{
  "id": "dict_001425",
  "term": "Diana",
  "slug": "diana",
  "letter": "D",
  "entry_type": "biblical_world_background",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Diana is the Roman name associated with Artemis, the Ephesian goddess mentioned in Acts 19.",
  "simple_one_line": "The Roman name for Artemis, the pagan goddess tied to Ephesus in Acts 19.",
  "tooltip_text": "Roman name for Artemis; mentioned in Acts 19 as part of Ephesian idol worship.",
  "aliases": [
    "Diana (Artemis)"
  ],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Artemis",
    "Ephesus",
    "idolatry",
    "paganism"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Acts 19",
    "Exodus 20",
    "Isaiah 44",
    "1 Corinthians 10"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Diana is the Roman name commonly used for Artemis, the pagan goddess honored at Ephesus. In Acts 19, the spread of the gospel threatened the idol trade linked to her shrine, exposing the clash between Christianity and local pagan devotion.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A pagan deity name from the Greco-Roman world, especially associated with Ephesus in Acts 19.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Roman name associated with Artemis",
    "Central to the Ephesian riot in Acts 19",
    "Represents idolatry, not a biblical doctrine",
    "Helps explain the religious and economic setting of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Diana is the Roman name commonly used for Artemis, the goddess honored at Ephesus and referenced in Acts 19. The passage shows how deeply pagan worship shaped the city’s economy and public life. Because the term names a false goddess rather than a biblical doctrine, it belongs in a background category rather than a doctrinal one.",
  "description_academic_full": "Diana is the Roman name commonly used for Artemis, the goddess honored at Ephesus and referenced in Acts 19, where silversmiths stirred up a public uproar because the spread of the gospel threatened the trade connected to her shrine and images. In the biblical setting, Diana represents pagan religion and idolatrous devotion in contrast to the worship of the one true God. Scripture does not treat Diana as a legitimate theological subject in herself, but her mention helps readers understand the religious environment confronted by the early church and the social opposition that often accompanied gospel ministry. The term is therefore best handled as biblical-world background rather than as a theological doctrine.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Acts 19 places Diana at the center of the Ephesian disturbance that followed Paul’s ministry. The account shows the gospel confronting idol worship, spiritual deception, and the social power attached to religious images.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient Greco-Roman world, Diana was the Roman counterpart of Artemis. At Ephesus, the cult of Artemis/Diana was closely tied to civic identity, commerce, and pilgrimage, which helps explain the intensity of the riot in Acts 19.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Second Temple Jewish and early Christian readers would recognize Diana as a pagan deity and an example of the idolatry rejected by biblical monotheism. The term serves as a contrast to the worship of the God of Israel.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Acts 19:23-41"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Exodus 20:3-5",
    "Isaiah 44:9-20",
    "1 Corinthians 10:19-21"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Diana is the Latin Roman name; the corresponding Greek name in Acts 19 is Artemis.",
  "theological_significance": "Diana is significant because Scripture uses her cult as a concrete example of idolatry opposing the gospel. The episode in Ephesus shows that biblical evangelism is not merely private belief but a truth claim that challenges false worship.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The entry illustrates the difference between truth and religious imitation. A created or invented deity cannot compete with the living God, and the biblical narrative treats such worship as spiritually empty and morally dangerous.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat Diana as a biblical character or a valid theological category. Also avoid importing later mythological details into Acts 19 beyond what the text itself states.",
  "major_views_note": "Readers generally agree that Diana/Artemis in Acts 19 refers to a pagan cult figure linked to Ephesus. The main interpretive question concerns how much local historical background should be inferred from the narrative, not the basic identification itself.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Scripture presents Diana as an idol and false goddess, not as a real divine being. The Bible’s monotheism excludes all rival deities and rejects worship directed to created or invented powers.",
  "practical_significance": "The entry helps readers understand why the gospel can provoke resistance when it confronts entrenched idols, whether religious, cultural, or commercial. It also reminds believers to test all worship by Scripture alone.",
  "meta_description": "Diana is the Roman name for Artemis, the pagan goddess mentioned in Acts 19 in connection with the Ephesian riot and idol worship.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/diana/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/diana.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}