Hellenistic and Roman Baalbek and the Bekaa

Recent archaeological surveys and excavations at Baalbek-Heliopolis challenge long-standing assumptions about the origins of the Temple of Jupiter Heliopolitanus, revealing that its construction began just before 15 BCE, coinciding with the establishment of the Roman colony centered on Berytus. This contradicts previous notions of deep antiquity linked to ancient Semitic deities. The study also provides insights into Roman life in the Bekaa Valley through excavations at Niha and Hosn Niha, offering a consistent picture with other Roman sites across the empire. Historical sources describe Seleucid and Ptolemaic competition for the region before the rise of the Ituraeans, contributing to a nuanced understanding of the area's Hellenistic period.

Paturel, S. E. (2025). Hellenistic and Roman Baalbek and the Bekaa. The Oxford Handbook of the Hellenistic and Roman near East, 765–780. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190858155.013.89