Visiting Ephesus – Part 3


Today I’d like to post a few more pictures from the ancient ruins of Ephesus. The site (which has been excavated by Austrian archaeologists for the past hundred years and is continuing today) presently consists of one very long street with a downward grade. The top portion of the street seemed to have been largely governmental. The middle portion a long pedestrian walkway with homes and shops on either side and a great square in the center (complete with nearby restrooms). At the bottom of the street at the great Library, the boulevard bears to the right. One street led down to the harbor, and the other to the great theater. Adjacent to these was the large, square marketplace, the agora.

In Acts 19, a silversmith named Demetrius became upset because the many conversions to Christ had a depressing effect on his god-making business. He created a riot in the agora, with the mob storming to the theater. It took awhile for the news to pass through the crowded streets to the governmental zone, but finally the city clerk arrived and calmed things down. The episode seems to have hastened Paul’s departure from the city.

Amid the ruins of the marketplace, Joshua read to our little group the story of the mob in the very place where it happened nearly 2000 years ago. Here are some pictures.

The road leading down to the harbor
The agora, or marketplace, which would have been colonnaded and lined with shops.
Joshua reading Acts 19 in the agora
The great theater
The great theater where the Acts 19 riot occurred
Looking down Harbor Road from the theater. As Paul arrived by boat and walked up this street he would have seen the great theater first thing.
Near the end of our tour
Thanks for reading my Ephesus blogs!