Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered the remains of a temple to Aphrodite dating to the 5th century BC. The structure was found near the modern-day city of Izmir, the site of biblical Smyrna. Scholars were carrying out a series of surface surveys in the rural area when they came across the ruins. They found part of a statue of a woman, a figure of a terracotta female head, and an ancient inscription stating, “This is the sacred area.” The archaeologists believe this was a rural temple dedicated to the cult of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, love and procreation (she was sometimes identified with seafaring and war as well).
See these articles on the ABR website concerning New Testament Smyrna:
Inscription Found at Smyrna – https://biblearchaeology.org/current-events-list/4187-ancient-logos-inscription-found-at-smyrna
Demas: Lover of This Present World – https://biblearchaeology.org/research/topics/people-places-and-things-in-the-new-testament/3308-demas-lover-of-this-present-world
How Beautiful are the Feet on the Via Egnatia – https://biblearchaeology.org/new-testament-era-list/2531-how-beautiful-are-the-feet-on-the-via-egnatia
OFF-SITE LINKS:
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/2-500-year-old-aphrodite-temple-discovered-in-turkey-161339
https://www.smithsonianmag.com
Read more BREAKING NEWS articles here: https://biblearchaeology.org/current-events-list