A Roman cave full of prayers, many from women
Archaeologists at Cova Dones in Spain have found at least 120 Latin inscriptions, the largest collection of Roman cave inscriptions in the empire. They show that a goddess called Domina (“the Lady”) was worshipped there and that women played an active part in her cult. Read at University of Southampton →
Paul and the silversmiths of Ephesus
What happened then
According to Acts 19, a crowd packed the great theater of Ephesus and spent hours chanting the praises of Artemis, the city's goddess, after Paul's preaching there.
What caused it
A silversmith named Demetrius, who made shrines of Artemis, warned his fellow craftsmen that Paul's message was hurting both their trade and the goddess's honor. Local cults like Artemis's (or Domina's in Spain) were tied up with jobs, civic pride and identity.
How it was resolved
The town clerk calmed the crowd, told them the courts and the lawful assembly were the place for their complaints, and sent them home. Soon afterward Paul left for Macedonia.
How it turned out
Ephesus became one of the great centers of early Christianity, and in 431 it hosted the ecumenical council that declared Mary Theotokos, the “God-bearer.” The Cova Dones finds show how crowded the religious world was that those first missionaries walked into.
Sources: Acts 19:23–20:1 (NRSVUE, Bible Gateway) · Wikipedia: Council of Ephesus
Further reading: Paul: A Biography by N. T. Wright