Artemis
Artemis is normally referring to the sister of the Greek god Apollo, and she is associated to the monthly cycle of the moon. But, the Artemis mentioned in Acts 19:23-40, is an Ephesian goddess of fertility, which originated from the mouth of the Cayster River before the Greeks arrived at Ephesus. In addition, according to Acts 19:35, Artemis’s image was probably that of a meteorite. She was worshiped in Greece, Gaul, Rome and Syria, but her principle site of worship is Ephesus. Ephesus is also the site of her temple (mentioned in Acts 19:27), where her eunuch priests serve. The cult of the goddess Artemis was the source of prestige and wealth of Ephesus. It is in this setting that Demetrius the silversmith organized a meeting of the local assembly at the amphitheater to pressure the civic authorities to take action against Paul and his friends, who were allegedly interfering with the sale of silver models of the temple of Artemis, and attacking the prestige of the city of Ephesus (Acts 19:23-40).
The statuette displayed here is a replica of the original artifact is located at the Ephesus Museum in modern day Seljuk. The silver statue was a stiff upright figure resembling the trunk of a tree or a mummy, covered with sculptured animals and plants, including 24 or more rounded objects around the goddess's chest. These objects were traditionally believed to be breasts. But, they may have been ostrich eggs (found in many Greek village churches), or fruit.
The statuette displayed here is a replica of the original artifact is located at the Ephesus Museum in modern day Seljuk. The silver statue was a stiff upright figure resembling the trunk of a tree or a mummy, covered with sculptured animals and plants, including 24 or more rounded objects around the goddess's chest. These objects were traditionally believed to be breasts. But, they may have been ostrich eggs (found in many Greek village churches), or fruit.