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full size in new window. | Title / Description: Ceiling, detail, inner room of the Temple of Bel
Provenance: Palmyra
Commentary: This picture shows a detail of the ceiling of the Temple of Bel, Palmyra's largest building. The site of the temple had likely been a cultic area for some time prior to the construction of the Roman Temple in the 1st century CE. This original holy area was incorporated into the Temple the structure's focal point, located in the center of a walled-in courtyard. Inside this central sanctuary (cella) were two chambers, an altar, and a sacred pool. Each of these chambers had intricately carved ceilings, one of which is pictured here and is notable for its intertwining geometric patterns. The ceiling appears darkened in some areas most likely as a result of the burning of incense or other substances in the chamber.
Bibliography:
The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land;
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East, vol. 4
Author of Commentary: Adam Mendelson
Source: Cutts, Edward L.
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