Varhainen kirkkoGreek goddessIdol worshipped in EphesusNot applicable (deity)
In the ancient city of Ephesus, Artemis – known as Diana in Roman context – held a central place as a goddess of fertility and motherhood with deep roots in Anatolian religious tradition. Although she is not a biblical figure, the cult of Artemis plays an important role in the narrative of Acts chapter 19. When the apostle Paul preached the gospel in Ephesus over a long period, many began to turn away from idol worship. This triggered strong reactions from the silversmith Demetrius and other craftsmen who made their living by producing cult objects connected to the temple of Artemis – regarded as one of the seven wonders of antiquity. The subsequent riots clearly show how the spread of Christian faith challenged not only religious, but also economic and social power structures in the ancient world.
Avaintapahtumat
Paul's preaching in Ephesus
Paul worked in Ephesus for over two years and preached the gospel, first in the synagogue and then in the school of Tyrannus, so that many in the province of Asia heard the Lord's word.
9But when some grew stubborn and refused to believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he left them, took the disciples aside, and held discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
19A good number of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in front of everyone. When the value was added up, it came to fifty thousand silver coins.[^1]
[^1]: A silver coin was roughly a day's wage for a laborer, so this sum represented an enormous amount of money.
20So the word of the Lord kept spreading with power and prevailing.
kreikοὕτως κατὰ κράτος ⸂τοῦ κυρίου ὁ λόγος⸃ ηὔξανεν καὶ ἴσχυεν.
Demetrius stirred up a riot
The silversmith Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, gathered the craftsmen and incited them against Paul because his preaching threatened both their livelihood and the cult of Artemis.
26"And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and misled a great many people, saying that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.
27Not only is our trade in danger of falling into disrepute, but the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be discredited, and she herself, whom all Asia and the whole world worships, may be stripped of her majesty."
The crowd became furious and shouted for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" The city was filled with confusion, and two of Paul's traveling companions were dragged into the theater.
29The city was thrown into confusion, and they rushed as one into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's traveling companions.
33Some in the crowd shouted instructions to Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him to the front, and he motioned with his hand, wanting to make a defense before the people.
34But when they realized he was a Jew, they all began shouting with one voice for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
kreikἐπιγνόντες δὲ ὅτι Ἰουδαῖός ἐστιν φωνὴ ἐγένετο μία ἐκ πάντων ⸀ὡς ἐπὶ ὥρας δύο κραζόντων· Μεγάλη ἡ Ἄρτεμις Ἐφεσίων.
The city clerk calmed the crowd
The city clerk in Ephesus finally intervened, reminded the crowd that the cult of Artemis was not under threat, and urged them to resolve the matter legally rather than through rebellion.
35Then the city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Men of Ephesus, is there anyone who does not know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from heaven?
38If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a charge against anyone, there are courts in session and there are proconsuls; let them bring their charges there.
40As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting over today's events, since there is no reason for it and we would not be able to give any account of this commotion." With that he dismissed the assembly.