Sardis Temple of Artemis

The worship of Artemis was a large and thriving cult during the era of the New Testament. The greatest temple to Artemis was in Ephesus, but almost nothing of that temple remains today. An impressive collection of ruins for a similar temple is in Sardis, about 70 miles (112 km) from Ephesus by the most direct route. The massive columns of the Artemis temple at Sardis are 58 feet (17.5 m) tall. There were 32 columns around this temple. In Ephesus, 127 columns surrounded the temple to this goddess. When Paul’s Gospel message took root in Ephesus, a riot broke out and forced him to leave the city (Acts 19:23-41). The Gospel would have been just as confrontational to pagan practices in other communities, including Sardis. The acropolis of Sardis was on the high peak that is featured in the last frame of this clip.