Die Architekturornamentik des Jupitertempels in Baalbek

New evidence from the Jupiter Temple at Baalbek reveals previously unknown fragments of its lost cella, significantly expanding our understanding of its architectural ornamentation. Through comprehensive cataloging, researchers identified 23 capitals instead of the previously assumed two, providing a more detailed reconstruction of the temple's design. Comparative analysis with the Mars-Ultor Temple in Rome and the Bel Temple in Palmyra enabled a novel dating of the temple's construction to the second half of the 1st century CE. This study also highlights the artistic prowess and local origin of the stone carvers, as well as the political symbolism embedded in the temple's unique frieze, reflecting the elevated status of Colonia Beirut/Heliopolis within the Roman Empire. Systematic unfinished ornamentation is attributed to financial constraints during the transition between the Neronian and Flavian eras.

Wienholz, H. (2020). Die Architekturornamentik des Jupitertempels in Baalbek. Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin. https://doi.org/10.18452/21989