BiblicalRiotatEphesus:TheArchaeologicalContext

ArchaeologyshineslightontheriotagainstPaulatEphesus
BiblicalArchaeologySocietyStaff07/14/2016

InActs19,LukedescribesafrenziedriotatEphesus,acityin
theRomanprovinceofAsiainmoderndayTurkey:

Aboutthattimenolittledisturbancebrokeoutconcerning
theWay.AmannamedDemetrius,asilversmithwhomade
silvershrinesofArtemis,broughtnolittlebusinesstothe
artisans.Thesehegatheredtogether,withtheworkersofthe
sametrade,andsaid,Men,youknowthatwegetour
wealthfromthisbusiness.Youalsoseeandhearthatnot
onlyinEphesusbutinalmostthewholeofAsiathisPaul
ThisRomantheaterplayedanimportantrolein
haspersuadedanddrawnawayaconsiderablenumberof theriotatEphesusagainstPaulandtheearly
peoplebysayingthatgodsmadewithhandsarenotgods. Christians,accordingtoLukesaccountinActs
19.Photo:JordanPickett.
Andthereisdangernotonlythatthistradeofoursmay
comeintodisreputebutalsothatthetempleofthegreatgoddessArtemiswillbescorned,andshewillbe
deprivedofhermajestythatbroughtallAsiaandtheworldtoworshipher.

Whentheyheardthis,theywereenragedandshouted,GreatisArtemisoftheEphesians!Thecitywas
filledwiththeconfusionandpeoplerushedtogethertothetheater,draggingwiththemGaiusand
Aristarchus,MacedonianswhowerePaulstravelcompanions.Paulwishedtogointothecrowd,butthe
discipleswouldnotlethimevensomeofficialsoftheprovinceofAsia,whowerefriendlytohim,senthima
messageurginghimnottoventureintothetheater.(Acts19:2331)

AccordingtoActs,theriotwouldhaveoccurredattheendofthe
missionaryvisitofPaulatEphesus(around55or56C.E.).Howaccurate
isLukesdescriptionofEphesusatthistime?InArchaeologyGives
NewRealitytoPaulsEphesusRiotintheJuly/August2016issue
ofBiblicalArchaeologyReview,JamesR.Edwards,theBrunerWelch
ProfessorEmeritusofTheologyatWhitworthUniversity,describeshow
archaeologicalevidencefillsinthehistoricalcontextforLukesaccountof
theriotatEphesus.

IntheRomanperiod,Ephesuswasanimportantcommercialcenter.
ExcavationsconductedbytheAustrianArchaeologicalInstitutesince1895
haveshownthattheancientcitywhichrivaledAntiochasthethird
largestcityoftheRomanworldboastedaharbor,variouscivic
structures,bathcomplexes,atheaterandtheTempleofArtemis,oneof
theSevenWondersoftheAncientWorld.

FourtimesthesizeoftheAthenianParthenon,thefamousTempleof
Artemishad127gleamingmarblecolumnsthatstood60feettallandwere
toppedwithIoniccapitals.ItwastheTempleofArtemis,thesilversmith
DemetriusarguedinActs19,thatwasbeingthreatenedbytheWay
(earlyChristians)andPaulsmissionaryeffort.Insayingthatgodsmade ThesocalledBeautifulArtemisstatue
harmingthesilversmithindustrythatmadelittleshrinesusedas excavatedatEphesusin1956.
Measuring5.7feettall,thestatue
dedicatoryofferingstoArtemisandtarnishingthereputationofthe datestotheHadrianicearlyAntonine
ArtemiscultatEphesus.However,a16lineGreekinscriptiondiscovered periods(c.117150C.E.).Oneither
duringexcavationsshowedthatacenturyafterthemissionofPaulat sideofArtemisarefemaledeer,and
thezodiacsignsappearonherupper
Ephesus,inthelatesecondorearlythirdcentury,thesilversmithtrade chest.Rowsofovalpendants
andthecultofArtemiswerestillthriving. possiblyrepresentingbullsscrota
hangfromherchest.Theseattributes,
accordingtoBARauthorJamesR.
WhentheangerthatDemetriusincitedreachedafeverpitch,therioters
Edwards,mayrepresentArtemiss
weresaidtohaverushedintothecitystheater,dragginginPaulstravel ultimatetrophiesintamingand
companionsGaiusandAristarchus.Excavationshaveuncoveredthe subjugatingthequintessentialsymbols
ofvirility.Accordingtothesilversmith
theater,whichissetintoasteephillsideatEphesus.Massiveinscale,the DemetriusinActs19,themissionof
semicircularRomantheaterheld25,000seatsandwasoneofthelargest PaulatEphesusthreatenedthe
intheancientworld. reputationofArtemisscult.Photo:
JordanPickett.

InthefreeeBookPaul:JewishLawandEarlyChristianity,learnabouttheculturalcontextsforthe
theologyofPaulandhowJewishtraditionsandlawextendedintoearlyChristianitythroughPaulsdualroles
asaChristianmissionaryandaPharisee.

AccordingtoBARauthorJamesR.Edwards,LukesaccountoftheriotatEphesusinActscontainsawealth
ofhistoricaldetail,someofwhichproconsuls,standingcourtsandacitysecretarywerecommonthroughout
theRomanEmpire.ButmanymoredetailstheimmensetemplecommemoratingtheArtemiscult,theArtemis
figurepeculiartoEphesuswhowasbelievedtohavefallenfromheaven(Acts19:35),guildsofsilversmiths,
AsiarchsandthecityofEphesusitself:itsgreatness,itstheateranditshonorasnekoros,templeguardianall
areuniquetoEphesusandtheRomanprovinceofAsia.

Totheright,onecanseethesinglecolumnthatremainsfromthe
TempleofArtemisatEphesus.ConsideredoneoftheSeven
WondersoftheAncientWorld,themassivetemplewasthelargest
buildingintheHellenisticworld.Photo:JordanPickett.

ExploremoreofthearchaeologythatshinesnewlightonLukesaccountfromstatuesofthegoddessArtemis
toinscriptionsandmonumentalbuildingremainsbyreadingthefullarticleArchaeologyGivesNew
RealitytoPaulsEphesusRiotbyJamesR.EdwardsintheJuly/August2016issueofBAR.

RiotbyJamesR.EdwardsintheJuly/August2016issueofBiblicalArchaeologyReview.

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