The Temple of the Obelisks (french: Temple aux Obelisques, ar, معبد الأنصاب ''maebad al'ansab''), also known as the L-shaped Temple and Temple of Resheph was an important

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

temple structure in the

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Byblos Byblos ( ; gr, Βύβλος), also known as Jbeil or Jubayl ( ar, جُبَيْل, Jubayl, locally ; phn, 𐤂𐤁𐤋, , probably ), is a city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. It is believed to have been first occupied between 880 ...

. It is considered "perhaps the most spectacular" of the ancient structures of Byblos. It is the best preserved building in the Byblos archaeological site. Almost all of the artefacts found in the excavation of the temple are displayed at the

National Museum of Beirut The National Museum of Beirut ( ar, متحف بيروت الوطنيّ, ''Matḥaf Bayrūt al-waṭanī'' or French: Musée national de Beyrouth) is the principal museum of archaeology in Lebanon. The collection begun after World War I, and the m ...

. It was excavated by French archaeologist

Maurice Dunand Maurice Dunand (4 March 1898 – 23 March 1987) was a prominent French archaeologist specializing in the ancient Near East, who served as director of the Mission Archéologique Française in Lebanon. Dunand excavated Byblos from 1924 to 1975, and ...

from 1924-73. The original temple is now in two parts: the base is known as "the L-shaped temple", and the top is known as the "Temple of the Obelisks"; the latter was moved 40 meters east during

's excavations. Dunand uncovered 1306 Byblos figurines –

ex-voto An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or to a divinity; the term is usually restricted to Christian examples. It is given in fulfillment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for ''ex voto suscepto'', "from the vow made") or in gratitude o ...

offerings, including faience figurines, weapons, and dozens of bronze-with-gold-leaf figurines – which have become the "poster child" of the Lebanese Tourism Ministry.

Description

Base: L Shaped Temple

The ''L-shaped Temple'' was constructed around 2600 BCE, two centuries after the construction of the Temple of Baalat Gebal (approximately 100m to the west) had been built. It was named the " L-shaped" temple by Dunand, as its two rooms and the courtyard were arranged in such a shape. The temple had well built walls and temples, in contrast to the later Obelisk temple. It is thought that the L-shaped temple was burned down at the end of the

Early Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

Top: Obelisk Temple

The Temple of the Obelisks was constructed around 1600 BCE on top of the L-shaped temple, retaining its general outline. The temple's name, given by Dunand, refers to a number of obelisks and standing stones located in a court around the

cella A cella (from Latin for small chamber) or naos (from the Ancient Greek, Greek ναός, "temple") is the inner chamber of an ancient Greek temple, Greek or Roman temple in classical antiquity. Its enclosure within walls has given rise to extende ...

. The Abishemu obelisk has been interpreted to include a dedication to

Resheph Resheph (also Reshef and many other variants, see below; phn, 𐤓‬𐤔‬𐤐‬, ''ršp''; Eblaite ''Rašap'', Egyptian ') was a deity associated with plague (or a personification of plague), either war or strong protection, and sometimes ...

, a Canaanite war god, although this is disputed. Another obelisk has a hieroglyphic inscription Middle Bronze Age king of Byblos Ibishemu, praising the Egyptian god

Heryshaf In Egyptian mythology, Heryshaf, or Hershef ( egy, ḥrj š f "He who is on His Lake"),Forty, Jo. ''Mythology: A Visual Encyclopedia'', Sterling Publishing Co., 2001, p. 84. transcribed in Greek as Harsaphes or Arsaphes ( grc-koi, Ἁρσαφ ...

. Since it had been built on top of the L-shaped temple, it was necessary for Dunand to dismantle and move this upper temple in order to excavate the L-shaped temple beneath. In contrast to the L-shaped temple beneath, the Obelisk Temple was built with irregular walls.

Modern identification and excavation

The temple was first identified by Dunand. The majority of the obelisks found were underground in their original positions, standing upright, while a few others were discovered buried in a favissa (a well for votive deposits). File:View from Byblos.jpg, 1959 view of the temple base and top File:Pierre Montet's 1924 diagram of the Byblos archaeological site.jpg, Montet's 1924 diagram of the Byblos archaeological site File:Pierre Montet's 1924 diagram of the Byblos temples.jpg, Montet's 1924 diagram of the Byblos temples File:Phoenician statuettes.jpg, The Byblos figurines File:National Museum of Beirut – Resheph obelisk.jpg, The Abishemu obelisk

References

Sources

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Archaeological reports

External links

*{{commons category-inline, Temple of the Obelisks Byblos Temples in Lebanon Phoenician sites in Lebanon Phoenician temples