The most ancient ruins in the area of Sardis are along the southern banks of the Pactolus River. In the middle of these ruins stood the large, open-aired shrine initially consecrated to Cybele. When the Greeks arrived in about 330 BC, they built a huge temple to Artemis, their goddess of fertility, and absorbed the grossly immoral worship of Cybele into their worship. The ruins of this temple, which was one of the seven largest Greek temples in the world, stands as a testimony to the popularity and power of the Artemis cult.
Yet, in one corner of this temple stands a tiny Christian church that was built during the fourth century! Why did Christians build a church inside a pagan temple? Were they seeking to reclaim the temple, which was probably nearly abandoned at that time, for God? Or had they become so comfortable in their pagan world that their worship of God blended in with the pagan worship that surrounded them?
