The Amazing Terrace Houses of Ephesus and the Question of House Churches

A visit to the Terrace Houses of Ephesus is well worth the extra expense, especially for those interested in the city’s Christian heritage. Beautifully preserved homes and mosaics reveal subtle reminders of the faith that flourished here nearly two thousand years ago. Cross-shaped mosaics, stone church lintels, and a carved cross may have guided believers to an early house church among these homes. These remains offer a glimpse into the Christian community that grew in Ephesus after the ministry of Paul and the other early followers of Christ.

Starting from the upper gate (south entrance) of Ephesus, one can observe numerous repurposed churches in the State Agora area. Yet, in the Terrace houses, there is strong evidence that a house church existed. Cross-filled mosaics, entry-door crosses, and an external cross suggest that many owners of these properties were Christian.

Observing these hints in this enclosed area is often overlooked by visitors, so before your visit, please watch my video for insights into where the Christian things are located. In the lower area, the beauty and amazement convey how people lived from the 1st to the 4th centuries. As one walks up, the first thing to notice is the floor mosaics, which mainly feature geometric shapes with hints of cross-designs.

The first-century artisans who heard the gospel in Ephesus were influential in the designs they carved in stone. I previously wrote about how the movement of the gospel traveled along waterways, which also propagated mosaic designs.

The Terrace House Church

My first visit to the Terrace house fascinated me with how those in the first to third centuries lived. I was amazed by the cut-out houses within the hillside and the decorative walls. My initial observation drew me to the mosaics. The multiple geometric and cross-like images attracted my attention. When I asked one of my historian friends and tour guides, he said that most of these designs were secular. However, my multiple visits to early churches in Asia Minor, such as Laodicea and Side in Pamphylia, gave me greater insight into how early believers sought to demonstrate their beliefs through mosaic patterns. The Byzantines loved the cross and implemented cross-designs in their churches, bishop palaces and eventually within civic spaces.

Secular mosaics feature numerous images and references to Roman gods and folklore. In these homes, there are a few images, one of which is a Greek-inspired lion killing a bull. However, the majority of mosaics here are geometric cross-like designs.

Finding the House Church of Ephesus

As is evident, the city of Ephesus had one of the largest churches in Asia Minor by the 6th century and even hosted multiple councils (190, 431, 449 and 475 AD). The city had a long Christian history, and a second-century council provides evidence of a strong Christian community here during the time these homes were occupied. As one walks through the ancient city, the multiple repurposed churches and mosaics also give insight into their influence. In my video, the cross is evident in the Terrace Houses, and two entry stones indicate the presence of a house church that once hosted worship for a group of believers.

Used as doorpost lintels, the owner of these rooms placed these two cross pieces over an entryway to a house church in the Terrace Houses.

The exterior sign of the cross would signal to those coming to this house church that they should enter. In my research on the crosses in Ephesus, no one has recorded this cross archaeologically as the one marking the entry.

The Ephesian House Churches

The Scriptures testify to 1st-century house churches, where Paul and Timothy shared the Word of God. Listen to these words: ¹⁷ Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them:

“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, ²¹ testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.²² And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. Ephesians 20:17-23, ESV

As you explore these Terrace Houses, imagine the conversations that once filled their richly decorated rooms. During the mid-first century, Paul spent several years in Ephesus preaching the gospel, and it is possible that some residents encountered his message firsthand. Although no particular house can be linked to Paul, these homes stand as reminders of the city where Christianity took root and where faith has established a presence from generation to generation.

See my walking tour of the repurposed churches in the ancient city of Ephesus: