Ephesus was not just a beautiful city; it was the most important city in the province of Asia. It was called the “Vanity Fair of Asia” because it was a center of shopping and entertainment. The famous writer Pliny called it “the Light of Asia” because it was such an influential city. Ephesus was the main religious and commercial center of the area, influencing both East and West Asia, as well as Europe.
The City When Paul Arrived
When Paul arrived at the harbor in Ephesus, he saw a beautiful sight. He looked down a road called Harbor Boulevard, which was made entirely of white marble. As he walked toward the city center, he saw lovely buildings, temples, and gift shops. To his right, there was a large market, and ahead of him, on the side of a mountain, was a theater that could hold 20,000 people. To his left, there was a huge amphitheater that could seat over 100,000 people. At times, as many as one to two million people could gather in Ephesus Smyrna The Martyr Church.
It was here that Paul did his greatest work, and later, John became the pastor of the church in Ephesus.
The History of Ephesus and the Temple of Diana
Ephesus was first built around the Temple of Diana, which was important to the local people. The first temple was made of wood, and it was built in a low area close to the ocean. In fact, the water came right up to the temple’s base. Over time, the Cayster River and the Maeander River brought so much silt that the area around the temple began to fill up. By the time of Alexander the Great, the area was full of mud and dirt.
When Alexander the Great took over the city (the temple actually burned down the night Alexander was born), he gave the city to one of his generals, Lysimachus. Since the river was bringing so much dirt and the harbor was filling up, Lysimachus moved the people to a higher location. This is the place where you can see the ruins of the city today. It was the city that existed when Paul visited Customized Round Turkey Tours.
