Skip to main content

Ephesus: Day 5 in Turkey

EPHESUS

Today was yet again a full day, but fortunately we didn't have to travel a lot to enjoy it. This was the day that many of us had been looking forward to because Ephesus is a highly excavated location so it offers much to see, but also because Ephesus is such a prominent location in the New Testament.

Me with St. John's Basilica
We began the day by visiting the Home of Mary. This is a house in Ephesus that is traditionally believed to be the place where Mary the MOther of Jesus stayed for several years following Jesus' resurrection. This is because of the fact that John was commanded by Jesus on the cross to care for Mary, and Ephesus is where John spent the majority of his ministry. We also have various aspects of church history and traditions that say this potentially is the place. Next was St. John's Basilica which is a church constructed in the Byzantine period. It was home to various church historical events, but was known for holding the remains of John.

The great theater where Paul preached
After having a traditional Turkish lunch, we went to the ruins of Ephesus itself. This was an opportunity for us to experience the extravagance of Ephesus. Ephesus was a very wealthy city because of its stance as the port city and major trade route for Asia Minor. The ruins are large, and will take at least another 100 years to excavate the entire city.
We were able to see structures such as temples, the Agora (marketplace), Roman bath houses, a massive library, and even the great theater which Paul would have preached in while in the city. We spent a good bit of time here, and it was inspiring to walk the streets where Paul sent multiple years of his ministry, and wrote letters to churches such as the Corinthians.

Our tour guide Funda (pronounced FOON-dah) has done a great job of providing us with opportunities to also experience traditional Turkish culture. Today provided two such instances. First we were able to have lunch and visit with a co-op of ladies that produce the famous handmade Turksih carpets. We were able to see their process and learn about the various styles and types of carpets. Secondly, we visited a Turkish leather storehouse that produces leather products for some of the world's most notable designers (Armani, Burberry, etc). Here we were able to learn about the different products/resources, see their workshop, and even were treated to a special mini-fashion show. I guess I can now say that not only did I attend my first fashion show, but that it was an "international" fashion show!

The great library at Ephesus
Tomorrow we will go to Pergamum, the sixth of the seven churches (we will not be seeing the final church as there isn't much to see and its a bit out of the way). We also will be making a stop at a non-biblical site, but one of great importance in history, Troy. For now, goodnight from Kusadasi, Turkey!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FBC Monroe Students Head North, eh! (Day 1)

Today our team of 8 high school students and 3 adult chaperones from First Baptist, Monroe departed for a week of serving alongside residents of Chateauguay, Quebec Canada. We have been looking forward to this experience for quite awhile. For all of the students, it is their first experience with an international missonal encounter, heck for three quarters of our team, it was their first time flying.             Our trip began with multiple headaches at the Charlotte airport, as there was difficulty with obtaining boarding passes through the airline, and misdirection from security about which “check-in” line we were authorized to enter. Then when we got to Philadelphia for our connecting flight, it ended up being delayed by 2.5 hours. All of the irritations aside, it provided time for our team to gel in light of the unique experiences, and give us a good “first day’ story.          ...
3 comments
Read more

Mount of Beatitudes & Golan Heights: Day 1 in Israel

Today begin our official visiting of sites and locations around Israel. We started the day with a delicious breakfast before boarding our bus at 8 AM to head to our first stop, the Mount of Beatitudes. This is the site traditionally believed to be the location where Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). The site currently has a Catholic church on it surrounded by beautiful gardens and places of reflection, that are run by a group of nuns. When we arrived, the group gathered and was led in a time of devotion by Nathan Morton, a CUDS student and pastor of Burgaw Baptist Church in Burgaw, NC. It was a wonderful reminder of what it means to be the salt and light of the earth, as Nathan read this memorable passage on the very site it is traditionally believed to have been delivered by Jesus.  Nathan sharing from Matt 5 on Mount of Beatitudes Church at Beatitudes Me with the Mount of Beatitudes and the Sea of Galilee in the back...
2 comments
Read more

Boy Scouts of America & the SBC: My Adolescent Pillars

The annual Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) finished up last night in Houston, TX and one of the major news stories coming out of the convention is the resolution passed regarding the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) [read full resolution and press release by Baptist Press here ]. Essentially, the resolution expresses the disappointment by the denomination in both the leadership and decision made by the national Scouting board in regards to allowing all boys to participate in the organization despite their sexual orientation. What it does not do is tell churches to dissolve their relationships with BSA troops/packs (because then they would cease to be Baptist, you know the whole local church autonomy thing is KIND of a big part of the Baptist denomination), but instead encourages them to funnel support into the Royal Ambassadors (the SBC equivalent of an organization to the BSA). For those of you who may not know, I am an Eagle Scout, and a proud one at that. My family and I were a part ...
3 comments
Read more