Acts 19:19

"And not. few of them that practised magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver"Practised magical arts" We have already noted that Ephesus had. famous reputation for magic. This statement does not necessarily mean that Christians in Ephesus continued to practise such things after their conversion. McGarvey notes, "they now confessed and declared the secret processes by which they had formerly deceived the people" (p. 157). "Brought their books together and burned them" The city of Ephesus was famous for its Ephesian letters or scripts, which contained magical spells and formulas. "They seem to have consisted of certain combinations of letters or words, which, by being pronounced with certain intonations of voice, were believed to be effectual in expelling diseases or evil spirits; or which, by being written on parchment and worn (like an article of jewelry) were supposed to operate as amulets or charms to guard the wearer from evil spirits or from danger" (Reese p. 682). "Fifty thousand pieces of silver"The value of the books was equivalent to 50,000 day's wages.