The real Arch of Bel (Baal)

What most people don’t actually realize is that the IDA had full intentions in replicating the square Arch of Bel or Baal. They chose not to for whatever reason and went with the more rounded Arch of Triumph.

This Arch of Triumph was the actual entrance into quite a few temples and sites and its significance has more meaning. Below is proof that the IDA was going to actually make the Arch of Bel (Baal). Most people don’t realize this. But you get my point, 2 different Arches meaning 2 different things that look completely different.

The original reports from the IDA was that they were in fact going to build the Arch of Bel (Baal) but chose not too because of oppisition from some.

Here is one of the first articles from Damien Gayle on the Arch of Bel (Baal). This guy has the perfect name for all of this right? Where have I heard Damien before..hmmm. “The 15-metre structure is one of the few remaining parts of the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel in the Syrian city. Isis fighters all but razed the temple as they systematically destroyed Palmyra over the past year.”

The Arch of Bel (Baal) aftermath

“Building a copy of the temple entrance has been proposed by the Institute for Digital Archaeology (IDA), a joint venture between Harvard University, the University of Oxford and Dubai’s Museum of the Future that promotes the use of digital imaging and 3D printing in archaeology and conservation.”

Digital rendering of the Arch of Bel (Baal) in Trafalgar Square

The Temple of Bel or Baal was converted into a Christian church during the Byzantine Era and then later turned into a mosque when Islam swept through. Kind of ironic isn’t it. You would’ve thought they would’ve gotten the name of the Arch right by now. Below is the Temple of Bel (Baal) square Arch.

Here are early digital renderings of Trafalgar Square and the Arch of Baalshamin.

Now most people don’t know that this square Arch of Bel (Baal) comes from the Arch of Bel (Baal) temple that was across the main street in Palmyra from the Colonade (representing the heart of the city of Palmyra) and entrance to the Arch of Triumph (Monumental Arch). You can see this from the images below. Go here to see images of the entire complex.

“The main colonnaded street crossed Palmyra slightly sloping downwards from west to east until it reached the Temple of Bel;

although it was flanked by shops and public buildings and facilities, its religious significance as the street along which processions reached the temple was paramount (the street did not link the main gates of the city as at Apamea).” (http://romeartlover.tripod.com/Palmyra3.html)

The entrance to the Colonade looking at the Arch of Triumph from the East

The Colonade

From the West standing inside the Colonade looking at the exit of the Arch of Triumph. The Temple of Bel (with the square Arch) can be see across the street

The Temple of Bel (Baal)

“The Temple of Bel stands out from the religious buildings of Palmyra for its size and location; its main altar or adyton(space reserved to the god) was consecrated in 32 AD, but the complex was completed in the early IInd century; it was built on a tell (a low hill) where a previous temple has been identified by archaeologists; the area inside the temenos (outer wall) is an almost exact square with sides of more than 600 ft. The complex was located at the eastern end of the monumental colonnaded street which crossed Palmyra.”

“Size and location of the temple are an evident sign of the prominence of Bel/Baal over the other deities worshipped at Palmyra. Bel was often portrayed together with two other gods representing the Sun and the Moon; the three gods formed a unity (they were not like the bickering gods of the Greek pantheon) and studies on the religion of Palmyra tend to indicate in this trinity an element of monotheism.”

Above is the “Ist century AD relief found near Palmyra portraying Bel between Aglibol (Moon) and Malakbel (Sun), all in Roman military attire. The northern niche housed the statues (or perhaps a large relief) of the three gods; the niche was possibly separated from the rest of the cella by a curtain or a wood screen as the access to the immediate surroundings of the gods was forbidden (this is the meaning of the Greek word adyton).”

“A very imposing portico was built very near the wall which limited the enclosure of the temple (below).”

“It is possible that processions which entered the enclosure through an underground passage (see image below) made one or more tours of the portico before accessing the temple; the overall structure of the complex has points in common with that of the Temple to Jupiter in Damascus.”

“The (west-oriented) entrance to the temple is not placed at its centre; this has led to the belief that it was built in two stages: first the left (northern) side of the cella with an entrance from the south and then a smaller cella opposite the first one; the two were eventually united and given a common entrance. The orientation of the temple as well as that of the entire complex is not perfectly aligned with the cardinal points; later on the temple was turned into a church and eventually into a mosque;” (http://romeartlover.tripod.com/Palmyra2.html)

Here is a model of what the Temple of Bel (Baal) looked like.

Temple of Baalshamin

Temple of Baalshamin”The Temple of Baal Shamin was built shortly after the visit made by Emperor Hadrian to the city in 129 AD (this is known from an inscription where a donor for the erection of the temple indicates he paid for the stay of the emperor’s retinue at Palmyra). Dedicatory inscriptions celebrating the construction of altars, columns and courtyards which surrounded the temple date from 23 AD to 106. In most of the inscriptions Baal Shamin was referred to with a second name Du-Rahlun, the god from Rahle, a location which has been identified as Mt. Hermon in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains.

The devotees of Baal Shamin settled at Palmyra after other ethnic groups and this explains why the temple they built was located at a certain distance from the Colonnade, the heart of the ancient city. Baal Shamin was eventually worshipped together with the other deities as the following inscription demonstrates: This is the relief that Shewira son of Taima and Male son of [ … ] have made for Bel and Baal Shamin and for Aglibol and for Malakbel and for Astarte and for Nemesis and for Arsu and for Abgal, the good and rewarding gods for the life of themselves and the life of their sons. In the month Kanun of the year 464 (= November 152 AD). Peace!” (http://romeartlover.tripod.com/Palmyra4.html)

Temple of Nebo

In my opinion, if there was to be any reference to the Arch of Triumph as an entrance to a Temple it would be the Temple of Nebo. This temple was dedicated to Apollo. “The temple dedicated to Nebo was built approximately at the same time as that to Baal Shamin, but it was erected in a much more prestigious location i.e. between the Great Arch of the Colonnade and the Temple of Bel; Nebo was a deity of Babylonian origin; archaeologists have found out that festivals were held at this temple; in bilingual inscriptions Nebo was usually associated with Apollo and it appears that priests of Nebo issued oracles similar to those at Greek sanctuaries dedicated to Apollo, such as Delphi and Delos.” (http://romeartlover.tripod.com/Palmyra4.html)

Nabu (Nebo) Temple: Just after the monumental entrance arch of the colonnaded street to the west, the temple of Nabo measures 20m by 3m with bases of the surrounding colonnade, forming a trapezoid. The plan is basically Eastern in inspiration, and the scale is much smaller than that of the Bel temple. Nebo was a Mesopotamian god of wisdom and oracles, equated with the classical god Apollo, which dates the temple to the last quarter of the 1st century Ad, with work continuing on the surrounding complex until the 3rd century.” (http://www.cometosyria.com/en/pages/Palmyra+syria/46/38)

Now I hope this clears up the confusion for some. Most people will ignore archeological facts because it doesn’t fit their own research. The Arch of Triumph is not the Arch of Bel (Baal) that leads to the Temple of Bel (Baal) nor is the Arch of Triumph associated with the Temple of Baalshamin. This is only the entrance to the heart of Palmyra. Think of it as the entrance to a mall or amusement park. There are some stores or rides you won’t go into or ride but this doesn’t mean you call or associate the front doors of the mall, the entrance to Hot Topic. I hope you get me point. Go here to see what is in the entire complex at Palmyra.

On the top right center of the above image you can see the top of the Arch of Bel (Baal). This is looking out from inside the Colonade, looking through the Arch of Triumph. That would put the “Arch” or should we say entrance to the Tempe of Bel facing South. The Arch of Triumph or Monumental Arch faces East. Two entirely different entrances. And the claim that the Arch of Triumph is the entrance to the Temple of Baal, makes no sense whatsoever. The Arch of Triumph faces Entrance faces the northwest corner of the Temple of Baal which is the backside of it. Since when did people enter a temple through the back and not the front entrance?

It is beyond me how people can even call the Arch of Triumph the entrance to the Tempe of Bel (Baal), when it is infact outside and across the street of the actual Colonade where the Arch of Triumph stands. Not only that, the entrance or Arch of Bel (Baal) for the Tempe faces South. That is all directionally wrong.

I had posted this on my Facebook page. If you are not on ot yet and your on Facebook, go like it. I post a lot more over there then on this blog. This blog is for my important research.

“If you cannot have enough discernment to see the difference between the Arch of Triumph and the arch of Baal, then you will not be allowed on this page. I will BAN you if you get on this page and use the term arch of Baal in place of what it really is, the Arch of Triumph. Some may think this is petty but I’m over it. I will not stand for ignorance because people cannot seem to get one word right.

Ask yourself this, would you want someone calling you a Catholic when you’re not a Catholic and you are a Christian? How about I just call you all Mormons or maybe Jehovah Witnesses? I mean they are just the same right? Nope..they aren’t and you know it. So quit calling something one thing when its not. That’s how I feel about the Arch of Triumph being called the arch of baal. This arch is no more the arch of baal then you are no more a Catholic or a Mormon.” (https://www.facebook.com/idontcareifanyonereadsthis/)