admin A Colossal Temple Dedicated to the Supreme God
In the heart of Lebanon is the colossal Roman temple, the largest in the Roman world. It is part of the ancient ruins of the Baalbek Complex, once known as the City of the Sun, Heliopolis Syriaka. This temple was dedicated to Jupiter Heliopolitanus, the supreme deity of the Roman pantheon and revered lord of thunder, lightning and storms. But who built this majestic structure and how was it managed?
A Mysterious History Full of Secrets The history
Temple is full of mysteries. No one knows who commissioned and designed it, or when exactly it was built. Construction is estimated to have begun around 16 BC. It began around AD 60 and was nearly completed during the reigns of Augustus and Nero, two of Rome’s most powerful and notorious emperors. This temple was part of a larger religious complex that included a grand entrance, a hexagonal courtyard, a rectangular main courtyard, and several smaller shrines.
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Solid stone monumental pedestal
The temple itself stood on a monumental stone pedestal 7 m (23 ft) above ground level at the western end of the main courtyard. The platform was supported by a huge foundation wall constructed of about 24 monoliths, each weighing about 300 tons. The highest retaining wall on the west side has a second layer of monoliths, including the famous ‘Three Stones’ (Greek: Τρίλιθον, Trillis), quarried from limestone, 19 m (62 ft) long and 4.3 high It was over 14 feet (m). It was 3.6 meters (12 feet) wide and weighed about 800 tons each. A fourth, even larger stone, called the Pregnant Woman’s Stone, was left unused in a nearby quarry 800 meters (2,600 feet) from the town and weighed about 1,000 tons. A fifth weighed about 1,200 tons and lay in the same quarry.
A Majestic Temple with Gigantic Columns
Temple are 19.9 meters high and about 2.5 meters in diameter, the largest in the classical world. The temple had 6 pillars on the short sides and 10 on the long sides, with an additional 8 pillars in front of the chela (inner room). In the crypt was a colossal statue of Jupiter Heliopolitanus, probably destroyed by an earthquake or by Christian iconoclasts who later converted the temple into a church.
An important religious site and symbol of Roman power
The temple was an important religious site during the Roman Empire, and the emperors often consulted its oracles. Trajan knew that his death was imminent. 115 A.D., by the chief priest of the temple. The temple was also a symbol of Roman power and prestige in the eastern provinces, which were under constant threat from rival empires and rebellious peoples.
An Unsolved Mystery How It Was Built
But how could the Romans build such a colossal structure with such huge stones? The original structure remains an unsolved mystery. Some scholars suggest that the Romans used cranes, pulleys, levers, rollers, or ramps to move or lift stones. Others suggest that the stones may have been carved in situ from natural rock formations or carried by water or elephants. Some have speculated that this stone is not Roman at all, but rather prehistoric megaliths incorporated into the temple by later builders.
The Temple of Jupiter is not only a remarkable example of Roman engineering and architecture, but also evidence of its mysterious origins and history. It is one of the most impressive and mysterious monuments of antiquity.
