A Compendium of the Ancient Gods

Volume VIII

The Levantine Borderlands

Syria, Petra and Palmyra. c. 1200 BCE to 500 CE

Caravan gods of Syria, Petra and Palmyra, known mostly from inscriptions, altars and temple ruins in the centuries around Rome’s arrival.

The Aramaean Gods of Syria

6 works. Sources for this bay

Hadad, plate
Hadad ha-dad The Aramaean Storm-God — Iuppiter Heliopolitanus of Baalbek
Atargatis, plate
Atargatis ah-tar-gah-tis The Great Goddess of Syria — fish-tailed mother of Hierapolis
Baalshamin, plate
Baalshamin bah-al-shah-meen Lord of Heaven — late Aramaean sky-god
Allat (the Aramaean goddess), plate
Allat (the Aramaean goddess) al-lat (the aramaean goddess) Sky-Mother of the Aramaeans and Northern Arabs — see also Book II below
Simios, plate
Simios si-mios Sun-God of Hierapolis — kingly companion of Atargatis
Sin of Harran, plate
Sin of Harran sin of har-ran The Moon-God of Harran — Roman-Period Aramaean Cult

The Nabataean Pantheon of Petra and the Hijaz

7 works. Sources for this bay

Dushara, plate
Dushara doo-shah-rah Chief God of the Nabataeans — patron of Petra, lord of the mountain
Al-Lat, plate
Al-Lat al--lat The Nabataean Mother-Goddess — al-Lat, the goddess
Al-Uzza, plate
Al-Uzza al--uz-za The Mighty Maiden — warrior-goddess of the planet Venus
Manat, plate
Manat ma-nat Goddess of Fate — the third of the Arabian triad
Hubal, plate
Hubal hu-bal The Oracular God of Mecca — divination by arrows at the Ka'ba
Obodas, plate
Obodas o-bo-das The Deified Nabataean King — royal apotheosis at Avdat
Qaus, plate
Qaus qaus The Edomite Bow-Bearer — national god of Edom and Nabataea

The Gods of Palmyra

7 works, 1 awaiting its plate. Sources for this bay

Bel, plate
Bel bel Chief God of Palmyra — equivalent to the Babylonian Marduk and the Greek Zeus
Yarhibol, plate
Yarhibol yar-hi-bol The Sun-God of Palmyra — oath-witness, attendant of Bel
Aglibol, plate
Aglibol ag-li-bol The Moon-God of Palmyra — attendant of Bel, paired with Yarhibol
Malakbel, plate
Malakbel ma-lak-bel Solar Spring-Aspect of Bel — the morning sun and vegetation
Allat (Palmyrene), plate
Allat (Palmyrene) al-lat (palmyrene) The Palmyrene Goddess Identified with Athena — civic protector
Arsu, plate
Arsu ar-su The Camel-Rider Caravan-God — protector of evening travel
Awaiting its plate
Azizos a-zi-zos The Morning-Star God — companion of Arsu, warrior-escort

Floor plan

The rooms follow one another in the order their peoples first appear in the written record.

  1. The Cradle of Citiesc. 3400 BCE to 395 CE. 115 works
  2. The Gift of the Nilec. 4000 BCE to 395 CE. 73 works
  3. The Olympian Orderc. 1600 BCE to 750 CE. 152 works
  4. The Persian Worldc. 2000 BCE to 1010 CE. 30 works
  5. The Levantine Borderlandsc. 1200 BCE to 500 CE. 20 works
  6. The Edges of Empirec. 2000 BCE to 1500 CE. 33 works
  7. The Etruscan Worldc. 900 BCE to 750 CE. 22 works
  8. The Roman Inheritancec. 1200 BCE to 500 CE. 58 works
  9. The Northern Inheritancec. 2000 BCE to 1600 CE. 131 works