Rome to Athens 9/15-10/1/2023 Episode 7 Kusadasi/ Ephesus, Turkey Sunday, 9/24

Morning came early with our exciting arrival in Turkey! We docked at the modern port of Kusadasi (pronounced Koosh-a-da-si), left for our meeting place at 7:00 a.m. and boarded our bus for a 30 minute ride to Ancient Ephesus. We started our tour at the upper gate to the city, which was great because it was literally all downhill from there. The excavations have uncovered only 11% of the city, which we walked and explored for about 1.5 hours. Dogs and cats roam the areas, and are apparently captured twice a year to be checked and vaccinated.

Acts Chapter 19 captures one of the visits of the Apostle Paul to Ephesus, said to have been in the Spring of 52 A.D., at which time he stayed for 2 years. Ephesus was the largest city and considered to be the capital of provincial Asia, and the crossroads between Europe and Asia – or east and west. It is located in what is now western Turkey, just over 500 miles from where Paul was born in Tarsus. Our guide used a map to point out the seven cities of the book of Revelation which are in the same geographic region.

Ephesus was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the long since destroyed Temple of Artemis, built in the 6th century B.C. There was a cult following of the multi-breasted goddess, and visitors bought statues made by local artisans who were stirred up by Dimetrius the Silversmith in Acts 19. Seeing so many turning to Christianity, there was fear that their livelihoods would be affected. A riot broke out, the people moved into the theater, and for two hours continued to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!!”. You can read all about it in Acts 19, as well as how the power of God so filled Paul that cloths that he touched could be taken to sick people and they would be made well.

The Bible says that through Paul’s preaching “all the residents of Asia…heard the word of the Lord”. I have to say that while the book of Acts is filled with, well, ACTion, it reads very differently after having visited Corinth – and especially Ephesus. I picture the events happening on the streets we walked, in front of the shops and library or in the synogue behind it.

Our first stop after the upper gate was alongside a smaller theatre and the remaining arches of a Roman bath.

We continued past the remains of houses, shops, sculptures, and carvings – including one of the winged figure of Nike;

and temples, including one built in honor of the Emperor Hadrian. It has columns that are marked for sculptures of other famous Emperors, but the statues themselves are missing. Over the second portal is a carving of a woman, believed to be that of Medusa. You remember her, right? The one with snakes for hair who if you looked her in the eye would turn you to stone.

As we continued down the original marble streets we talked about how Paul and Timothy could literally have stepped where we were stepping and have seen what we were seeing – except in it’s whole form. It was very exciting!!

Our guide took us off the main path to view the men’s public toilets. No splintery wooden seats for those guys – and no privacy! But if you wanted, you could take care of business while you were…taking care of business. Ahem. There was no record of toilets for women – of which there would have been far fewer. Perhaps like today, they asked at the shops!

There is a section of housing in a large, terraced house where much of the original mosaic floor is intact. The house would have been as much as 12,000 square feet with 30-foot ceilings.

Next we arrived at the Library of Celsus. Created as a funeral monument for the Proconsul of Asia, it is one of the only remaining examples of the great libraries of the Roman world and an architectural wonder. It is said to have held from 12-15,000 scrolls.

And finally, we arrived at the ancient theater across from the Agora or main shopping center of Ephesus where Demetrius stirred up the merchants.

While we did not go there on our tour, the house where Mary, the mother of Jesus spent her last days with John the Baptist is another location, close by, in Ephesus. I think when I read about characters in Scripture, I sometimes – many times fail to think of them as real people. What must it have been like for Mary to live out her life without her son, thinking of Jesus and all that had transpired, while speaking to Him as God? I wonder how people in Ephesus viewed, and treated her? Crazy old woman? Mother of God? With suspicion? With reverence?

On our way back to the ship we stopped for a Turkish carpet making demonstration and “apple tea” which was delicious and much like apple cider. The carpets, rugs, were very beautiful and very expensive. It takes months to years to make one by hand, as one or more women (yes, always women) follow a pattern and weave and cut the wool and silk strings.

The Bible says that through Paul’s preaching “all the residents of Asia…heard the word of the Lord”. I have to say that while the book of Acts is filled with, well, ACTion, it reads very differently after having visited Corinth – and especially Ephesus. I picture the events happening on the streets we walked, in front of the shops and library or in the synagogue behind it.

We rambled back to the ship over the next hour, snaking along a route designed to take us past many shops where we honed our skills at saying no and thank you. I failed to learn the Turkish – but polite English did the trick too.

We have “followed” Paul from Rome to Corinth to Ephesus, making the journey in a great deal less time – and a great deal more luxury, but with the same promises of hope and grace and love and mercy for all who will believe and trust, in the name of Jesus.

We hope you are enjoying the trip. Thanks again for rambling along with us.