Ancient bathtub and statue fragments found by archaeologists in Ephesus ruins in Turkey
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Remarkable ancient finds were recently unearthed in the Turkish city of Ephesus, where the Apostle Paul once preached.
The discovery was announced on December 12 by the state agency Anadolu Agency (AA) in Ankara. Ephesus is also known as one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
The star of the excavation was a Roman-era marble bathtub and the body fragment of a male statue, later used as paving stones.
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In his statement to AA, archaeologist Serdar Aybek stated that the bathtub dates back to the 1st century AD and that, unlike the large bath complexes in Ephesus, the recently unearthed bath was probably for “domestic purposes”.
“This is an unusual discovery because it’s not something we encounter very often,” Aybek said.
Archaeological finds unearthed in Ephesus, the ancient city where the Apostle Paul once preached, include a marble bathtub from the Roman period and a piece of sculpture used as a paving stone. (Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images; Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“We think it belongs to Yamaç Evler and was used in the 1st century AD,” he said. “We found it while working in the theater and its size shows that it was used in a house.”
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The bathtub was found on ancient Stadium Street. It probably belonged to the Terrace Houses complex of Ephesus, where wealthy Roman families lived in luxurious villas.
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The tub was carved with Greco Scritto marble, a regional variety with distinctive black veins, and measured about 1.5 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 2 meters high, officials said.
Researchers say the Roman-era bathtub was used in a private home rather than large bath complexes. (Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
After being used by a high-income family, the bathhouse was redesigned as a fountain trough.
Aybek, B.C. He also described the discovery of the statue fragment, which dates back to between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, as “completely unexpected”.
The statue of the unidentified man was carved into multiple pieces and then disassembled.
Archaeologists said the statue fragment dates back to between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. (Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Archaeologists found it upside down and said it was used as a roadside paving stone.
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The discoveries came on the heels of many new discoveries of Asia Minor linked to early Christian history.
Ephesus is known as one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation. (Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In October, a 1,500-year-old Christian floor mosaic It was found in Urfa, which is considered the birthplace of Abraham.
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The ruins of a massive Roman council hall were unearthed this summer in Laodicea, a city also mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
