Ephesus

In the morning we had our last session of lectures: Prof. Frederic Manns spoke to us about the interpretation of the story of the Wedding at Cana in the Gospel of John (2,1-11) in the light of the Judaic Traditions. Prof. Giovanni Uggeri and Prof. Stella Patitucci continued their explanation of society in classic times. Following that, Prof. Brodeur helped us evaluate this pilgrimage in Turkey.

In the afternoon we began our visit to Ephesus, which is today known as Selçuk. The remains of the old city are certainly very remarkable. This city was one of the most populated cities in the East after Alexandria and Antioch on the Orontes River. Its harbor was also one of the most important in the East.

Ephesus is also connected with the cult of Artemides, the Ephesian goddess of fertility and life. The temple dedicated to her, the Artemision, was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Many used come to visit this Temple, especially during a number of festivities occurring throughout the year.

Paul came to Ephesus towards 54 A.D., remaining here for a number of months. When he came he found a group of disciples of John the Baptist who believed in the Gospel without much difficulty (Acts 19,1-7). Although Paul begins his work of proclaiming the Gospel with the Jews, once they begin to become stubborn “he withdrew from them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the hall of Tyrannus” (v. 9). According to one of the manuscripts of the Acts of the Apostles (Bezae), Paul used to be here between the fifth and the tenth hour, meaning from 11.00 am till 4.00 pm.

The prestige of the Apostle grew enormously in a way that somehow it interfered with the commerce of the craftsmen of the city, whose income depended so much on the Temple of Artemides. As a matter of fact, there erupted a revolt of these craftsmen against Paul. See Acts 19,23-41 for a vivid description of what happened. We read all this within the Theatre, where an important part of this revolt took place. The Ephesus Theatre is the biggest within the Roman Empire with a capacity of 24,000 people.

From here Paul wrote a number of letters, such as the Letter to the Philippians, the first Letter to the Corinthians and, most probably, the Letter to the Galatians. Paul has also written a letter to this Christian community, although some important ancient manuscripts skip Ephesus from the heading of the Letter.

Ephesus, as I said in yesterday’s blog, is also connected to John, the Apostle. The Hellenistic environment of the city with its different particularities seems to serve as a great background for the Fourth Gospel as well as for the Letters of John.

The Book of Revelation dedicates the first letter to the seven Churches to the Church in Ephesus (2,1-7). Christians in this city are encouraged to rekindle their love for the Lord: “you have abandoned the love you had at first”. They are thus urged to “repent and do the works you did at first”.

St Ignatius of Antioch writes a letter to this community from the city of Smyrna, a few kilometers to the north. He refers to this Church as “blessed with grandiosity with the fullness of God the Father … worthy of being blessed”.

In 431, the Council of Ephesus, the third Ecumenical Council of the Church, was celebrated here in the Basilica built in honour of Our Lady, the Mother of God. This Council venerates Mary as the Theotokos, the Mother of God, or perhaps a better translation, the Bearer of God, in Latin Deipara. For me being here in the remains of this Church, the first one in the world dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God, was a very touching experience. There is a plaque which recalled Pope Paul VI praying here on July 26, 1967. It is interesting what the Servant of God Paul VI had to say that day: “The Almighty, in His mercy, has permitted us, at the beginning of the Year of Faith, to visit these places where the Fathers and Doctors of the Church were gathered to give witness to the fundamental truths of revelation made by God and His Son Jesus Christ.” This is providential; we are too at the beginning of the Year of Faith and we are called to give witness to the truth of salvation in the circumstances of our time.

I thank the Lord for the gift of this trip which is helping me appreciate these places where the faith of the first Christians grew and matured.

Before I end today’s entry, let me make reference also to a great Bishop, linked to the city of Smyrna, Polycarp. St Irenaeus says this of Polycarp in his Against the Heresies III,3,4: “Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true.”

And from the Martyrdom of Polycarp I would like to quote here the prayer the Saint said in the midst of his suffering and self-offering: “O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Thy beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the knowledge of Thee, the God of angels and powers and of all creation and of the whole race of the righteous, who live in Thy presence; I bless Thee for that Thou hast granted me this day and hour, that I might receive a portion amongst the number of martyrs in the cup of [Thy] Christ unto resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and of body, in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. May I be received among these in Thy presence this day, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, as Thou didst prepare and reveal it beforehand, and hast accomplished it, Thou that art the faithful and true God. For this cause, yea and for all things, I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, through the eternal and heavenly High-priest, Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, through whom with Him and the Holy Spirit be glory both now [and ever] and for the ages to come. Amen.”

May we follow such an eminent example!

The majestic Theatre at Ephesus: the biggest in the Roman World

A detail from the ceiling of the portico of the Library in Ephesus

A general view of the Basilica of  Our Lady, the Mother of God, in Ephesus