins are separated from the sea by 9.6 km. (6 mi.) of cotton fields. Shortly after the time of the Apocalypse, during the reign of Hadrian, the city diverted the river and built an artificial harbor, but it was only a temporary solution. The struggle to keep the waterway dredged continued for generations until the effort was recognized as futile, and Ephesus found itself landlocked, its former importance vanishing.

The city did continue to survive for centuries. In 431 CE, Ephesus was host to the church council that resolved the Nestorian controversy regarding the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ.Want to go deeper?

The following are recommended to help you look deeper into the history and archaeology of Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis.