Greetings from Ephesus!

Merhaba (hello) and greetings from Ephesus!   We began this morning with a trip up the mountain to visit the Fortress of Smyrna, Ephesus's commercial competitor. The Fortress over looks the modern day city of Izmir, where we spent last night and visited the Agora (ancient shopping center) of Smyrna yesterday. Besides seeing some really great views, we also learned how Roman aquiducts managed to send water whooshing down a mountain, then straight back up the other side of the valley using nothing but gravity and ingenious architecture to provide water to the Fortress and it's 15 thousand inhabitants. Interesting fact: Not only were Roman citizens taxed according to what kind of water pipes they could afford in their house, but the poorer you were, the higher up the hill you lived, simply because it was harder to pump water up hill. While the rich had hot and cold running water, and the really wealthy had their own indoor baths, the poorer citizens took jars to the public fountains for their daily water.  

After the Fortress, it was on to Ephesus!  

"While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus." Acts 19: 1a.  

By the time Paul arrived in Ephesus, it was the true commercial capital of Asia Minor, and it was easy to see why. The main street of the city was still intact- a long walkway made of marble with pillars lining either side. Called the Processional Way, it came down from the Temple of Artemis, the great goddess of the city, down around the hill, through the town, into the Theater and back up to the Temple. The people apparently processed down this street with the statue of Artemis on festival days to display her in the Theater before taking her back to the Temple.

  Along this street are the State and Commercial agoras, the Bolliterium- or theater of the senate, the public bath, several temples, houses, shops, the Library, and the large Theater. Needless to say, Ephesus is HUGE!! The Temple of Artemis was one of the sevenths wonders of the world, and their library was the 3rd largest of the ancient world. 

  The houses currently being excavated are something to see. Seven houses of the rich and fabulously wealthy stacked on top of each other in terraces, all filled with marble walls and beautiful mosaics. These were the sites of the house churches in the ancient world. We picture people all crammed into small one room houses- forget about it! Try inside ballroom sized rooms specially set aside for guests. 

  Then it was down to the marble streets again, past the fountain that used to gush water out onto the hot marble walk ways in the summer time, and to the Library, the commercial agora, and the Theater.

  "A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines for Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. And you see and here how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man made gods are no gods at all..." Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Machedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater." Acts 19: 24-26 & 29.

  And so Paul started a riot and got himself a bad name in Ephesus. Reading this chapter of Acts out loud while standing in the theater in which it took place was awe inspiring. We had walked past the agora where Demetrius had probably worked, had it explained to us that the leaders of town were in the senate up the hill and didn't here the chanting til two hours later, then stood in the theater and heard the speech used by the cleric to calm the people down. "If you have a grievance, take it before the legal court like civilized people... We mustn't upset Rome..." You could almost see it happening. It is something I will never forget.

    After Ephesus, we headed out to lunch. Dr. Gates, along with Ben and Courtney, took their turn at helping the women prepare our meal for the day. Zehra, our guide, called them "Turkish pancakes", but imagine, if you will, rolling out bread to make something akin to a large thing tortilla, then folding it over and filling it with meat, cheese and spinach to be cooked over a wood fire, coming out with something like a quesadilla. And boy was it tasty! I recommend eating it with Turkish Tea, here called cay (jay).    We toured the Basilica of St. John, built over the final resting place of St. John, who lived in Ephesus until he died of old aged, supposedly with Mary mother of Jesus by his side. Although we didn't visit it, her house is rumored to be in the area, and is a holy site for Catholics across the globe.

  We also visited a Turkish carpet company, where the hand made Turkish rugs. Most of their weavers are families in the area, but the have girls learning how to weave on site, along with 8 thousand hand made rugs. Made of wool, cotton, or silk, every pattern and color is unique of the area it comes from. Silk rugs take the longest to make, as it is the finest thread and can fit the most knots into a square inch, and also makes it the softest carpet, followed by cotton, then wool. I can honestly say every single rug was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! It's no wonder Turkish rugs are known world wide. They certainly convinced most of our group to buy something. A lot of families are going to be happily surprised.

  Tonight we sleep in Kusadasi (Kushadasi), named after the island of birds in the port, and known for being the end of the famous silk road. We walked the docks before dinner licking ice cream and looking at statues and ships in the harbor. Now we sleep to wake tomorrow to visit Miletus, Loadicea and Hierapolis.

  Until then, well wishes from al of us in Turkey!

  "Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love." Letter from Paul to the Ephesians, 6: 23-24.