Benutzer:Western.galilee/Belat-Tempel
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Der Belat Tempel ist ein Tempel unidentifizierten Ursprungs. Er liegt im Südlibanon zwischen Marwahin und Ramiah. H. H. Kitchener beschrieb seinen Standort als "auf dem Kamm eines sehr eindrucksvollen, steilen und schmalen Bergrückens, der schwer zugänglich ist... in diesem wildesten Teil des Landes".[1]
Kitchener und Ernest Renan sahen es als, womöglich, das beste Beispiel für ein „Höhenheiligtum“ in Galiläa.[1]
Beschreibung[Bearbeiten | Quelltext bearbeiten]
Beschreibungen aus der mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts beschreiben die Ruinen von 16 Säulen, von denen 1852 noch 10 stehen. Von diesen trugen auf der Ostseite noch vier, auf der Nordwestseite drei, Architraven mit Dorischen Kapitellen.[2] Als Van de Velde 1858 die Ruinen besucht, standen noch neun Säulen.[3] 1877 beschreibt H. H. Kitchener nur noch sechs Säulen, die noch eine Architrave trugen.
Interpretations[Bearbeiten | Quelltext bearbeiten]
- ↑ a b H. H. Kitchener: Synagogues of Galilee. In: Palestine Exploration Quarterly. 10. Jahrgang, Nr. 3. Informa UK Limited, 1878, ISSN 0031-0328, S. 123–129, doi:10.1179/peq.1878.10.3.123 (archive.org [PDF]): „the ruins at Belat, where the peculiar double columns again occur at both ends of a long colonnade. It was described by me in Quarterly Statement, October, 1877, p. 166, and the only photograph of these interesting remains is now in the Palestine Exploration Fund series. Though this building has some points of resemblance to synagogues, it is not, in my opinion, one of that class of buildings. In the first place it is longer and narrower than any known synagogue, the want of mouldings on the architrave, the archaic form of the capitals, and the general appearance of the building, seem to point to a much earlier date than that at which the synagogues were erected. The aisle or passage between the columns is made wider than in synagogues, and there is only one specimen (the small synagogue at Kefr Bir'im) where only two rows of columns occur. There is no sign of a southern doorway, though there is some reason to suppose that the entrance was in the centre of the eastern side, which is, as before pointed out, unlike the generality of synagogues. On the eastern side of this building, there are the remains of buildings enclosing a courtyard containing a large well that resembles such as one would expect to find of a monastery or castle. The situation, on the top of a very commanding, steep, and narrow ridge, difficult of access, is unlikely to have been the site of an important town, of which there are no traces. From these considerations I am led to the supposition that we have here one of the most perfect and earliest specimens of a temple dedicated to some deity worshipped on this "high place," and attended by a number of priests or votaries who were lodged in the surrounding buildings. To its isolation in this, the wildest part of the country, is probably due its preservation up to this time. It seems probable that from this and other specimens of the same class then existing, the architects copied those peculiar double columns that are always found terminating the colonnades in synagogues. Another fact pointing to this view of the case may be derived from the enormous monolithic double columns of red granite now lying in the ruins of the cathedral at Tyre. These were certainly not made for the cathedral, as all the interior decoration of that building was of white marble. They must have been taken from some building, or, more probably, were found lying, half covered with sand, on the site, when the cathedral was about to be built, and, from their great size and beauty, were used in that building. by the Christians who did not know their Pagan origin. We then come to the question, Were they not used in a synagogue formerly on this spot? If so, the Jews of that time were able to import from a distant country; probably Egypt, larger monoliths of more beautiful marble than any other race had been capable of bringing to the country. In no synagogue. has any marble been found, the hard limestone of the country is always used, and the columns and door-posts, though of monoliths, are nothing like the stupendous size of these enormous blocks of granite. It appears to me that these columns are the remains of a very early and most magnificent temple, dedicated to some unknown deity. The remains at Belât (within sight) appear to have been an offshoot and, probably, a copy of this temple. What mysterious religion was inculcated at these places there is no evidence to show.“
- ↑ 1856.
- ↑ 1858.