The Negev Desert covers much of the southern portion of Israel. Recently, archaeologists have uncovered a marble statue of a dolphin believed to be associated with the Greek goddess Artemis, the goddess of love. A similar dolphin has already been discovered with the Greek goddess. Archaeologists have dated the statue to be around 2,000 years old which would place it right around the time of Christ and the early New Testament church.
The Greek goddess Artemis was the goddess of love; and her worship was often accompanied by extreme immorality. In Ephesus, a very ornate Temple was constructed and silversmiths made a living by selling statues of the goddess to worshipers. These silversmiths would be at the center of a dispute with the Apostle Paul during his stay there, and a riot was the result.
You can read the full article about the discovery here:
