Sanctuary of Bel
The sanctuary of Bel is a sanctuary for the god Bel or Baal in Dura Europos , which was built between the 2nd century BC. BC and the 3rd century AD was used. It consists of a single hall or courtyard, which is about 12 × 10 m in size and whose roof was supported on the inside by four pillars. The sanctuary was excavated in 1989 and 1990 by a Franco-Syrian team in Insual M5 in the center of the city, which resumed excavations from the early 20th century from 1986. The find of the sanctuary is one of the more important recent finds. During the excavations it was possible to distinguish between three construction phases at the site of the construction. In the Parthian period there was probably a simple residential area here. At the end of the Parthian rule (around 166 AD) or at the beginning of the Roman rule, a courtyard with four columns was built here. The pillars probably formed a portico . There were benches on all the walls. Entrances were on the north side of the main street and on the east side. On the south side, opposite the main entrance, an altar was erected and here there was also a relief that was dedicated to Bel (of Palmyra ). The wall behind the altar was painted and showed at least three standing figures. A third phase of construction dates back to the middle of the third century AD. During this time, large parts of Dura Europos had been turned into a military camp. The building now received three pillars. It seems that the building was now used as a warehouse for the military.
The relief shows Bel in the middle, on the left is a person with an incense altar, on the right of the deity is a person in a temple. The god depicted in the front is beardless and barefoot. He holds a standard in each hand and wears a cylindrical crown. There is a Palmyrian inscription below the scene . The relief is then dedicated to Bel. The name of the consecrator has not been preserved. His father was called Schalmann, his grandfather Yalqut. Yalqut is a Sabatean name that suggests that the family of the founder came from the Arab world. The relief is dated to the year 787 of the Seleucid era , which corresponds to the year 475. However, this is impossible. it seems to be a prescription from the year 384/5, which corresponds to the year 72/73 AD and also fits the style of the relief.
literature
- Pierre Lerriche, Gaëllr Coqueugniot: New research by the French-Syrian Archaeological Expedition to Dura-Europos and new Data on polytheistic sanctuaries in Europos-Dura , in Jennifer Y. Chi, Sebastian Heath (eds.): Edge of Empiries, Paganz, Jews , and Christians at Roman Dura-Europos , New York, ISBN 978-0-691-15468-8 . Pp. 31-34
Individual evidence
- ↑ 'Adnana Bounni: Un nouveau bas-relief palmyrénien de Doura-Europos , in Pierre Leriches, Mathilde Gelin (ed.): Dour-Europus. Études IV 1991-1993 , Beyrouth 1997, ISBN 2-7053-0566-1 , pp. 215-218
Coordinates: 34 ° 44 ′ 47.5 " N , 40 ° 43 ′ 41.3" E