Ephesus Prytaneion

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Was St. Paul in Ephesus Prytaneion?

During the riot in Ephesus Paul’s Asiarch friends sent a message to Paul begging him not to enter the theater (Acts 19:31). It is interesting that Paul was acquainted with the social and governmental elite of the city, who also knew where he was staying. The acoustics of the theater, which faced westward toward the sea, would have hindered officials in the upper city from hearing the disturbance in the lower city.

In addition, the streets were probably clogged with pilgrims visiting Ephesus for a festival related to Artemis, Thus it is understandable why it took time for the town clerk (grammateus), whose office was in the Prytaneion, to reach the theater to calm the riotous crowd (Acts 19:35-41). The Prytaneion’s architrave was supported by eight plain Doric columns. On these pillars were inscribed the names of the Curetes, a class of priests affiliated with the temple of Artemis. The Curetes took care of the sacred fire and participated in the sacred mysteries of Artemis at the Ortygia grove.

This phenomenon of writing names on pillars recalls the promise made to the Christian “priests” at Philadelphia that they would be pillars in God’s heavenly temple inscribed with the name of God and the new Jerusalem (Revelation 1:6; 3:12).

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