I completed my series of blog posts on Ancient Ephesus and the New Testament. At this link, you’ll be able to read the series in logical/chronological order. Also, you are welcome to use this material for any ministry-related or non-profit educational purpose.
Part 11 of series:
Ancient Ephesus and the New Testament
During my last visit to Ephesus, I had the opportunity to tour the so-called “Terrace Houses,” which are stacked in three terraces on Bulbul Mountain in the center of Ephesus. Centuries ago, they were buried by landslides that were likely caused by earthquakes. The Terrace Houses are currently being excavated, with the promise of many more similar excavations yet to come.
Here are some pictures I took of the Terrace Houses (except for the first photo, which I found on WikiCommons).
View of the location of the Terrace Houses (under those white protective roofs). http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kuretenstra%C3%9Fe100.jpg
Side view of the Terraces Houses from Curetes Street
Some elements of the Terraces Houses have been well preserved. But many of the mosaics that covered the walls and floors have to be reassembled. The German headline refers to this as "The Biggest Puzzle in the World."
Another view of the a small part of the puzzle, with results pictured on the wall
A view showing at least two of the houses being excavated
This close-up gives you a sense of the elaborate and beautiful frescoes that once covered the walls of these houses.
Using terra cotta pipes, the houses had indoor running hot and cold water, as well as heat.
A mosaic of a lion on one of the floors of the Terraces houses.
If you visit Ephesus, I recommend a tour of the Terrace Houses. This requires, I believe, reservations made in advance.
For most of my life, I never gave much thought to what happened to Mary, the mother of Jesus, after his death. I figured that she went to Jerusalem, where James, one of her other sons (or stepsons, if you prefer), was a prominent early Christian leader. A good bit of ancient tradition supports this hunch, as it turns out. (See, for example, the online Catholic Encyclopedia article on “The Blessed Virgin Mary.”)
It’s curious that Mary received little special attention among the early Christians. In fact, her life after Jesus’ death remains largely a mystery. But, when I took my first trip to Ephesus in 2007, I learned that many people believe that Mary spent her last days near this city, and that’s where she died (or was taken up to heaven).
The so-called House of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus
Many tours of ancient Ephesus include a side trip to the so-called House of the Virgin Mary. This sacred site lies several miles south of Ephesus, up on the top of a mountain. Unlike barren Ephesus, Mary’s house is hidden in a forest, where the temperatures are several degrees cooler and shade is ample. If you’re visiting Ephesus in the summer, you’ll appreciate the literal atmosphere at Mary’s house.
The evidence for Mary having spent her last days here is circumstantial and supernatural. The circumstantial evidence is this:
• Shortly before his death, Jesus entrusted his mother to the care of the Beloved Disciple (John 19:26-27).
• Christian tradition holds that the Beloved Disciple was John.
The ruins of the Basilica of St. John, near Ephesus
• Christian tradition also associates John with Ephesus, where he supposedly spent the latter part of his life. It is believed that he was buried there, and that his body used to lie under the Basilica of St. John (now in ruins, as you can see in the photo to the right).
• It is possible that John took Mary with him to Ephesus, perhaps because Jerusalem in the late first century A.D. was not hospitable for the mother of the controversial Messiah. Or perhaps she moved to Ephesus after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70.
The supernatural evidence is this:
• Early in the 19th century, a German nun named Anne Catherine Emmerich claimed to have visions. Among these, she “saw” the house of the Virgin Mary, and described it in great detail. Her visions were ultimately published, and near the end of the 19th century a Catholic research team found the site described by Emmerich, though she had never seen it in person. (Emmerich’s writings on the death of Jesus had a profound influence on Mel Gibson and his The Passion of the Christ.)
Catholic tradition is divided on the final residence of Mary, though several popes have endorsed Mary’s House as a religious shrine. A few years ago, Pope Benedict XVI visited the site, honoring it with his presence and words, though not definitively declaring it to be Mary’s house.
The buildings on the site are not old enough to have been the actual dwellings of Mary. But it’s certainly possible that they were built in the place and design of the original buildings. A Turkish website has several Quicktime videos that allow you to take a virtual tour of the site and its buildings.
Prayer wall at the House of Mary near Ephesus
One of the more interesting features of Mary’s House is a prayer wall near the dwelling. Pilgrims come from all over the world to this place, and many offer special prayers. These prayers are written on small pieces of paper that are attached to the wall.
As it turns out, Christians are not the only ones who make pilgrimages to Mary’s House. Many Muslims come as well, since they honor Mary as the mother of the prophet Jesus. For this reason, when Pope Benedict XVI visited Mary’s House, he said, “From here in Ephesus, a city blessed by the presence of Mary Most Holy — who we know is loved and venerated also by Muslims – let us lift up to the Lord a special prayer for peace between peoples.”
Did Mary actually live near Ephesus? Was this her final dwelling? I don’t believe we have adequate historical grounds for deciding the question either way. But if you’re ever in Ephesus, it’s worth a trip up to Mary’s House, especially if it’s a hot day and you’d like some moments of relief.
As you know if you’ve been reading my blog recently, I’ve been focusing on a “tour” of ancient Ephesus in relationship to the New Testament. I had promised to move today’s “tour” to the so-called House of the Virgin Mary, but, instead, I want to focus on a story from yesterday’s news. It relates to a sister archeological site in Turkey.
The top part of the "Weary Hercules" statue
The AP reports that the Boston Museum of Fine Arts has returned a piece of a statue to Turkey after it was displayed in Boston for many years. The top half of a sculpture known as “Weary Hercules” is not back in Turkey where, according to Turkish officials, it was stolen in 1980 from a excavation site in Perge, near the city of Antalya. The Archeological Museum in had on display the bottom part of the statue, along with evidence that the top half was in the United States.
My photo of the bottom half of "Weary Hercules" in the Antalya Archeological Museum
I find this story fascinating for several reasons. The main one is that I was actually in Perge and the Antalya Archeological Museum about a month ago. In fact, I was fascinated by the lower half of the Hercules statue, and took photos of it and of the display that documented the location of the upper half. I wondered if the two pieces would ever be reunited. Soon, they will be.
As you may know, vast amounts of archeological treasures from the Mediterranean world are on display where they were once found or even in the countries where they were discovered. Rather, they appear in museums in Britain, France, the United States, and elsewhere. Scholars and politicians from the countries where these treasures were found are crying foul, insisting that the artifacts be returned to their places of origin, even if they had once been legally removed from the countries. As you might imagine, museums that display the artifacts are not eager to give them back. Not only do these museums want to maintain their displays, but also, in many cases, they are worried about possible danger to the treasures if they were to be returned to their native lands. Some museums in these place are not well-equipped to protect the artifacts. There is also concern about the potential for the artifacts to be stolen or even destroyed by those who have a vested interest in wiping out that which does not concord with their views. For example, you may recall that several years ago, the Taliban in Afghanistan destroyed the world famous Buddhas of Bamiyan because they were “idols.”
At any rate, if you want to see the whole statue of the “Weary Hercules,” you’ll have to make a trip to Antalya, Turkey. The region is popular among tourists, and a side trip to Perge is well worth the effort if you’re interested in Greco-Roman culture and history.
A view from the city of Perge in southern Turkey
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