Acts 19:19

19. Many Other than Christian believers.

Curious arts Arts about which men may be more curious than wise; arts which true wisdom would let alone.

Books These books were manuscript scrolls and larger documents, containing the lore of the black art. The stupendous superstition of the Diana worship was formed into a dark science, with its subtle professors and its extended treatises. These manuscripts contained the doctrines, the prescriptions of magical drugs and herbs, and rubrics directing the mode of performing the various ceremonials. These were the celebrated ‘ Εφεσια Γραμματα , which, being inscribed upon the crown, the girdle, and the feet of the goddess, became impregnated with a mighty nature-power, and, being transcribed upon a scrap of parchment, were worn upon the person as a charm against any natural disease or other evil. Whoever carried about him these incantations would be victorious in every thing. King Croesus is said, upon his funeral pile, to have consoled his dying moments by repeating these mystic syllables. An Ephesian wrestler, while he concealed these charms upon his person, conquered his Milesian antagonist; but the scroll was stolen from his pocket, and he was vanquished.

Burned them Confession is cheap, but reformation is often costly. A false penitence would have sold these books, and kept both the money and the credit for piety.

Before all A blazing declaration that the temple and the idol deserved the same fate.

Fifty thousand… silver Nearly eight thousand dollars. For doubtless the books had a superstitious value far above the price of ordinary volumes of literature.