Eph·e·sus /ˈɛfəsəs/



 Ephesus
      n : an ancient Greek city on the western shore of Asia Minor in
          what is now Turkey; site of the Temple of Artemis; was a
          major trading center and played an important role in
          early Christianity


 Ephesus
    the capital of proconsular Asia, which was the western part of
    Asia Minor. It was colonized principally from Athens. In the
    time of the Romans it bore the title of "the first and greatest
    metropolis of Asia." It was distinguished for the Temple of
    Diana (q.v.), who there had her chief shrine; and for its
    theatre, which was the largest in the world, capable of
    containing 50,000 spectators. It was, like all ancient theatres,
    open to the sky. Here were exhibited the fights of wild beasts
    and of men with beasts. (Comp. 1 Cor. 4:9; 9:24, 25; 15:32.)

      Many Jews took up their residence in this city, and here the
    seeds of the gospel were sown immediately after Pentecost (Acts
    2:9; 6:9). At the close of his second missionary journey (about
    A.D. 51), when Paul was returning from Greece to Syria
    (18:18-21), he first visited this city. He remained, however,
    for only a short time, as he was hastening to keep the feast,
    probably of Pentecost, at Jerusalem; but he left Aquila and
    Priscilla behind him to carry on the work of spreading the
    gospel.

      During his third missionary journey Paul reached Ephesus from
    the "upper coasts" (Acts 19:1), i.e., from the inland parts of
    Asia Minor, and tarried here for about three years; and so
    successful and abundant were his labours that "all they which
    dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and
    Greeks" (19:10). Probably during this period the seven churches
    of the Apocalypse were founded, not by Paul's personal labours,
    but by missionaries whom he may have sent out from Ephesus, and
    by the influence of converts returning to their homes.

      On his return from his journey, Paul touched at Miletus, some
    30 miles south of Ephesus (Acts 20:15), and sending for the
    presbyters of Ephesus to meet him there, he delivered to them
    that touching farewell charge which is recorded in Acts
    20:18-35. Ephesus is not again mentioned till near the close of
    Paul's life, when he writes to Timothy exhorting him to "abide
    still at Ephesus" (1 Tim. 1:3).

      Two of Paul's companions, Trophimus and Tychicus, were
    probably natives of Ephesus (Acts 20:4; 21:29; 2 Tim. 4:12). In
    his second epistle to Timothy, Paul speaks of Onesiphorus as
    having served him in many things at Ephesus (2 Tim. 1:18). He
    also "sent Tychicus to Ephesus" (4:12), probably to attend to
    the interests of the church there. Ephesus is twice mentioned in
    the Apocalypse (1:11; 2:1).

      The apostle John, according to tradition, spent many years in
    Ephesus, where he died and was buried.

      A part of the site of this once famous city is now occupied by
    a small Turkish village, Ayasaluk, which is regarded as a
    corruption of the two Greek words, hagios theologos; i.e., "the
    holy divine."



 Ephesus, desirable