Ephesus: Then and Now
Ephesus or Éphesos was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia , in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province , Turkey . It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, the former Arzawan capital by Greek colonists. The city came under Roman control in 129 BC. The city was famous for the nearby Temple of Artemis (completed c. 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World . Its many monumental buildings included the Library of Celsus and a theater with seating for 25,000 spectators. The Christian community in Ephesus was recipient of one of the letters of St. Paul and one of the seven churches of Asia addressed in the Book of Revelation . The Gospel of John may have been written there. The city was destroyed by the Goths in 263. Although it was rebuilt, its importance as a port and commercial center declined as the harbor was slo...