Bible Archeology Discoveries

Name:

The Great Theater in Ephesus
Discovered: Ephesus, Turkey (Asia)
From: (c. AD 50)

Paul made Ephesus the center of his mission for over two years. The explosion of people hearing about Jesus became a threat to tradespeople who made there livings from the sale of items related to the nearby Temple of Artemis.

Demetrius the silversmith incited a riot that caused people to flood into the theater. The theater, which sat 20,000 people, had been built earlier and was under renovation at the time of Paul. It remains today as a dominant feature in the city of Ephesus.

"And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way.
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen;
whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth.
And ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands:
and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be made of no account, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesus.
And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel."
Acts 19 23-29

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Notable Finds

Much of what is described in Bible text is lost to history, requiring readers to assume the historicity of the scriptures.

However, many of the places and events described in the Old and New Testaments are periodically corroborated by archeological finds.

Some finds simply help us to better understand things from the ancient world. However, others provide important evidence as to the truth of scripture regarding things about which there had previously been skepticism.

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