 Myself and My Dear Wife Ana Last week was my birthday, yey… I mostly prefer to be low key for my birthdays don’t like to make such a big deal about it. However we should find reasons to celebrate life itself, so I guess birthdays are good opportunities for that, so Let’s celebrate it, but low key hahaha.
 Ivory Box from Ephesus Museum Turkey Here comes the first question: Were there any boxes found in Ephesus Ancient City? Of course there were several finds but the most fascinating one was the Ivory Box with 2D reliefs on it depicting a preparation of War and the War itself. This ivory box dated back to 2nd century AD, to Roman Emperor Trajan’s period. During our private ephesus tours, visitors can see this amazing piece only if they choose to visit Ephesus Archaeology Museum in Selcuk.  Bust of Roman Emperor Trajan at Ephesus Museum Turkey While we were doing this whole birthday thing, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of the importance of the Birthdays of the important people in the Antiquity. What would the Birthdays of Roman Emperors mean? What would Christmas, Jesus’ birthday mean? Are there any birthday related finds in the Ancient City of Ephesus or it’s vicinity?
 Arch of Caracalla at Theveste, Algeria Much of these celebrations were on certain days such as birthdays of the Emperors and the Imperial family members. And according to a Roman Imperial Calendar found in Algeria's Theveste Ancient City there were 64 days of Holidays just for the Imperial Cult inscribed on Arch of Caracalla. Photo Source: Wiki Commons
 Relief of Nero and Agrippina from Aphrodisias Turkey Agrippina, who is Roman Emperor Nero's mother, is known as the only woman in Roman History whose birthday is celebrated. She was the mother of Emperor Nero. And Apparently myself and Roman Emperor Nero share the same date of birth. Nero was born in year 37 AD and became an Emperor in 54 AD at the age of 17 as the successor of Cladius. Photo Source: Wiki Commons Nero is known as the Emperor who fiddled while Rome burned. His reign mostly known with his cruelty and tyranny especially having his own mother executed. In year 64 there was the Great fire of Rome and he died result of a suicide assisted by his secretary in 68 AD which ended the Julio-Claudian dynasty.  Stoa of Nero at Ephesus Ancient City Do we have anything in Ephesus related with Emperor Nero? or Do we see anything while touring Ephesus Ancient City? There is the So Called Stoa of Nero at Ephesus, the marble paved alley that runs from the Library of Celsus to the Theater has a colonnade that formed a sheltered awning for the shops.  Statue of Emperor Augustus at Ephesus Museum Turkey And the birthdays of the Emperors started designating the Beginning of the Year as a tradition. Especially with Emperor Octavian Augustus’ birthday was set as the start of the new year. There was an imperial decree sent to every Roman city, and one of the copy of this decree was found in Priene Ancient City 50 kms. to Ephesus. This must be the core idea behind Celebrating Jesus’ birthday close to the start of the New Year. Otherwise was Jesus really born in December 25?  Temple of Athena at Priene Ancient City Turkey A sacred stoa was located on the north side of Priene’s Agora. In one of the chambers, a sanctuary to Rome and Augustus was housed. In this chamber two tablets dating to the year 9 BC were found containing an inscription dubbed ‘the Emperor’s Gospel’. One tablet records a recommendation made by the Roman proconsul Paulus Fabius Maximus to the assembly of Asia that the provincial calendar should be reorganized to begin the NEW YEAR on SEPTEMBER 23, the birthday of Augustus. The second tablet records the enthusiastic response of the assembly affirming Fabius’ proposal: ‘Since Providance, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us AUGUSTUS, whom she filled weith virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a SAVIOR (soter), both for us and for our descendants, that he might end was and arrange all things, and since he, CAESAR, by his appearance (epiphanein; “epiphany”) [excelled even our anticipations], surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the BIRTHDAY of the GOD AUGUSTUS was the beginning of the GOOD NEWS (euangelion; “gospel”) for the wold that came by reason of him. This letter/decree has several verbal parallels with how Christ is presented in the New Testament. It calls the birth of Caesar Augustus the “beginning” of breath and life (Revelation 3:14) The “honor” of Augustus should remain forever (Revelation 4:9, 5:13, 7:12). In the decree the birthday of the god Augustus is declared to be the “beginning of the good news” for the world. (Mark 1:1, Revelation 14:6) This decree was to be inscribed on a white stone (Revelation 2:17?) and placed in the temple of Rome and Augustus in Pergamum (Pergamon), which served as a repository of such official decrees.  The Inscription from Pergamon Ancient City, today on exhibition in Berlin When I visited the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, In the hall where they exhibit the Gate of Miletus, right across the Gate they had the original inscription of this decree on a marble block from Pergamon’s Trajan Temple.  Temple of Trajan in Pergamon Turkey This block was found in 5 pieces in Pergamon Acropolis, it was probably part of the base of a statue and dates from around the beginning of the Common Era. Reconstructed Greek Inscription reads : To the Emperor CAESAR, Son of God, Sacred God, Custodian of all the Earth and the Sea. God’s Son first refer to the First Roman Emperor Augustus, the formulation: “Custodian of All the Earth and the Sea” indicated Augustus’ entitlement the World domination. So far therefore there seems to be nothing unusual about the inscription plate.
Copies found in Priene, Apamea, Dorylaeum, Eumenea, and Maonia show that this “gospel” of the emperor was distributed widely throughout the province of Asia.  Wow it has been quite a story with so much information, I almost have no space left to tell you how I spent my birthday! It seems like a better idea to spare that part for my next blog story. There will be some beautiful pictures, and of course I will find a way to connect my story to the Antiquity and also to Ephesus.
So please stay tuned. I hope you enjoy reading my story and information. Please comment or ask any questions so we can develop more stories and information through your contribution. |
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