On Monday we arrived at the great port of Ephesus. It was one of the greatest cities of Asia Minor in Paul’s time. 
The city had to be relocated three times due to the gradual filling in of its bay from silt of the river that poured into the sea there in ancient times. The Ephesus of Paul’s time was the third relocation. It was a thoroughly modern city complete with sanitary toilets (better than in most Turkish towns of today; the restaurant where we had lunch today had only holes in the floor to squat over!) Here you see our pilgrims checking out the biblical “water closet” of Paul’s time in Ephesus. There was a large Jewish community here due to all the trading and bartering and shopping of this busy port. Jewish symbols are mixed here with Roman and Christian ones.
This angel holds a laurel crown and palm for those who have run the good race. We also visited the grave of Cleopatra’s sister who met an awful death here, but was buried with honors befitting a princess along the great road that formed the main street of the city leading down the hill toward the bay.
As you might expect from any port, there was a brisk business in prostitution. During the excavation of Ephesus, a graffiti was found containing a footprint leading the way to “beautiful women”, not far from the great Celsus library whose façade was been restored. This façade can be seen in its full glory in one of my first postings. We also stopped in front of the library to have our group picture taken. There are thirteen of us, which our tour director keeps reminding me was exactly the number of Jesus and his apostles.
I keep wondering who might be our betrayer, so I kept an eye out for any of our group who might be heading toward that lady’s footprint, but as all thirteen were here for the group picture, all seemed safe.
From Ephesus we moved onto to the seven churches of John’s Apocalypse, so our next posting will find us in Laodecia where I distracted the whole group by climbing on top of a high ruin behind our guide to get a better view and fell. So keep logging in.
The city had to be relocated three times due to the gradual filling in of its bay from silt of the river that poured into the sea there in ancient times. The Ephesus of Paul’s time was the third relocation. It was a thoroughly modern city complete with sanitary toilets (better than in most Turkish towns of today; the restaurant where we had lunch today had only holes in the floor to squat over!) Here you see our pilgrims checking out the biblical “water closet” of Paul’s time in Ephesus. There was a large Jewish community here due to all the trading and bartering and shopping of this busy port. Jewish symbols are mixed here with Roman and Christian ones.
This angel holds a laurel crown and palm for those who have run the good race. We also visited the grave of Cleopatra’s sister who met an awful death here, but was buried with honors befitting a princess along the great road that formed the main street of the city leading down the hill toward the bay.
As you might expect from any port, there was a brisk business in prostitution. During the excavation of Ephesus, a graffiti was found containing a footprint leading the way to “beautiful women”, not far from the great Celsus library whose façade was been restored. This façade can be seen in its full glory in one of my first postings. We also stopped in front of the library to have our group picture taken. There are thirteen of us, which our tour director keeps reminding me was exactly the number of Jesus and his apostles.
I keep wondering who might be our betrayer, so I kept an eye out for any of our group who might be heading toward that lady’s footprint, but as all thirteen were here for the group picture, all seemed safe.From Ephesus we moved onto to the seven churches of John’s Apocalypse, so our next posting will find us in Laodecia where I distracted the whole group by climbing on top of a high ruin behind our guide to get a better view and fell. So keep logging in.
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