Thebook burning at Ephesus is an event recorded in theActs of the Apostles, whereChristian converts atEphesus, influenced byPaul the Apostle,burned their books of magic.
Acts 19 provides an account of the event:
Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. (Acts 19:18–19 ESV)[2]
The pieces of silver could refer to theGreek drachma; this would come to a total value of approximately $6 millionUSD in present-day currency.[3]
The following verse relates how "the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily" (Acts 19:20 ESV).[4]Simon Kistemaker sees these things as closely connected: "The city of Ephesus purged itself of bad literature by burning magic books and became the depository of sacred literature that made up the canon of the New Testament."[5]
Hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris is an imposing painting, The Preaching of St Paul at Ephesus. In this 1649 work by Eustache Le Sueur, the fiery apostle lifts his right hand as if scolding the audience, while clutching a book of scripture in his left. Among the rapt or fearful listeners are people busily throwing books into a fire. Look carefully, and you see geometric images on some of the pages.
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