Cowbright: April 12, 2024 Ephesus

April 12, 2024 Ephesus

Itinerary notes: We travel to Selcuk for a visit of ancient Ephesus. Ephesus was once a thriving port town of 250,000 people. Today you can still see the spectacular excavations of the major streets in this ancient city. We view the library, agora, theatre, colorful mosaics in the aristocratic terrace houses, and a panoramic outlook of the surrounding ancient port area (including a wealth of church history and cultural insight). Then we continue with a visit to the Basilica Church of St. John, which houses an immersion baptismal and is believed to be the resting place of John. From here we have an excellent overview of the Ephesus harbor, the Mosque of Jesus, and see the site of the Temple of Artemis, which is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Ronnie's notes:

The modern city of Kusadasi, Turkey is very near the ruins of ancient Ephesus, located in Selcuk, Turkey. Our hotel was on a busy street across from the sea shore. Being the end of Ramadan, Muslims take a 3 day holiday, so the City and walkway next to the Aegean Sea were packed with people, many families, walking along enjoying the nice weather and a beautiful sunset. The museum there has a neat video giving the history of Ephesus.

Ephesus Greeting Committee

Heracles Gate

Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the ancient world

We rose early to ride our mini-van out to Ephesus. The scope of the ancient city was astonishing. So many buildings, column lined streets, markets (agoras, or gathering places), temples, residences, etc. The library was impressive in size and it must have held a large number of written materials. Our guide said 250,000 people lived there.

The Apostle Paul stayed there 2-3 years, but the city was probably much smaller when he was there. He would have seen the magnificent city gate, the gymnasiums, the state agora (meeting place), the temple of Hadrain, terrace houses, library and theater (25,000 seating). Even so, It was a very wealthy town. The buildings we saw would have been expensive, using slave labor to construct them.

men's toilets where men sat and visited

many wall paintings - Byzantine period (back room Wall of Muses)

many intricate inlaid mosaic designs

performing guard duty

many visitors wander through the ancient ruin sites

While we walked the ruins, the pastor stopped to deliver a devotion based on Revelation 2:1-7 (written by the Apostle John). Paul encountered opposition earlier when Demetrius started a riot. Paul’s teaching threatened his idol making business (to goddess Diana-Roman name, and Artemis – Greek name). John complimented the church, but said they had lost their first love. Jesus said, to first love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Evidently, the Ephesians had so much wealth, they didn’t need God. In Revelation 2:5, John admonished them to remember, then repent, and do the things you did at first (when Paul was their Apostle). Evidently, after Paul was beheaded in Rome, John assumed the role of their Apostle.

pastor teaching on Revelation 2:1-7

St. John's Church

supposed tomb of John the apostle

baptistry of St. John's church

In Paul’s day, Ephesus was a port city, but silt from a river flowing gradually built a lowland and pushed the sea back. An earthquake eventually destroyed the City and it was never rebuilt. The excavations of the major street (column lined) leading down a mile to the sea was incomplete, but very impressive. The ruins were crowded with many busloads of tourists from every part of the world it seems. It was hot, but bearable. Cats were everywhere. I guess they control the rat population.