Inscription Mentioning Ephesian Silversmiths

A number of inscriptions mentioning the silversmiths of the city have been found in Ephesus. The one shown here, dated to the third century C.E., records the honor they gave to the proconsul Valerius Festus as their benefactor and for his work on the harbor. The inscription confirms the prominence of the silversmiths as well as the fact that they were organized into an association, or guild. The book of Acts tells of their rioting when faced with the loss of profits from selling their “silver shrines of Artemis.”—Ac 19:24.