Acts 19:35 Artemis or Diana

What’s In Your Bible: Acts 19:35 Diana or Artemis

And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

The Translation issue here is whether the goddess is Diana or Artemis.

What do the new versions say?

NIV Artemis…

ESV Artemis

NASV Artemis

New World Translation Artemis

All of the Reformation Bibles have Diana

So, which is it?

Artemis was one of the principal goddesses in Greek Mythology.

The Roman counterpart is Diana.

There are many different Artimeses, (Artimesi?) depending on date, location, and culture.

There’s Artemis Crayae, the nut tree goddess

Artemis Orthia, where the custom was to flog youths

Artemis Laphria, where they had a bonfire of animals and fruits.

Artemis Callisto the bear goddess

Artemis Alphaea the beautiful goddess

Artemis Brauronia, Artemis Taurica, Artemis Chersonese and on and on.

Artemis Diana, on the other hand, was the flavor of Ephesus.

This is where the Temple of Diana was located.

One of the 7 wonders of the world, which was formerly known as the Temple of Artemis.

In Acts 19 there was a silversmith who complained about losing business since Paul had been there.

The silversmiths were making a fortune selling silver replicas of the Temple of Diana.

Paul preached Jesus and that there “be no gods made with hands.”

This is why the distinction was made between Artemis and Diana.

Diana is spoken about several times throughout the Bible.

How else do we know it was Diana and not Artemis?

Coins minted at that time at Ephesus had Diana on them.

The Reformers were a little more accurate in their translation of Artemis as being Diana.

Otherwise, she may be mistaken for one of the other Artemises.

This proves that the Reformer translators put forth a little more effort into their translations than just looking at definitions in lexicons.

That’s what happens when you Study to shew thyself approved unto God.

Dr. Steven A. Hite