Ephesus
    n 1: an ancient Greek city on the western shore of Asia Minor in
         what is now Turkey; site of the Temple of Artemis; was a
         major trading center and played an important role in early
         Christianity
    2: the third ecumenical council in 431 which declared Mary as
       mother of God and condemned Pelagius [syn: Ephesus,
       Council of Ephesus]

Ephesus
   the capital of proconsular Asia, which was the western part of
   Asia Minor. It was colonized principally from Athens. In the
   time of the Romans it bore the title of "the first and greatest
   metropolis of Asia." It was distinguished for the Temple of
   Diana (q.v.), who there had her chief shrine; and for its
   theatre, which was the largest in the world, capable of
   containing 50,000 spectators. It was, like all ancient theatres,
   open to the sky. Here were exhibited the fights of wild beasts
   and of men with beasts. (Comp. 1 Cor. 4:9; 9:24, 25; 15:32.)
   
     Many Jews took up their residence in this city, and here the
   seeds of the gospel were sown immediately after Pentecost (Acts
   2:9; 6:9). At the close of his second missionary journey (about
   A.D. 51), when Paul was returning from Greece to Syria
   (18:18-21), he first visited this city. He remained, however,
   for only a short time, as he was hastening to keep the feast,
   probably of Pentecost, at Jerusalem; but he left Aquila and
   Priscilla behind him to carry on the work of spreading the
   gospel.
   
     During his third missionary journey Paul reached Ephesus from
   the "upper coasts" (Acts 19:1), i.e., from the inland parts of
   Asia Minor, and tarried here for about three years; and so
   successful and abundant were his labours that "all they which
   dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and
   Greeks" (19:10). Probably during this period the seven churches
   of the Apocalypse were founded, not by Paul's personal labours,
   but by missionaries whom he may have sent out from Ephesus, and
   by the influence of converts returning to their homes.
   
     On his return from his journey, Paul touched at Miletus, some
   30 miles south of Ephesus (Acts 20:15), and sending for the
   presbyters of Ephesus to meet him there, he delivered to them
   that touching farewell charge which is recorded in Acts
   20:18-35. Ephesus is not again mentioned till near the close of
   Paul's life, when he writes to Timothy exhorting him to "abide
   still at Ephesus" (1 Tim. 1:3).
   
     Two of Paul's companions, Trophimus and Tychicus, were
   probably natives of Ephesus (Acts 20:4; 21:29; 2 Tim. 4:12). In
   his second epistle to Timothy, Paul speaks of Onesiphorus as
   having served him in many things at Ephesus (2 Tim. 1:18). He
   also "sent Tychicus to Ephesus" (4:12), probably to attend to
   the interests of the church there. Ephesus is twice mentioned in
   the Apocalypse (1:11; 2:1).
   
     The apostle John, according to tradition, spent many years in
   Ephesus, where he died and was buried.
   
     A part of the site of this once famous city is now occupied by
   a small Turkish village, Ayasaluk, which is regarded as a
   corruption of the two Greek words, hagios theologos; i.e., "the
   holy divine."
   

Ephesus, desirable

Ephesus, GA -- U.S. town in Georgia
   Population (2000):    388
   Housing Units (2000): 170
   Land area (2000):     3.033525 sq. miles (7.856793 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    3.033525 sq. miles (7.856793 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            27708
   Located within:       Georgia (GA), FIPS 13
   Location:             33.405084 N, 85.259625 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):    
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Ephesus, GA
    Ephesus