Artemis
Holman Bible Dictionary [1]
The most famous statue was located in the city of Ephesus, the official “temple keeper” for Artemis. Artemis was the chief deity of Ephesus, and her temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. See Ephesus . The temple ceremonies were carried out by priests who were eunuchs and priestesses who were virgins. They conducted the daily ceremonies caring for the deity and for the gifts brought by worshipers, as well as an annual festival on May 25, when numerous statues of the goddess were carried in procession to the amphitheater in Ephesus for a celebration of music, dancing, and drama. This could be the background of the outcry in Acts 19:28 : “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.”
The statues of the goddess, often miniature models of the temple with an image of the goddess within, were sold widely. In Acts, a silversmith named Demetrius rallied support against Paul's preaching of the gospel for fear that it might damage his business selling statues.
Diana was a Roman deity somewhat similar to the more popular Artemis. As the Italic and Greek divinities met, she was quickly identified with Artemis.
Morrish Bible Dictionary [2]
Name of the heathen goddess Diana, as given in the Greek of Acts 19:24-35 : she was regarded as presiding over the productive and nutritive powers of nature.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible [3]
ARTEMIS . Acts 19:24; Acts 19:27 RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] . See Diana.
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology [4]
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament [5]
See Diana.
