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Deutschen Palästina-Vereins
Herausgegeben von
Achim Lichtenberger und Markus Witte

138 (2022) 1

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 Deutscher Verein zur Erforschung Palästinas e. V., Wiesbaden 2022

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124 Rezensionen

SARTRE-FAURIAT, ANNIE / MAURICE SARTRE, Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie.

Volume XVI. L’Auranitide. 1. Qanawāt (Canatha) et la bordure nord-ouest du Jebel al- Arab.
Nos 1 à 303. Bibliothèque archéologique et historique 219. Beyrouth: Presses de l’IFPO, 2020.
V + 345 Seiten. Lex. 8 ˚. Paperback. † 65,--. ISBN: 978-2-35159-769-9.
SARTRE-FAURIAT, ANNIE / MAURICE SARTRE, Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie.
Volume XVI. L’Auranitide. 2. Suweidā (Dionysias) et la bordure ouest du Jebel al- Arab. Nos
304 à 474. Bibliothèque archéologique et historique 220. Beyrouth: Presses de l’IFPO, 2020.
VII + 233 Seiten. Lex. 8 ˚. Paperback. † 60,--. ISBN: 978-2-35159-770-5.

The reviewed books are the first two from a series of six volumes of a corpus of the Greek and Latin
inscriptions from the Southern Syrian region of the Haurān within the immense epigraphic project of the
˙
IGLS by the Institut Français du Proche-Orient (https://www.ifporient.org/igls/ [access: 06/08/2022]
and https://www.igls.mom.fr [access: 06/08/2022]). The present 16 th volume of the “Inscriptions
grecques et latines de la Syrie” contains more than 1,500 texts gathered in 121 villages of the region. A.
and M. SARTRE include both published and inedited epigraphic material from each Hauranese settlement,
illustrating every lemma either with a photograph or a drawing of a text. This important publication fills a
gap in the domain of the epigraphy of the Graeco-Roman Near East.
The published epigraphic record is diversified and among the texts the reader will find votive
dedications, construction texts and quotations of Psalms as well as funerary inscriptions on stelae. It
offers a broad chronology, from the 2 nd cent. B.C.E. until the 8 th cent. C.E.
The first volume contains evidence of 303 inscriptions from Kanatha / el-Qanawāt and 12 other
villages such as Selaima / Salı̄m, Seeia / Sı̄ – the northern territory of Ǧebel el- Arab. The places of
provenience are visualized on the maps at the beginning of each volume with a highlight on the con-
cerned villages. The authors open it with a general introduction (pp. 11– 24) to set the reader in the
geographical, historical, chronological, social and cultural frames. Every village is also introduced briefly
with a description of localization with relation to the mhtroÂpoleiw like Bosra, Dionysias / es-Suwēdā,
Philippopolis / Šahbā, etc. and a history of research. Each inscription is presented in the habitual for the
IGLS style composed by four elements:
1. Lemma containing information of a finding spot and a sort of an object and its demensions.
2. Previous publications of the text (or an annotation about being inedited).
3. Transliteration and translation, sometimes with a critique of other editions.
4. A commentary.
A huge part of volume XVI/1 is dedicated to Kanatha / el-Qanawāt (pp. 141– 276). The site itself
delivers more than 100 texts (texts from 141– 253). A. and M. SARTRE provide not only the inscriptions
found in this place, but also historical testimonies from the Bible as well as from ancient historians like
Pliny the Elder, Ptolemy and Flavius Josephus. The authors of the reviewed books also quote inscriptions
related to the Kanatheans attested beyond Syria, inclusive the references to the Cohors I Flavia Cana-
thenorum stationing in Retia.
As A. and M. SARTRE state, an important cultic center was dedicated to Zeus Megistos (the Greatest
or Most Great) of Kanatha, whose sanctuary was situated on the hill dominating over the city (p. 163).
The authors associate this Greek designation with Baalshamin the West-Semitic deity worshipped in
Seeia / Sı̄ , located in the vicinity of Kanatha, explaining it that Seeia was dependent on Kanatha. Even if
one text found in el-Qanawāt mentions the community of the inhabitants of Seeia, it does not necessarily
imply the dependence of one place on another. The geographical proximity does not indicate that one
place would have been subjected to the other, especially that the Kanathenian functionaries are absent in
Seeia. The same concerns the association of Zeus Megistos to Baalshamin. The Aramaic versions of the
bilingual texts 261 and 263 from Sı̄ provide the Semitic name of the deity who was worshipped there.
However, in the Greek inscriptions he is always named Zeus Kyrios (the Lord) and never Zeus Megistos
(the Greatest). We do not have any bilingual inscription from Kanatha though. It would definitely clarify
the issue of the identification with a non-Greek deity, which can be tricky for modern scholars. The
epithet meÂgistow attatched to Zeus or the generic title ûeoÂw (god) appear in many other Hauranese places
such as Selaima / Salı̄m (inscription 71), Kafr (inscription 390) and Hebrān (inscription 431). Each of the
places could have had an own “pantheon” differing one from another. ˙ The figure of Zeus serves for the

ZDPV 138 (2022) 1

 Rezensionen 125
local Near Eastern societies to interpret their god to indicate the chief position and not always combine
the “champ des competences” as an atmospheric god. The great example is the representation of the
deities on a mosaic from Edessa, where we find Zeus featured as god in Old Syriac Marelahe (the Lord of
the Gods) and whose consort is Hera and a Greek dedication to Zeus Olympios Marelae found in the
vicinity of Edessa. It was postulated among others by F. MILLAR and H. NIEHR that this representation
must relate to Baalshamin (MILLAR 2008, 234 – 235; NIEHR 2003, 181). However, what needs to be taken
into consideration, is the religious situation of Edessa before the Sassanian conquest. The main god of
Edessa and Harran was according to the epigraphy not the Lord of Heavens, but Sin, the god of the moon
(KUBIAK 2016, 344 – 345; KUBIAK-SCHNEIDER 2021a). In the second case, Marelae is named Zeus
Olympios because of the similarity of his divine dwelling place on the mountain Tektek at Harran as on
the Mount Olymp in Greece.
Coming back to the label meÂgistow, it relates to the position of the deity in spatial dimension
(KUBIAK-SCHNEIDER 2021b, 195 – in Palmyra Zeus Megistos designed Bel in the official, honorific
inscriptions; for spatial dimension see BELAYCHE 2011, 139 –140). It points out the greatness of the god
and has a large semantic meaning, similarly to yÏcistow. Therefore, I would not associate strictly in each
Hauranese village the reference to Zeus Megistos or Olympios to Baalshamin as the authors of the
reviewed volume want. The inscriptions from the Haurān present many deities with the name of Zeus
labelled with particular epithets. There is only one ˙ question if all the Zeuses in the Haurān are the
emanation of one Semitic god (see SOURDEL 1952, 21– 27; he associates Zeus exclusively ˙ with Baal-
shamin in the Haurān)? That, in my opinion, is deeply doubtful.
˙ the cults and the gods worshipped in this Syrian region still need a more comprehensive
The issue of
revision since the book by H. SOURDEL which seems to be obsolete (SOURDEL 1952; see the recent work
of MAZZILLI 2019).
The second part of the IGLS XVI comprises 170 inscriptions from Soada-Dionysias / Suwēdā and 19
other villages located on the western border of the Ǧebel el- Arab. The numbering system is continous.
Text 310 in IGLS XVI/2 merits particular attention. It is a dedication to “Zeus Saviour (Soter) and
Illuminator” in thanksgiving and in pointing the excellence (aÆrethÂ) of the god in the moment of saving
of the dedicator from “the depth of the sea and the horrifying extremities of the land”. It is a very rare
form of a votive dedication in the Greek epigraphy and reminds rather Semitic formulary. Even, accord-
ing to the authors, the title Phosphoros – Illuminator is rarely associated with Zeus, they would combine it
with Apollo. There are two Palmyrene inscriptions to the “Blessed his name forever” which are good
parallels to this text from Suwēdā (for the new transcription, translation and commentary see KUBIAK-
SCHNEIDER 2021b). The first one, PAT 0393, contains an Aramaic formula “he called upon him in on the
sea and on the land and he answered”. It is of course possible to understand both expressions: Greek and
Aramaic literally that the dedicators in both cases called upon the deity during a travel, but we cannot
exclude either a poetic meaning taken from a ritual text (hymn or prayer). Such a meaning confirms the
second Palmyrene Inscription, PAT 1923, which speaks about the miracle made by the god in the hour of
trouble. Both, this text and the one from the Southern Syrian village attest the good deed and excellence
of the involved god.
Concerning an unusual epithet of Zeus, inscription 368 from Sahwet el-Balāta, a village situated
8 km southwest from Suwēdā, is dedicated to Zeus Gaddos. The designation of Zeus˙ is a Grecized version
of the Semitic Gadde ( gd ), a protective deity of a place or a person (see Palmyra: PAT 1621). This
inscription is the first written attestation of combining these two deities, beside an iconographic example
from Dura Europos naming in Aramaic a Gadde, the Protector, of Dura (DIRVEN 1999, 103), where he is
represented seated on a throne flanked by eagles, holding a scepter and being crowned by Seleukos
Nikator. The authors of the reviewed volume write: “le Gad de Doura-Europos est représenté sous les
traits de Baalshamin, dieu aux aigles, c’est-à-dire Zeus, sur un bas-relief de la ville”. I cannot agree with
this statement. The studies on the Seleucid coins show that the image of Zeus Aetophoros, holding an
eagle, is a very popular motive connected to the reign of Seleukos I (ERICKSON 2014, 101). The eagles in
the Near East are connected not only with Baalshamin, but, as the examples from Palmyra and Hatra
show, with many deities like Bel, Shamash, Nabu, etc. Thus, the Gadde, Protector, of Dura is either Zeus
Olympios of Megistos worshipped in the city (ERICKSON 2011, 58). In the case of inscription IGLS
16.368, the question is only of what place or whose protector is Hauranese Zeus Gaddos? The name of
the dedicator, Cornelius, known as Aouidos (= wyd ) indicates Semitic roots and explains the reference
to the Gadde, who was maybe his own personal or family god or a deity related to his place of origins.
The epigraphic and iconographic associations from Dura and Sahwet el-Balāta indicate that the Gadde
˙
ZDPV 138 (2022) 1
126 Rezensionen

was perceived more than a genius or a protective spirit – minor god, but he could be the highest deity as
well.
Both volumes present a vast repertoire of inscriptions relating to the religious shpere, giving a large
evidence of different divine names. The texts gathered in the reviewed books also contribute to the better
understanding of the societies of each village thanks to the large sample of the personal names of various
origins: Greek, Roman, Semitic (Aramaic and Arabic).
Looking at the evidence of each place of the Haurān poses questions such as: Why do some places
deliver more than 100 texts and some others only ˙ one? Was this connected to the status of the villages?
How is the material represented in the Semitic languages? Concerning the last question, at least in the
present two volumes of IGLS, there is only one bilingual inscription (inscription 346) and the rest of the
material is either Greek or Latin.
Regrettably the index and bibliography are not inculded in the books, but they are published online
and the links are provided under the table of contents. It would for sure facilitate the access if they were
included in the printed version, but having in mind the scale of publication, this way seems to be more
practical.
In conclusion, the 16 th volume of IGLS containing an extensive epigraphic material is definitely a
great academic tool to further explorations, comparanda and studies of particular issues of the life of the
Graeco-Roman Near East. It takes a significant place not only in the domain of the epigraphy, but also in
the research of the villages of the Haurān and the understanding of the cultural situation of the region.
˙
Münster ALEKSANDRA KUBIAK-SCHNEIDER

Bibliography

BELAYCHE, N.
2011 Hypsistos. A Way of Exalting the Gods in Graeco-Roman Polytheism, in: J. A. NORTH /
S. R. F. PRICE (ed.), The Religious History of the Roman Empire. Pagans, Jews, and
Christians (Oxford Readings in Classical Studies; Oxford et al.).
DIRVEN, L.
1999 The Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos. A Study of Religious Interaction in Roman Syria
(Religions in the Graeco-Roman World 138; Leiden, Boston, Cologne).
ERICKSON, K.
2011 Apollo-Nabû. The Babylonian Policy of Antiochus I, in: K. ERICKSON / G. RAMSEY
(ed.), Seleucid Dissolution. The Sinking of the Anchor (Philippika 50; Wiesbaden),
51– 66.
2014 Zeus to Apollo and Back Again. Shifts in Seleucid Policy and Iconography, in: N. T.
ELKINS / S. KRMNICEK (ed.), “Art in the Round”. New Approaches in Ancient Coin
Iconography (Tübinger Archäologische Forschungen 16; Rahden / Westf.), 97 – 108.
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2016 The Gods without Names? Palmyra, Hatra, Edessa, in: ARAM Periodical 28, 337 – 348.
KUBIAK-SCHNEIDER, A.
2021a Maı̂tre de l’Univers, du Monde et de l’Éternité: des dieux aux pouvoirs illimités à
Palmyre?, in: C. BONNET (ed.), Noms de dieux. Portraits de divinités antiques (Collec-
tion Essais; Toulouse), 132 –151.
2021b Des dédicaces sans théonyme de Palmyre. Béni (soit) son nom pour l’éternité (Religions
in the Graeco-Roman World 197; Leiden, Boston).
MAZZILLI, F.
2018 Rural Cult Centres in the Hauran. Part of the Broader Network of the Near East (100 BC
– AD 300) (Archaeopress Roman Archaeology 51; Oxford).
MILLAR, F.
2008 Narrative and Identity in Mosaics from the Late Roman Near East: Pagan, Jewish, and
Christian, in: Y. Z. ELIAV / E. A. FRIEDLAND / S. HERBERT (ed.), The Sculptural Environ-
ment of the Roman Near East. Reflections on Culture, Ideology, and Power (Interdis-
ciplinary Studies in Ancient Culture and Religion 9; Leuven, Paris, Dudley).

ZDPV 138 (2022) 1

 Rezensionen 127
NIEHR, H.
2003 Ba alšamem. Studien zu Herkunft, Geschichte und Rezeptionsgeschichte eines phöni-
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Paris).

ZDPV 138 (2022) 1

 ZDPV 138 (2022) 1 – Inhalt
Lights on the Iron Age Pottery from the 1963 – 1983 Excavations at Kāmid el-Lōz, Lebanon.
By JIHAD AL-DAIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Šūnı̄ Quarry Excavations (Israel): The Iron Age I Remains. By SAMUEL R. WOLFF . . . . . 38
Defending the Middle Ground. The Walls of Jerusalem in Iron Age I and IIA. By GREG J.
WIGHTMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Interpreting the Seventh Century B.C.E.: The Use and Misuse of Seventh Century B.C.E. Pottery
in Judah. By LILY SINGER-AVITZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Floor Mosaics in the North-West Church at Hippos (Sussita). By JULIA M. BURDAJEWICZ . . 88
An Assemblage of Metal Artifacts on the Hill of Šēh Abrēk (Beth She arim), Its Landscape and
Archaeological Context. By RAFAEL Y. LEWIS ˘ , ADI ERLICH and RONA S. EVYASAF.
Appendix by MICHAL BIRKENFELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Rezensionen
Davis, Andrew R., Reconstructing the Temple. The Royal Rhetoric of Temple Renovation
in the Ancient Near East and Israel (New York 2019). Rez. H. PFEIFFER . . . . . . . . 122
Sartre-Fauriat, Annie / Maurice Sartre, Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie. Volume
XVI. L’Auranitide. 1. Qanawāt (Canatha) et la bordure nord-ouest du Jebel al- Arab. Nos 1
à 303 (Bibliothèque archéologique et historique 219; Beyrouth 2020). 2. Suweidā (Dio-
nysias) et la bordure ouest du Jebel al- Arab. Nos 304 à 474 (Bibliothèque archéologique et
historique 220; Beyrouth 2020). Rez. A. KUBIAK-SCHNEIDER . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Petersen, Andrew / Denys Pringle (ed.), Ramla. City of Muslim Palestine, 715 –1917. Studies
in History, Archaeology and Architecture (Archaeopress Archaeology; Oxford 2021).
Rez. H. NOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Mitteilungen
Das Deutsche Evangelische Institut für Altertumswissenschaft des Heiligen Landes (DEI),
zugleich Forschungsstelle des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts (DAI), im Jahr 2021.
Von DIETER VIEWEGER und KATHARINA SCHMIDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Vereinsmitteilungen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Professor Dr. Siegfried Mittmann. 12. Oktober 1933 – 29. April 2022. Von JENS KAMLAH 149

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