Riot in Ephesus
The riot of the Ephesian silversmiths, or the riot at Ephesus, is an episode in the Acts of the Apostles (19:23–41) describing a civic disturbance in Ephesus that erupted during the mid-50s AD in response to the teachings of Paul the Apostle. It was set in motion by a silversmith named Demetrius, who rallied fellow craftsmen against Paul's teaching that handmade objects are not divine, arguing this threatened their livelihood and, on broader grounds, the honor of the goddess Artemis and her famous temple.